Bought a V12V and not a fan...
Discussion
UH-Matt said:
Try a F430 or a Gallardo. The Gallardo you will STRUGGLE to wheel spin or lose traction, its super planted due to all wheel drive, and the F430 is still super planted but allows you to have a little more fun with the RWD....
You >do< realise where the engine is in a Gallardo and F430... Don't you? And as for the all-wheel drive comment... what? You're surprised a RWD drive car spins up easier than a 4WD car? Aston makes RWD cars, just like Ferrari did up until the FF. Aston also makes grand tourers NOT sports cars, which traditionally have front engines and RWD. They have a varying degree of sportiness, but one buys an Aston as a GT, not a sports car. In my ideal garage I'd have a 430 next to my DB9, not instead of.It's nothing to do with AM coming up with a more modern design, nor are they falling behind in terms of driving dynamics, you'll struggle to wheelspin in any mid/rear engined car, even a 70s Pantera, the weight is too rear biased.
Drive a California/599/SLS/M6/XKR or any other tranditional grand tourer and you'll have exactly the same issues as the V12V/DBS.
Top post
Totally to agree with Yeti . Front wheel drive also doesn't make it any less enjoyable to drive possibly just more challenging. This guy sums it up well IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQVRj0ExVfQ&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQVRj0ExVfQ&fea...
[quote=yeti
Deftness of touch takes time to learn, and there is no better school of motoring than your first TVR. If you pass, you go indirectly to Aston eventually. If you fail, you end up backwards in a hedge with higher insurance premiums for 7 years
[/quote]
Missed this 1st time round and not a truer word has been said, though luckily I avoided any hedges.
Di
Deftness of touch takes time to learn, and there is no better school of motoring than your first TVR. If you pass, you go indirectly to Aston eventually. If you fail, you end up backwards in a hedge with higher insurance premiums for 7 years
[/quote]
Missed this 1st time round and not a truer word has been said, though luckily I avoided any hedges.
Di
yeti said:
UH-Matt said:
Try a F430 or a Gallardo. The Gallardo you will STRUGGLE to wheel spin or lose traction, its super planted due to all wheel drive, and the F430 is still super planted but allows you to have a little more fun with the RWD....
Drive a California/599/SLS/M6/XKR or any other tranditional grand tourer and you'll have exactly the same issues as the V12V/DBS. Top post
Aston will wither on the vine if they can't bring new models that aren't yet more variations of the same thing. The Virage was a cynical move.
BUT, hopefully the recent "new" DBS sighting is the car they need and not too far away.
Diamond blue said:
Not sure if that's actually true of the 599 or SLS.
Because they defy the laws of physics or because you think Astons are old fashioned? One of two things happens when pulling away hard with a RWD / front engined car. Either the wheels spin a bit and it pulls away, or the TC is so intrusive that it sits there, farts a bit, then edges away with unnaturally controlled revs. I am not talking about a launch control start here, more general driving. A read/mid engined car just grips as the weight is over the back wheels. Simple grip issue.Diamond blue said:
if you aren't concerned about their lack of genuine competitive new product when their rivals are moving the game on year after year your'e not facing up to reality.
I'm with you there, no argument. But dynamically the cars are not lacking, they drive as well as anything out there in their class, the problems lie in their engine tech. The bonded aluminium chassis is still excellent, light and stiff and has more scope for development. They can't afford to move up to carbon monocoque of coure, but that is really the only step from where they are. The VH platform is not outdated yet 
I must be getting old... Actually I am old....
But years ago I used to look at all the cars, and because x was 0.0000001 second faster to 60 than y it must be better... And A would do 180 mph and B would do 181 etc etc.... Z had 400 bhp and D had 400.5....
And this car was dynamically better than that car.... (what does that even mean)?.
It took me a long time, (a life time) actually to figure out its all b
ks.....
On the day, which car makes me feel on top of the world?? Which car puts a smile on my face,?? Which car do I actually LOOK FORWARD to driving?? Which car did I always look at and envy those whom had one??
My lowly 4.3 Vantage, the bottom of the range baby V,
makes me feel great....
I'd love to upgrade to a V12, but I can't see that happening, but do you know what, it doesn't matter, I'm happy with my lot.....
The funny thing is, that as a petrol head, I don't even take a second look at Ferarris, Lambos etc etc, they hold no desire for me at all
But years ago I used to look at all the cars, and because x was 0.0000001 second faster to 60 than y it must be better... And A would do 180 mph and B would do 181 etc etc.... Z had 400 bhp and D had 400.5....
And this car was dynamically better than that car.... (what does that even mean)?.
