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Beyond the most niche supercar and hypercar manufacturers, manual gearboxes have become rare in new performance cars. Yes, buyers can still shift for themselves in a Koenigsegg or Pagani, but Ferrari grabbed major attention when it unveiled a simulated manual transmission in the 12Cilindri Manuale. McLaren has also joined that trend. Even so, the big question remains: will more carmakers follow suit?

At a media event during Monterey Car Week, held around the debut of the new Aston Martin Valen, Road & Track heard Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark address exactly this issue.

“I know that from our point of view, all of our manuals were based on the old vehicle architecture [and] electronics,” Hallmark said. “The problem we have is not getting a manual gearbox; it's getting an electronic and modified system to be able to work with a manual box. Why? Because when you've got ADAS—because this car's got all the safety systems of a production car, if we put a manual in, you couldn't have the adaptive speed control and the anti-crash intervention. To take that out ... and to modify it is more cost[ly] than developing a new manual gearbox.”

At first glance, that does not sound especially encouraging. Integrating ADAS functions with a manual transmission is something each manufacturer approaches differently. For instance, the Honda Civic Type R is sold only with a six-speed manual, yet it still includes adaptive cruise control, lane-following assistance and other features. By contrast, adaptive cruise control is not offered at all on BMW models equipped with manual transmissions.

There is, however, a possible workaround if Aston Martin were to take a cue from Ferrari. Admittedly, Ferrari’s latest setup is not a genuine manual transmission, but it is significantly less expensive and still works alongside the required safety systems.

“And then, when you look at how many cars you need to sell at what incremental price to offset the cost of the box and the electronics, it's a marginal case, which I guess is why Ferrari have done what they've done,” Hallmark said. “So our dilemma: Do we do a fake manual? Or, don't go manual? So that's the problem.”

Unfortunately, Hallmark did not say which direction he personally favours, so the matter remains unresolved for now. It is also a somewhat different response from the one given when Lamborghini was asked about the possibility of offering a manual transmission in future. The Italian supercar brand ruled out any chance of a three-pedal car, saying it needs to stay aligned with the direction motorsport is taking.

The last Aston Martin to offer a manual transmission was the Vantage, and given how accomplished the new Vantage is as a sports car, we certainly would not object to seeing a manual return to that model. For now, though, it is simply a case of waiting to see what happens next.