Reply With QuoteGo for the V8 Vantage S. Came out 2011.
Newer 7 speed Sportshift Gearbox is much better, tighter steering, slightly more power, a bit rarer.
Looking at buying a used model around 2010-2012 and was looking for some advice from any previous owners regarding issues, what to look out for etc. I want the Sportshift over manual as I cannot be bothered with changing gears. Thanks.
Go for the V8 Vantage S. Came out 2011.
Newer 7 speed Sportshift Gearbox is much better, tighter steering, slightly more power, a bit rarer.
Make sure you drive one before you buy, one of the worst auto boxes I've ever driven. Down changes are fine but up changes are like an antiquated lungy slush box.
Of the 3 friends who have owned 4 between them inc a n430 and v12s none would have another
All kinds of silly issues ( no major engine/gearbox/axle issues) that amounted to fortunes.
Door locks, electric seats, switches, cracked dashboard parts etc
Very nice to have been a passenger in mind.
I had an earlier 4.3 V8 and now have a V12. As above, they can have lots of niggles and smaller issues that can mount up. I had the extended AM warranty on my V8. It was 4 years old when I bought it and in that first year had a thermostat, door module, rear lens, wing mirror mount and two washer jets covered under the warranty. I didn't bother renew it however for the second year of ownership. Also had both doors needing paint due to corrosion along the top and bottom (common issue). AM made a 50% contribution towards the bodywork.
The V12 I bought in the summer and so far no issues and I don't have the warranty on it. Despite being an earlier car (now 11 years old) there is currently no sign of corrosion anywhere in the usual places. And I've had a good look over it. Service is due end of the month so we'll see how that goes.
If you keep it for any length of time you will have minor things crop up. They just do go wrong. Also bear in mind you are looking at an 8 to 10 year old car now.
I have never owned one but not for want of thinking about it but was told so many bad stories from my petrol head friends and from what I read that put me right off, far better cars out there that won’t cause you sleepless nights.
what would you go for that has the love, name, sense of occasion.Originally Posted by bobdog
i borrowed one from a friend for just over 2 weeks years ago, and it was fabulous.
A client has had three of them from a convertible to the N430, and then a newer V12. He loved them.
It's just a matter of time...
I would take a similar age Merc SL over one any day of the week.
Conversely I'm on my second per the above and loved my V8 which led me to waiting quite a few years until the V12 was in the right price range for me to buy one. That's despite the issues I had with the V8.
I can't say that objectively its the best car I could have bought for the money. But subjectively nothing comes close for me. Naturally aspirated, 6 litre V12 with a proper manual gear box. Only around 1200 built. And it looks like this.
Good friend had one - if you have any back problems make sure you take one on an extended test drive. The seating / driving position didn’t suit me at all and it would have crippled me as a regular driver.
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Going off topic slightly so back to the original question from the OP. Go and have a look at some. Test drive them and see how it makes you feel. You'll either want one or not.
Lovely car and manual gearbox, what's not to like.Conversely I'm on my second per the above and loved my V8 which led me to waiting quite a few years until the V12 was in the right price range for me to buy one. That's despite the issues I had with the V8.
I can't say that objectively its the best car I could have bought for the money. But subjectively nothing comes close for me. Naturally aspirated, 6 litre V12 with a proper manual gear box. Only around 1200 built. And it looks like this.
What’s the realistic running costs like in terms of insurance, mpg and standard servicing?
This was always my dream car but I also hear horror stories....the cayman or F Type always tend to be the class comparison.
I can't remember the exact costs for my V8, but roughly on the V12:
Insurance - approx. £500
Servicing at AM - around £800 to £1,000 annually assuming nothing else needs doing.
MPG - the V12 is showing around 12mpg at the moment and I think the V8 was more like 16mpg
Road tax is towards the top end for the V8 given CO2 but the V12 is limited as it is classed as PLG. So £285 currently.
Wheels are 19 inch so probably around £800 for a set of tyres if you shop around.
So is this gearbox different to the one in the standard 4.7?
Useful to know.
That is one seriously sexy motor. Hoses all over the more recent releases design-wise.