It took me a long time, (a life time) actually to figure out its all b
ks.....On the day, which car makes me feel on top of the world?? Which car puts a smile on my face,?? Which car do I actually LOOK FORWARD to driving?? Which car did I always look at and envy those whom had one??
My lowly 4.3 Vantage, the bottom of the range baby V,
makes me feel great....I'd love to upgrade to a V12, but I can't see that happening, but do you know what, it doesn't matter, I'm happy with my lot.....
The funny thing is, that as a petrol head, I don't even take a second look at Ferarris, Lambos etc etc, they hold no desire for me at all
Jockman said:
Hope you feel better now that's off your cheast Luna...
Much better thankyou, my kilted mateyThe pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
Lunablack said:
Much better thankyou, my kilted matey
The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
You are correct me old china...The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
The quantitatives are easily measured and juxtaposed. The qualitatives are much more idiosyncratic
Lunablack said:
Much better thankyou, my kilted matey
The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
Well said. I am a lucky guy and have a V12V, but would have been happy staying with the V8V. It was not about performance, it was about the whole package. Both cars make me smile and I have had much faster cars that made me smile for different reasons. I would not trade my Aston in for any of them though.The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
What says it all for me was the first time I did a charity day in the V8V taking people for a ride and they paid money to charity. I was about 5th in the queue behind some very nice Ferrari's and Lambo's, yet people walked straight past and jumped in the Aston, nuff said.
Jockman said:
Lunablack said:
Much better thankyou, my kilted matey
The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
You are correct me old china...The pointim trying to make is, that yes to some folk the enth degree of performance, handling, technology etc etc is important...
But just as important is what makes you feel good about yourself...
The quantitatives are easily measured and juxtaposed. The qualitatives are much more idiosyncratic
Good timing for this...
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=2557...
Reviewer felt the same. Not a great car, just an over-the-top good one, with better out there.
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=2557...
Reviewer felt the same. Not a great car, just an over-the-top good one, with better out there.
UH-Matt said:
Good timing for this...
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=2557...
Reviewer felt the same. Not a great car, just an over-the-top good one, with better out there.
I don't think anyone on this forum careshttp://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=2557...
Reviewer felt the same. Not a great car, just an over-the-top good one, with better out there.
Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but thought it would make sense over starting a new one.
I've had my V12V for almost 2 months now and drive it everyday on the corsa's. As I bought it in Summer we've had nice warm weather and I always drive the car in for a good few miles to make the tyres nice and sticky before giving it some welly. I have to be honest; I'm still rather surprised at the level of wheelspin this car gets in first gear and even at the beginning of second.
I'd like like to think I'm an experienced driver, but giving this car anymore than 30% throttle from standstill just results in smoke which can be a little underwhelming. Not that I have any interest in 'drag racing', but for the sake of argument I have no doubt that a 200bhp FWD hot hatch would pull ahead significantly from a standstill until about 20mph. Why? The only way to avoid wheel spin, is to really gently feather the throttle in, and I mean REALLY gently.. There doesn't seem to be a moment in first gear where I can apply more than about 70% throttle without the wheels going round.
So my question is why? This car handles PHENOMENALLY around the bends when holding the throttle steady, but there's occasions where I'd like to have a bit of fun at the lights and I'm just met with a flashing orange light in the dashboard! I was wondering if this is to do with the weight distribution of having an engine at the front and 510bhp at the rear? Would a rear engine ferrari suffer this badly?
Sorry for the rant - I absolutely LOVE my V12V and this is the only thing that frustrates me.
I've had my V12V for almost 2 months now and drive it everyday on the corsa's. As I bought it in Summer we've had nice warm weather and I always drive the car in for a good few miles to make the tyres nice and sticky before giving it some welly. I have to be honest; I'm still rather surprised at the level of wheelspin this car gets in first gear and even at the beginning of second.
I'd like like to think I'm an experienced driver, but giving this car anymore than 30% throttle from standstill just results in smoke which can be a little underwhelming. Not that I have any interest in 'drag racing', but for the sake of argument I have no doubt that a 200bhp FWD hot hatch would pull ahead significantly from a standstill until about 20mph. Why? The only way to avoid wheel spin, is to really gently feather the throttle in, and I mean REALLY gently.. There doesn't seem to be a moment in first gear where I can apply more than about 70% throttle without the wheels going round.
So my question is why? This car handles PHENOMENALLY around the bends when holding the throttle steady, but there's occasions where I'd like to have a bit of fun at the lights and I'm just met with a flashing orange light in the dashboard! I was wondering if this is to do with the weight distribution of having an engine at the front and 510bhp at the rear? Would a rear engine ferrari suffer this badly?
Sorry for the rant - I absolutely LOVE my V12V and this is the only thing that frustrates me.
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