RE: Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster: Review

[kambites]

Isn't the ZF a torque converter box? Albeit one with a lockout clutch. Not really the same thing.

[F1GTRUeno]

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

I don't need to when you can read the article.

[mikey k]

F1GTRUeno said:

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

I don't need to when you can read the article.

So not driven one nor read the article properly

[Theallotmentman]

Love the looks (though starting to get a little common here in West Sussex/Surrey and therefore getting boring) and love the slightly raucous engine but blimey, how heavy! It's hardly a sports car is it, more sports barge.

It's about time Aston worked on their tech isn't it?

[Pentoman]

mikey k said:

driven one then

I've done 14k miles in mine (ASM2) and it is a great gear change, better than my DSG Rocco was
Most don't understand it is actually a robotic manual and not a true auto
Interesting how the single clutch ZF 8 speed seems to be in favour over the dual clutches as well

I actually think the single clutch shift is an advantage, since watching (or listening to) this:

http://youtu.be/5pHHGIQ-JDA

[F1GTRUeno]

mikey k said:

F1GTRUeno said:

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

I don't need to when you can read the article.

So not driven one nor read the article properly

the article said:

You could never accuse 573hp or a power to weight ratio of 328hp per tonne of being tardy either. But there's just enough blunting of the coupe's manic edge and 340hp per tonne to give you time to think about the bigger picture. Yes, you get to enjoy more of that operatic performance with the roof down and a suitably reflective surface from which the sound can bounce back into the cabin. But rather than being a participant you feel relegated to mere spectator. Or even critic, that odd quiet patch around 2,000rpm even more noticeable and annoying.

Noise is pretty epic, performance similarly so
Noise is pretty epic, performance similarly soLess distracted by the bombastic nature of the coupe you also become more aware of the gearbox's shortcomings. What seems tolerable in the more hardcore feeling coupe becomes rather less attractive in a (relatively) cruisey roadster, the head-wobbling shifts in auto mode around town obvious to all if you've got the roof down. You could carefully select your music to make it look like you're nodding your head in time but that's all a bit of a faff really. And you'd look like a prat

Like the coupe all that power in such a short wheelbase makes attitude changes rapid and snappy if you're not ready for them - poser's choice or not this is still a proper car that makes real demands of a driver doing more than admiring his own reflection in shop windows. With Sport mode selected and manual shifts from the paddles it becomes a much more serious proposition too but, with such recent memories of the coupe, it's impossible to escape the sense the Roadster is just a little more compromised as a driving tool.

Sound like dynamic shortcomings to me.

FWIW, I love these so I wouldn't be too fussed either way about it being the last word in dynamic ability if I could afford one.

[Zod]

F1GTRUeno said:

mikey k said:

F1GTRUeno said:

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

I don't need to when you can read the article.

So not driven one nor read the article properly

the article said:

You could never accuse 573hp or a power to weight ratio of 328hp per tonne of being tardy either. But there's just enough blunting of the coupe's manic edge and 340hp per tonne to give you time to think about the bigger picture. Yes, you get to enjoy more of that operatic performance with the roof down and a suitably reflective surface from which the sound can bounce back into the cabin. But rather than being a participant you feel relegated to mere spectator. Or even critic, that odd quiet patch around 2,000rpm even more noticeable and annoying.

Noise is pretty epic, performance similarly so
Noise is pretty epic, performance similarly soLess distracted by the bombastic nature of the coupe you also become more aware of the gearbox's shortcomings. What seems tolerable in the more hardcore feeling coupe becomes rather less attractive in a (relatively) cruisey roadster, the head-wobbling shifts in auto mode around town obvious to all if you've got the roof down. You could carefully select your music to make it look like you're nodding your head in time but that's all a bit of a faff really. And you'd look like a prat

Like the coupe all that power in such a short wheelbase makes attitude changes rapid and snappy if you're not ready for them - poser's choice or not this is still a proper car that makes real demands of a driver doing more than admiring his own reflection in shop windows. With Sport mode selected and manual shifts from the paddles it becomes a much more serious proposition too but, with such recent memories of the coupe, it's impossible to escape the sense the Roadster is just a little more compromised as a driving tool.

Sound like dynamic shortcomings to me.

FWIW, I love these so I wouldn't be too fussed either way about it being the last word in dynamic ability if I could afford one.

So then, the gearbox. Well, I'm not a fan of that either, but your first post suggested a lot more than that, with its reference to posing in Alderley Edge. The short wheelbase is one of the best things about it if you really like a driver's car. It offers endless opportunities to steer the car on the throttle, although you have to be subtle.

[DMC2]

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

The gearbox, suspension, ABS, traction control and even the sat nav. Sounds amazing though!!!

[Baryonyx]

Theallotmentman said:

Love the looks (though starting to get a little common here in West Sussex/Surrey and therefore getting boring) and love the slightly raucous engine but blimey, how heavy! It's hardly a sports car is it, more sports barge.

It's about time Aston worked on their tech isn't it?

They don't have the cash to spend developing technology. Heck, soon they'll all be using AMG engines.

[F1GTRUeno]

Zod said:

So then, the gearbox. Well, I'm not a fan of that either, but your first post suggested a lot more than that, with its reference to posing in Alderley Edge. The short wheelbase is one of the best things about it if you really like a driver's car. It offers endless opportunities to steer the car on the throttle, although you have to be subtle.

It was more a nod to the demographics of the customers more than the car itself.

I'd say with it's looks and soft top it's more likely to be bought for WAGS than discerning drivers.

[anonymous-user]

Nice, non-intrusive advert there... When are the pop-ups coming?

[Zod]

F1GTRUeno said:

Zod said:

So then, the gearbox. Well, I'm not a fan of that either, but your first post suggested a lot more than that, with its reference to posing in Alderley Edge. The short wheelbase is one of the best things about it if you really like a driver's car. It offers endless opportunities to steer the car on the throttle, although you have to be subtle.

It was more a nod to the demographics of the customers more than the car itself.

I'd say with it's looks and soft top it's more likely to be bought for WAGS than discerning drivers.

You should come and meet the owners here. The car would terrify a WAG. It is a car with appeal to enthusiast drivers ho really know their cars.

This reviewer, like one a few years ago who blamed the car for his bad driving that saw him leave the road, is just a bit too used to easy, modern cars.

[AMDBSNick]

F1GTRUeno said:

It was more a nod to the demographics of the customers more than the car itself.

Really



I'm in the DBS waiting for the bloke from Alderley Edge to get out of my way in his Vanquish

[Zod]

I'll just add that I know I'm here defending my choice of car, but I've driven plenty of the alternatives and I see the merits in each, but the V12 Vantage (in manual form) is a car that I just enjoy driving immensely. The brakes are fantastic. They are regularly cited as just about the best implementation of carbon ceramics, with proper feel, even from cold.

I've re-read the review and I have to say that I'm struggling to find the criticisms that F1GTR thinks he saw there, so I wa a little unfair on the reviewer in my previous post. The conclusion of the review appears to be that the roadster is compromised in comparison with the coupe. No st, Sherlock!

[Dion20vt]

I knew it was PH on the A5 near my village a few weeks ago! Passed them while doing that famous 3 bits of road so called after a magazine...

[mikey k]

F1GTRUeno said:

Sound like dynamic shortcomings to me.

FWIW, I love these so I wouldn't be too fussed either way about it being the last word in dynamic ability if I could afford one.

It might "sound like it" they way you are reading it
Believe me it isn't I've driven one and I also have the V8 version that has done 14k miles. I and a professional test driver recently thrashed it round Millbrook proving ground and it is far from having any shortcomings in the dynamics department
Fact over fiction any time

Edited by mikey k on Thursday 25th September 15:30

[mikey k]

DMC2 said:

Zod said:

Could you take us through its dynamic shortcomings, please?

The gearbox, suspension, ABS, traction control and even the sat nav. Sounds amazing though!!!

Gearbox is good as long as you don't drive in D for Dunce
Nowt wrong with ABS or suspension on the several S's I've driven
Traction control left in "normal" is not intrusive but it will muller the rear pads, in track mode it is great, allowing some slippage before neatly collecting it all back up
As for the Sat Nav the old Volvo system is "functional" the Garmin system is much better, but neither can really be the cause of dynamic shortcomings in the car

[mikey k]

F1GTRUeno said:

I'd say with it's looks and soft top it's more likely to be bought for WAGS than discerning drivers.

The article does make a much overlooked point
Part of the character of a roadster is that with the roof down you get a LOT more noise than a couple and you are more aware of what is going on around you.
Those are the reasons I've now had 7 roadsters, I'm not a WAG and don't live in Alderley Edge

[mikey k]

Pentoman said:

mikey k said:

driven one then

I've done 14k miles in mine (ASM2) and it is a great gear change, better than my DSG Rocco was
Most don't understand it is actually a robotic manual and not a true auto
Interesting how the single clutch ZF 8 speed seems to be in favour over the dual clutches as well

I actually think the single clutch shift is an advantage, since watching (or listening to) this:

http://youtu.be/5pHHGIQ-JDA

Yep sounds exactly like mine did before it got a 5.0 GT4 conversion
Sounds even louder with the roof down in the roadster

[F1GTRUeno]

AMDBSNick said:

Really



I'm in the DBS waiting for the bloke from Alderley Edge to get out of my way in his Vanquish

You're driving the coupe versions though. I was specifically referring to the Volante.

FWIW it was a very sweeping statement I'll admit and as yours and the subsequent posts have proved, not entirely accurate. However I would be willing to bet if we somehow had access to customer records at Aston that most of these will be bought to pose in and to go to a posh shop in a posh little town rather than driven hard like in your picture.

As it is, I'm extremely jealous of you and your photo. I drove a DBS on a 6th Gear experience track day and loved it, was and still in one of my favourite cars.

mikey k said:

It might "sound like it" they way you are reading it
Believe me it isn't I've driven one and I also have the V8 version that has done 14k miles. I and a professional test driver recently thrashed it round Millbrook proving ground and it is far from having any shortcomings in the dynamics department
Fact over fiction any time

Edited by mikey k on Thursday 25th September 15:30

I can only go off the reviews and what I believe they're saying. I'm of course willing to hold my hands up but really the original post wasn't actually a stab at perceived dynamic issues rather than it looks so good whilst cruising around that the people I reckon buy the things won't care a jot. Didn't realise it'd create a ststorm. Apologies to all offended Aston drivers.

Edited by F1GTRUeno on Thursday 25th September 16:48