I've had the 4.7 coupe and 2 V12's over a 10 year period and over 30,00 miles between them all with many European trips with pretty 'spirited' driving and never had a mechanical issue with any of them. A few niggles with hood operation on a roadster and brake nipples (which I blame the dealer for) but other wise no problems at all. They are beautiful cars and the only car I've owned that I used to go into the garage just to look at after a few drinks on an evening!
Would love a V12 but currently still in Porsche mode.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I think the V12 would be a sound investment for classic status
Yep, guilty of that myself. 😁
I would agree with this. Mine is definitely a long term keeper and was bought partly with that in mind.
Can’t see much sense of occasion driving a Merc..
No.. I can’t imagine how a rip snorting supercharged V8 or face peelingly, laugh out loud fast biturbo V12 would give you any kind of sense of occasion at all.
Its all down to preference so I dont think any further responce is necessary.
It's my "if only" car, utterly gorgeous. Unreliability and big bills seem to be the bottom line, sadly. Slumming in a Cayman 981 GTS.
Don't worry they have one of the worst manual gearboxes I've ever driven as well, thing just wouldn't go into first gear when it was cold.
Lovely cars to look at, horrible to drive, feels like you've gone back 30 years in engineering and technology, thought I wanted one as well until I drove one.
Phew. Glad someone else said this.
I’ve driven a couple both on road and track, and was underwhelmed both times.
Without question they are beautiful works of art to look at, and worth the money for their “specialness” alone, but as a sports car there are many better.
That said, I’ll probably buy one at some point.
So clever my foot fell off.
They do tend to do that anyway. A traditional British motoring trait, it used to be called 'marking their territory' but it's wearing thin nowadays
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Sportshift 2 Gearbox ( Quicker, Better Reverse Gear, 7 Speed) was introduced with the launch of the V8S in 2011.
It was then fitted as standard to all 4.7 cars from around 2012/2013 ( I think it is officially MY12.25).
By 2014 a number of the S refinements had reached the standard Car.
The best way I could describe the driving experience would be like a luxurious TVR.
The clutch was ludicrously heavy, gearbox felt out of the ark, everything felt heavy and slow, to add to the Aston Martin ownership experience the engine management light came on during the test drive as well. This was a relatively new car with a main AM dealer in Walton on Thames. I got back in my 911 and drove away appreciating what a precision instrument the Porsche was in comparison.
I see where you are coming from in that comparison - I have had numerous weekend TVR's in the past, and currently have a Maserati Cambiocorsa - which I would also describe as a more luxurious TVR (with a Ferrari engine in it).
I think it all comes down to more than just the driving experence - for some, me included, it is also the aesthetics. If I wanted something purely about driving I'd have a Caterham or possibly a Lotus. I've had a 911, and absolutely get the appeal of those in every way.
Astons have that hard to define "magic" about them. Partly it is the name and the Bond relationship, partly it is their sheer physical beauty, and perhaps partly it is their comparative rarity. It's the hard to define "star quality" that makes them so desirable. The actual driving experience is only a part of that.
So clever my foot fell off.
Agreed, it was the jaw dropping beauty of the car and the noise of the V8 that got me interested.
I've toyed with the idea of a 4.7 for a while. My old man has a db7 vantage that constantly needs work so that put me off the idea.
Also heard plenty of feedback that these are quite underwhelming in the power department. Can't vouch for that myself.
I went for an XKR in the end and haven't had a single problem with it. Cheaper and still represents a driving event
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These are always going to be cars that you buy with your heart, not your head.
I was at the Bond in Motion exhibition in Covent Garden last weekend (absolutely excellent by the way!), and my wife, who is largely indifferent to cars, also thought the Astons gorgeous.
She did also like Brosnan's single seater jet boat, but then who wouldn't?
So clever my foot fell off.
I thought my son summed it up perfectly, he was thinking of changing his 911 and took a V8 Vantage out for a test drive, he said it was like marrying a supermodel then finding out she couldn’t cook and didn’t like sex. Needless to say he didn’t buy it.
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