Vantage GT For North America

[BravoV8V]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

Not likely. Astons are always more expensive in the US than in the UK, if simply converting the UK price to the equivalent dollars. If you are talking about a US car in dollars equal to its imported price in the UK, then it's about right.

Hardly. According to here, the 2013 list price for a V8 Vantage started at $122k. This is the equivalent to approx £73k.

The UK list price for a V8 Vantage is £87k. Or approx $145k.

[Bincenzo]

I'm no expert but I'm guessing import tax would bring it up to a more realistic UK price? Add in the inconvenience of a left hand drive....

[Phil74891]

I realise this model is for the US market, but why would anyone want a stripe off a Ford Mustang GT down the side of their Aston Martin Vantage?

A bit like the N430, I think AM are really clutching at straws now.......I wonder how many they'll actually sell?

Attract a mega wealthy investor and move the brand further up market. Do a Ferrari. Please.

[DB9VolanteDriver]

BravoV8V said:

Hardly. According to here, the 2013 list price for a V8 Vantage started at $122k. This is the equivalent to approx £73k.

The UK list price for a V8 Vantage is £87k. Or approx $145k.

Well, you can quote all you want, but an Aston in the US costs more than the UK price converted to dollars. Just as a US made car costs more in the UK. Aston does not dump its cars into the US market, that's for sure. Certainly not to the extent that a $100K GT is 100K UKP, as mentioned in the earlier post.

As a point of reference, my DB9 Volante (MY2006) stickered at $189K. What was the MSRP in the UK for a fully equipped Volante (with 950W Linn) of the same model year?

Edited by DB9VolanteDriver on Tuesday 15th April 20:26

[BravoV8V]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

BravoV8V said:

Hardly. According to here, the 2013 list price for a V8 Vantage started at $122k. This is the equivalent to approx £73k.

The UK list price for a V8 Vantage is £87k. Or approx $145k.

Well, you can quote all you want, but an Aston in the US costs more than the UK price converted to dollars. Just as a US made car costs more in the UK. Aston does not dump its cars into the US market, that's for sure. Certainly not to the extent that a $100K GT is 100K UKP, as mentioned in the earlier post.

Erm, no it isn't. The list prices above prove that. Seems like the Oracle might be wrong again.

Who said anything about 'Aston dumping cars into the US market'???? The GT is quite obviously the same car as the N430. But for whatever reason, the AM marketing department probably decided that 'N430' means little or nothing in the US market. (Were the N400 and N420 ever realeased there, for example?) Hence the name change.

The $100k/£100k is just representative of prices in rip-off Britain. Many items, from TVs to cars, exhibit a similar pricing structure. Just thank your lucky stars that you get to pay the US prices.


(And, for accuracy/pedantry, the N430 release price will be £90k. Or the equivalent to $150k. Or 50% more in the UK. A rip-off, non?)

[BravoV8V]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

As a point of reference, my DB9 Volante (MY2006) stickered at $189K. What was the MSRP in the UK for a fully equipped Volante (with 950W Linn) of the same model year?

I've no idea.

But this review, seems to indicate that an '07 DB9V was £142k. Or approx $237k. Which is quite a bit more than $189k.

[DB9VolanteDriver]

BravoV8V said:

Erm, no it isn't. The list prices above prove that. Seems like the Oracle might be wrong again.

Who said anything about 'Aston dumping cars into the US market'???? The GT is quite obviously the same car as the N430. But for whatever reason, the AM marketing department probably decided that 'N430' means little or nothing in the US market. (Were the N400 and N420 ever realeased there, for example?) Hence the name change.

The $100k/£100k is just representative of prices in rip-off Britain. Many items, from TVs to cars, exhibit a similar pricing structure. Just thank your lucky stars that you get to pay the US prices.


(And, for accuracy/pedantry, the N430 release price will be £90k. Or the equivalent to $150k. Or 50% more in the UK. A rip-off, non?)

If a product sell cheaper in a foreign market than in the market where it is produced, then it is considered 'dumping' and is illegal. So, if I can buy an Aston here for lees than you can buy it (pre-tax) in the UK, then Aston would have to be dumping their cars into the US market, which they are certainly not.

From Autocar Feb 2008 road test: DBS Coupe $160K UKP
US Sticker: $275K

Edited by DB9VolanteDriver on Tuesday 15th April 21:13

[JimboA]

Chaps, for what it's worth Binns is bang on. I was up at the factory a couple of weeks ago and was informed that the GT is a rebranding of the N430 as it was thought this would go down better (N' ring where?!!!!!). There might be the smallest difference in spec but you get the point. Oddly enough I was also over in Florida last week and popped in to the dealer there (very polite and welcoming) - I was expecting to see some good gaudy colours. Interestingly I was told that the new car customers tend to be very conservative and are looking for something typically British. So still waiting to see a Vantage in orange!

I also saw a nice Lambo in what looked to me like Flugplatz Blue... perhaps they have heard of the Ring!

[BravoV8V]

JimboA said:

Chaps, for what it's worth Binns is bang on.

• ***cough, cough***

[Jon39]

Stu R said:

Jon39 said:

$99,900 does seem to be an extremely low price.

What tax is payable on new cars in USA?
Is the tax the same for imported cars, as for home produced vehicles?

Sales tax varies by state - here it's 7.25% which is probably somewhere close to the average, and yes - it's the same.

The UK sales tax (Value Added Tax) is 20%.

Our ex-tax V8 Vantage price is therefore about British Pounds 71,000. The N430 model is presumably more expensive.
At the exchange rate today of 1.67, that would make the USA price including 7.25% sales tax for the base V8 Vantage $127,000.

If my figures are correct, you appear to have quite some bargain with the GT.

Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 15th April 21:36

[Stuart Dickinson]

Phil74891 said:

I realise this model is for the US market, but why would anyone want a stripe off a Ford Mustang GT down the side of their Aston Martin Vantage?

A bit like the N430, I think AM are really clutching at straws now.......I wonder how many they'll actually sell?

Attract a mega wealthy investor and move the brand further up market. Do a Ferrari. Please.

If you look at the configurator, the stripe is optional and can be deleted.

[Grant3]

You are right guys, it is in essence a reworked N430 for the US, there are a number of spec variances (no .....light weight seats, 10 spoke light weight alloys, black grille, carbon interior touches, choice of caliper colours, exterior racing colours - all optional according to AM, although nav is included in the US) but despite the lower spec the price is MUCH cheaper than the UK list.

US Vantage prices are (pre-tax) very similar if you do the conversion (they are actually a tad cheaper stateside!)...
V8 - £70829 vs $116700 (although the standard US spec is higher!!)
V8S - £79163 vs $130700

N430 - £74995 vs GT $99950 !!! If you convert the UK 430 price to dollars it should be about $125K.
Do it the other way and the GT would be roughly around £59k pre-tax in the UK (16k-ish cheaper than the 430 pre-tax) just over £70k on the road! Even accounting for the lower spec than the N430 it is cheap for an Aston.

It also has some of the standard V8 spec missing in the US (like Sat Radio,Cruise, Bluetooth, front parking, garage door opener) BUT it seems to be something of a bargain it would have been nice to also have a lower spec cheaper UK option ...thoughts ?

[Bincenzo]

Grant, I'm 100% with you on that. If AM could do a GT type version, foregoing the gadgets, for around £70k I'd be selling body parts to fund one. The reality is I don't want to talk to anyone on the phone if I'm driving my sports car, the stereo is an irrelevance to me, I get all the aural (yes, aural, not oral) pleasure from my exhaust note (!), standard seats are just fine and I can read a map. Grant, get on to AM and use your sway to get them to sell them here. Green for me, please

Edited by Bincenzo on Wednesday 16th April 11:04

[Jon39]

Grant3 said:

N430 - £74995 vs GT $99950 !!! If you convert the UK 430 price to dollars it should be about $125K.
Do it the other way and the GT would be roughly around £59k pre-tax in the UK (16k-ish cheaper than the 430 pre-tax) just over £70k on the road!
Even accounting for the lower spec than the N430 it is cheap for an Aston.

(Your comparison shows $99,950, but I think that is the post-tax price).

Yes, the GT model price does seem extremely low.
I wonder if this has been done to boost production at Gaydon?

Reminds me of that famous quote, was it Sir David Brown?
Spoken today, it would be along the lines of;
"If you want a Vantage GT at cost price, that will be $150,000."

[WildBob]

BravoV8V said:

I've no idea.

But this review, seems to indicate that an '07 DB9V was £142k. Or approx $237k. Which is quite a bit more than $189k.

There is a brand new never sold DB9V 1/4 mile from my condo with an original window sticker of $195,000 with all options except door caps. This is the car that led me to becoming an AM owner.

It has 450 miles and is now priced at $99K... still too high.

Like DB9VDriver, I picked up an '06 and it was priced basically identical to his when new...

With regard to the GT...it's great that they can actually offer a "strippy" here for sub-$100K... Maserati is finding success with the Ghibli as they reach down market, but it is not the same car in any way except in looks to other Maseratis...the GT should open some eyes and wallets over here...

Edited by WildBob on Wednesday 16th April 12:15

[hashluck]

I am surprised AM have put the press release on their UK and International web-site when they could have restricted it to the US presumably. Will irritate potential N430 buyers I would think.

[hashluck]

Hmmm thinking about it I wonder if this is a pre-emptive strike into the USA in case they get turned down for their appeal to sell the Vantage and DB9 in the USA without the latest safety standards (see Bez Legacy thread). Make hay while the sun shines and build as many cars for the USA as possible before the cut-off date?

[Grant3]

Bincenzo said:

Grant, I'm 100% with you on that. If AM could do a GT type version, foregoing the gadgets, for around £70k I'd be selling body parts to fund one.

I won't ask which body parts would go , although I think you'll keep a full count! Of course the US guys who have just purchased new (-ish) aren't very happy with the move as it will affect residuals on nearly new cars. Aston are in a difficult position, they need to boost production with an ageing model line-up, so we can expect more special editions and pricing tweaks, but they need to be careful or they'll end up alienating good existing customers... not an easy one!

Jon39 said:

(Your comparison shows $99,950, but I think that is the post-tax price).
Yes, the GT model price does seem extremely low.
I wonder if this has been done to boost production at Gaydon?

I think the US "from" price only includes $1700 gas guzzler tax, so not much in it, but I took it off for the UK £ calcs. I agree they are keen to boost production so we are entering an interesting period while we wait for the next gen-Vantage .

[CPBRI]

Stuart Dickinson said:

If you look at the configurator, the stripe is optional and can be deleted.

That's good news.

[SFO]

Grant3 said:

Aston are in a difficult position, they need to boost production with an ageing model line-up, so we can expect more special editions and pricing tweaks, but they need to be careful or they'll end up alienating good existing customers... not an easy one!

existing customers not going to change, so why not?

Vantage is old, and getting older. They have to make it cheaper/faster/better equipped as the competition have stormed ahead.

Just look at what happened to the Jaguar XK.

There is no such thing as graceful death when the car has been around for as long as the Vantage.

AM should modify the 4.7 V8 to make it produce, say 450hp in standard form, and 480hp in S form .. apparently this can be done with a Bamford Rose full exhaust system

I bet that would get the punters in.