RE: Tell me I'm wrong: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

RE: Tell me I'm wrong: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Author
Discussion

tjlees

1,382 posts

236 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
Zod said:
It will understeer on the Corsas if they are not up to temperature. They are enormously sensitive to temperature. Then you have to be slower into the corners. On a hot summers day, they grip so hard you can hear the tread unsticking form the tarmac. Then you cna carry a lot more speed into a corner.
..quite possibly, though the car was definitely well warmed up. These types of cars are also sensitive to the incorrect geo setup so it maybe that.

I first drove the V12V in a back-to-back mid feb 2012 so the temp was around freezing. However its company was a V10 M6 and 997.2 Porsche Turbo on contis and michelins respectively, so it was outclassed on ride, handling and turn-in. It just wouldn't turn-in any-where near the same speed as the V10 M6 and 997.2 Turbo. Letting the tyre pressure helped a little, but it still felt nervous in comparison and didn't inspire confidence in anywhere near the same level. You could take liberties with V10 M6 while powering out of a fast corner knowing the MDM would help you collect the car back up if you were just a bit too heavy footed!

The second time I drove it was in Mid May 2012 so the temp was around 15c to 17c. Unfortunately it was back-to-back with a Ferrari 458 and 997.2 Turbo - both on top of their game for handling

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
My car with warm tyres turns in much, much better than my V10 M5 ever did.

With cool tyres, it's a very different story. This morning on a damp, greasy road, I cam up behind a 997 C4 GTS that wanted to play a little. He had much more grip than me in the corners, corners that I can take much quicker in summer. Time to get the winter wheels on, I think.

Wills2

22,666 posts

174 months

Friday 1st November 2013
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The V12V S just came second in the BBDC run by Autocar, the new GT3 walked it to 1st place though.


tjlees

1,382 posts

236 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
looking at various laptimes, it looks like the V12V tyres are definitely some of the problem assuming the drivers warmup the car properly.

On topgear track: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.10, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet 1:22.20, BMW M5 1:26.20, V12V 1:26.80

On Bedford Autodrome West: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.30, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:24.10, BMW M5 1:25.70, Aston Martin V12V 1:25.81

On Hockenheim Short: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:09.70, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:11.50, BMW M5 1:12.90, Aston Martin V12V 1:13.20

see http://fastestlaps.com/tracks




Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
tjlees said:
looking at various laptimes, it looks like the V12V tyres are definitely some of the problem assuming the drivers warmup the car properly.

On topgear track: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.10, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet 1:22.20, BMW M5 1:26.20, V12V 1:26.80

On Bedford Autodrome West: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.30, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:24.10, BMW M5 1:25.70, Aston Martin V12V 1:25.81

On Hockenheim Short: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:09.70, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:11.50, BMW M5 1:12.90, Aston Martin V12V 1:13.20

see http://fastestlaps.com/tracks



I don't get it - when they're properly warmed up, they cannot be the problem, but they take quite a bit of warming up, unless it's a hot day.

Wills2

22,666 posts

174 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
Zod said:
My car with warm tyres turns in much, much better than my V10 M5 ever did.

With cool tyres, it's a very different story. This morning on a damp, greasy road, I cam up behind a 997 C4 GTS that wanted to play a little. He had much more grip than me in the corners, corners that I can take much quicker in summer. Time to get the winter wheels on, I think.
Did you see which way he went?


tjlees

1,382 posts

236 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
Zod said:
tjlees said:
looking at various laptimes, it looks like the V12V tyres are definitely some of the problem assuming the drivers warmup the car properly.

On topgear track: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.10, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet 1:22.20, BMW M5 1:26.20, V12V 1:26.80

On Bedford Autodrome West: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.30, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:24.10, BMW M5 1:25.70, Aston Martin V12V 1:25.81

On Hockenheim Short: Ferrari 458 Italia 1:09.70, Porsche 911 Turbo 1:11.50, BMW M5 1:12.90, Aston Martin V12V 1:13.20

see http://fastestlaps.com/tracks



I don't get it - when they're properly warmed up, they cannot be the problem, but they take quite a bit of warming up, unless it's a hot day.
Once the tyres are warm, the 997.2 Turbo BMW M5/6 and Aston Martin V12V laptimes are similar(with 2 secs) - on my back to back in near freezing conditions on a public road the 997.2 Turbo and M6 were in a different league and not as close as the laptimes suggest

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Friday 1st November 2013
quotequote all
Wills2 said:
Zod said:
My car with warm tyres turns in much, much better than my V10 M5 ever did.

With cool tyres, it's a very different story. This morning on a damp, greasy road, I cam up behind a 997 C4 GTS that wanted to play a little. He had much more grip than me in the corners, corners that I can take much quicker in summer. Time to get the winter wheels on, I think.
Did you see which way he went?
I was quite a bit quicker on the straights, once the tyres stopped scrabbling for grip, so yes.

Pugsey

5,813 posts

213 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
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LuS1fer said:
I think you're right. No car can be enjoyed with a permanently fluttering sphincter.
You'd say no to an AC Cobra, GT40, any TVR, etc., etc., etc., in you garage then? smile