Aston Martin gives us seven new reasons to love the Vantage

With the launch of the Vantage AMR, it feels like Aston Martin has carved its own distinct niche in a crowded segment.

The thing that principally differentiates the new AMR from other Vantages is the fitment of a manual transmission.

It's the same Graziano, dog-leg, seven-speed gearbox that we saw in the last V12 Vantage, so it's not the easiest or, at times, slickest-shifting unit out there.

Aston Martin intends to build 141 Vantage AMRs, which might seem like a curious number. However, when you add to those 141 another 59 Vantage 59 Editions (essentially AMRs with some extra carbon fiber and a celebratory, motorsport-aping paint job) you get a nice round 200.

After those 200 have been sold, Aston Martin will be offering the manual gearbox as an option on the standard Vantage.

Power remains at a healthy 503 horsepower, but the torque figure is down by 44 pound-feet to 461, and it is limited to just 258 lb-ft in first and second gears.

The reason for this is that making the gearbox cope with the V8's full 505 lb-ft would have required extra strengthening. That would have added an extra 220 pounds, meaning an undesirable net gain of 66 pounds for a manual-equipped car compared to one with an automatic.

You'll be pleased to hear that the Vantage is now also faster, as the claimed top speed of the AMR is 200 mph.

Of course, the price has gone up, too, with the AMR starting at $184,995, but the manual transmission will be a no-cost option when it is offered on the standard Vantage next year.

Keep scrolling for more photos of the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR.