Is it worth going from a 4.3 to a 4.7??

[Lunablack]

Ever since I got my 4.3V I've felt it a bit lacking in the oomph dept....
I love the car, the spec (manual), the handling, brakes, comfort noise, colour etc etc, but I've found it a little frustrating, that my mates 18 year old, bog standard Griff, will just see it off, until I can get into 5th....

Ok chuck a few bends in the mix, and a bit of hard braking, and he soon disappears in my rear view...

I recon, I could find a manual 4.7, with similar mileage to mine, (20k ish) in a colour I'd accept, for my car plus say £15k.....
Now my car is an 06, and I suspect I'll be looking at an early 09 for that kind of money, so I suspect there would be a few other benefits that come with having a 3 year newer car, better seats, blue tooth, sat nav etc..

So bearing in mind, an annual mileage of only 5k ish, is it worth spending £15k to go from what is a really nice condition known entity of a 4.3 vantage, that I'm 95% satisfied with...... To an unknown, 4.7 that's 3 years newer, but will have similar miles on it??

My gut feeling is, it's not worth it.... But I'm interested in what others may think, and what they'd do in similar circumstances..

[Murph7355]

Only you can say.

If it were me, no.

I'd stop going in convoy with my Griff owning mate on motorways

[pommehogster]

Give your car to BR and let them fettle with it and I am sure you will have a car much more powerful and faster which you also know 100% and .... It's totally personal to you.

[v8woollie]

Been thinking the same recently. The car I have is a 2007 V8V and a know entity. Swapping to a 4.7 means going to an unknown entity. Personally I'm swaying towards giving BR £10k and getting the exhaust and clutch upgraded. I think I'd then end up with a known entity as good as, if not better than, a 4.7.

[Lunablack]

v8woollie said:

Been thinking the same recently. The car I have is a 2007 V8V and a know entity. Swapping to a 4.7 means going to an unknown entity. Personally I'm swaying towards giving BR £10k and getting the exhaust and clutch upgraded. I think I'd then end up with a known entity as good as, if not better than, a 4.7.

The trouble with this is, that you spend £10k, and you still end up with a 6 year old car, whereas with my proposal, you get a newer car, with all the upgrades incorporated during those 3 years...

I suspect I'm not going to know the answer, until I've driven a 4.7...... But I'm guessing, I'll probably hang on, save a bit more, and head in the direction of a V8S......when the prices become a little closer to my budget...

I suppose spending £15k for a bit newer, and a bit faster doesn't really make sense...

I'm not inclined to spend large sums of money upgrading my car, as I'm not into modifying, you never get it back, and it can put off potential buyers....(I certainly wouldn't buy a heavily modded car)
I would upgrade something as it wears out, but I'm not going to spend money on a car that's running beautifully, and basically has nothing wrong with it....

[Slarti]

Lunablack said:

I'm not inclined to spend large sums of money upgrading my car, as I'm not into modifying, you never get it back, and it can put off potential buyers....(I certainly wouldn't buy a heavily modded car)
I would upgrade something as it wears out, but I'm not going to spend money on a car that's running beautifully, and basically has nothing wrong with it....

Yeti's gonna bust you up for saying that.

[v8woollie]

Lunablack said:

The trouble with this is, that you spend £10k, and you still end up with a 6 year old car, whereas with my proposal, you get a newer car, with all the upgrades incorporated during those 3 years...

I suspect I'm not going to know the answer, until I've driven a 4.7...... But I'm guessing, I'll probably hang on, save a bit more, and head in the direction of a V8S......when the prices become a little closer to my budget...

I suppose spending £15k for a bit newer, and a bit faster doesn't really make sense...

I'm not inclined to spend large sums of money upgrading my car, as I'm not into modifying, you never get it back, and it can put off potential buyers....(I certainly wouldn't buy a heavily modded car)
I would upgrade something as it wears out, but I'm not going to spend money on a car that's running beautifully, and basically has nothing wrong with it....

In context my six year old vantage has 17.5k miles on it so most parts are good as new. I don't regard the BR exhaust and clutch upgraded as heavy modding. It is replacing parts with ones of superior quality with the benefit of more bhp and torque and a better driving experience.

Might put off some buyers but those in the know would be more than happy to have the better quality parts. And when you tell a prospective purchaser that the clutch is not only better and relatively new but also likely to last over twice as long as a factory replacement then it is more peace of mind and a positive thing.

Agree on the V8S though. I'd love one j

Edited by v8woollie on Thursday 27th December 23:47

[v8woollie]

Lunablack said:

The trouble with this is, that you spend £10k, and you still end up with a 6 year old car, whereas with my proposal, you get a newer car, with all the upgrades incorporated during those 3 years...

I suspect I'm not going to know the answer, until I've driven a 4.7...... But I'm guessing, I'll probably hang on, save a bit more, and head in the direction of a V8S......when the prices become a little closer to my budget...

I suppose spending £15k for a bit newer, and a bit faster doesn't really make sense...

I'm not inclined to spend large sums of money upgrading my car, as I'm not into modifying, you never get it back, and it can put off potential buyers....(I certainly wouldn't buy a heavily modded car)
I would upgrade something as it wears out, but I'm not going to spend money on a car that's running beautifully, and basically has nothing wrong with it....

In context my six year old vantage has 17.5k miles on it so most parts are good as new. I don't regard the BR exhaust and clutch upgraded as heavy modding. It is replacing parts with ones of superior quality with the benefit of more bhp and torque and a better driving experience.

Might put off some buyers but those in the know would be more than happy to have the better quality parts. And when you tell a prospective purchaser that the clutch is not only better and relatively new but also likely to last over twice as long as a factory replacement then it is more peace of mind and a positive thing.

Agree on the V8S though. I'd love one

Edited by v8woollie on Thursday 27th December 23:47

[Speedraser]

Needless to say, a test drive will help. If the only thing your current car lacks is a bit of go, the 4.7 should address that. The performance difference between the 4.3 and the 4.7 is much greater than the difference between the 4.7 and the S, which is negligible. Of course, the differences in suspension among standard, Sports Pack/N420, and S are significant, and the S has the quicker steering rack. One other thing; you mention that one of the things you like about your current car is the manual 'box, which cannot be had on the S (until MY13 )

[Murph7355]

If acceleration is the only thing really bugging you, you will get used to a 40bhp upgrade in a few days.

Chasing more and more power will prove exponentially more costly and exponentially less beneficial. And there will always be something quicker than you in a straight line. Even old kit. (tbh, where the V8V is concerned there are plenty of things quicker round corners too. Looks, sound and ambience are its fortes).

Spend the 15k on a fast bike or a Caterham. You'll then have a very quick, elegant car for when you're feeling suave and can get over someone being a bit quicker in a straight line, and something mental that can give you the highs knowing you're unlikely to find anything quicker on the road

[yeti]

Slarti said:

Yeti's gonna bust you up for saying that.

Nah, no argument with that. You certainly reduce your selling pool, but it means you always sell to an enthusiast rather than a possible brandophile.

Luna, it's not just the extra poke of the 4.7, it's a vastly improved car. I'd think about the change but only following a very diligent pre-purchase inspection to flag anything nasty. Gives you a little more confidence and makes the car a more known quantity

[mikey k]

I held off buying a Vantage a while back because the 4.3 just didn't do it for me.
Knowing Luna he would need a sport pack 4.7
But having come from one of them to an S I'd say if you are going to change hold out for the S
It is A LOT different

[Bincenzo]

Murph7355 said:

If acceleration is the only thing really bugging you, you will get used to a 40bhp upgrade in a few days.

Chasing more and more power will prove exponentially more costly and exponentially less beneficial. And there will always be something quicker than you in a straight line. Even old kit. (tbh, where the V8V is concerned there are plenty of things quicker round corners too. Looks, sound and ambience are its fortes).

Spend the 15k on a fast bike or a Caterham. You'll then have a very quick, elegant car for when you're feeling suave and can get over someone being a bit quicker in a straight line, and something mental that can give you the highs knowing you're unlikely to find anything quicker on the road

Murph, had I had the time, I'd have posted exactly that - well said. We are men and women who like cars. Prestige, performance cars. The excitement of power comes with the territory, but so does a relatively low boredom threshold. Chasing more and more power becomes more and more of an obsession. To those with a large budget, this can be a very enjoyable hobby. For those without, it can be a very frustrating game of adding minor, often imperceptible improvements. For what it's worth, I bought my V8V for what it is - a thing of beauty. If I had been concerned about being beaten away from the lights by a modded Polo, or left standing by an M3, I would quite simply have bought one of those instead. But I didn't. I bought an Aston Martin and I love it.

4.7 v 4.3? I have no idea, as I've not driven the 4.7. But if you're anything like me, the moment you get the 4.7, the V12V will be daring you to take a look......and we all know how that will end. And so endeth the lesson according to St Bincenzo......

[AMDBSNick]

Bincenzo said:

Murph, had I had the time, I'd have posted exactly that - well said. We are men and women who like cars. Prestige, performance cars. The excitement of power comes with the territory, but so does a relatively low boredom threshold. Chasing more and more power becomes more and more of an obsession. To those with a large budget, this can be a very enjoyable hobby. For those without, it can be a very frustrating game of adding minor, often imperceptible improvements. For what it's worth, I bought my V8V for what it is - a thing of beauty. If I had been concerned about being beaten away from the lights by a modded Polo, or left standing by an M3, I would quite simply have bought one of those instead. But I didn't. I bought an Aston Martin and I love it.

4.7 v 4.3? I have no idea, as I've not driven the 4.7. But if you're anything like me, the moment you get the 4.7, the V12V will be daring you to take a look......and we all know how that will end. And so endeth the lesson according to St Bincenzo......

Roughly what BHP does your helicopter have - git

[Lunablack]

Thanks for the replies guys all food for thought.....

In response to a few comments.... Re tuning, I'm not averse to some light exhaust, intake type mods, but I don't think that alone would give me what I'm looking for, and I'm dead against modding an engine that's got nowt wrong with it...
I'd certainly upgrade the clutch when it becomes due for renewal....

Regarding someone always having a quicker car..... Yep that's always going to happen, but this is a mate I'm talking about, and to give an example of how much difference there is, on the way back from the Griff Growl, on the Shrewsbury bypass, coming off every roundabout, he left me for dead..... I'd love to make it harder work for him...... Oh he loves the Aston by the way

I'm not going to go down the route of bikes.... Been there done that.... A caterham could be a possibility.... But I'd sell the Aston which sort of defeats the object really..

Yeti's comment regarding the 4.7 being more than just a bigger engine, strikes a cord, as this is how I feel about it...

But Mikey's hit the nail on the head, as I do think the S is what I should be hanging out for.....as it will be a big step up from a 4.3....

[yeti]

Bincenzo said:

Chasing more and more power becomes more and more of an obsession. To those with a large budget, this can be a very enjoyable hobby. For those without, it can be a very frustrating game of adding minor, often imperceptible improvements.
And so endeth the lesson according to St Bincenzo......

Not sure who conferred your sainthood old bean? Pope Nick of the Layby?

Your minor/imperceptible improvements for the Vantage... I don't know what they are? Maybe a backbox? That pretty much does nothing!

The Bamford Rose kit for the Vantage of exhaust manifolds, 200 cell catalysts and the induction system are not minor, they are totally game-changing for the car bringing the 4.3 up to the power and beyond of the 4.7 for less than half the cost to change - loads of people on here have had the modifications now and all are in agreement. The same path exists for the DB9 to beyond DBS power and the V12 Vantage/DBS to be beyond the 310quish. Yes, it's not all about power, but it's the driveablity and torque that make the difference. Freer revving engines, lighter clutch movement and longer life and that;s before we even discuss the switchable suspension or the BIG brake kit.

It is a personal choice whether to change out your car or keep the one you know and love but make it better - fortunately there is a route for both, but if you want to go faster and have the enjoyment that brings, the most cost-effective route is to have the Bamford Rose kit on your car. Bear in mind it's all reversible and you'd see most of your money back at resale by selling separately

There endeth the lesson from Yeti... Not yet a saint as I only have the one miracle of turning an old green DB9 Volante into a sports car, with the help of Bishops Mike and Adrian

[Lunablack]

Bincenzo said:

4.7 v 4.3? I have no idea, as I've not driven the 4.7. But if you're anything like me, the moment you get the 4.7, the V12V will be daring you to take a look......and we all know how that will end. And so endeth the lesson according to St Bincenzo......

Funnily enough. The V12V is at the bottom of my list of "wants"..... If I were after a V12 AM I'd be aiming at a DBS, Vanquish, new DB9 or such like...

[V8 Animal]

I had your thoughts coming from a TVR background the 4.3 is slow but sounds great.

Was going to upgrade to a S but as the V12's are roughly the same price i thought a year later im going to be back at the dealer wanting a V12

So went all the way and bought a DBS and bloody ell it's quick the misses said yesterday it sounds as loud as a TVR but that's where the similarity ends.

A stonking car!!

Just making your choice harder

[Lunablack]

V8 Animal said:

Just making your choice harder

Not really......the V12 isn't really on my radar..... I like V8's to much. Maybe I need to go for a spin in my car to remind myself how lucky I am to own an Aston.....can't remember the last time I drove it

[AMDBSNick]

Lunablack said:

Not really......the V12 isn't really on my radar..... I like V8's to much. Maybe I need to go for a spin in my car to remind myself how lucky I am to own an Aston.....can't remember the last time I drove it