V8 Vantage - what's it really like?

[gibbon]

I've made this comment a few times, but the performance is a funny one with these cars.

I swapped from a 996 c2 to an early 4.3 Vantage. Initially I was slightly underwhelmed with the performance, but in love with the car, so I made the swap. I actually sold the 911 to a friend, and we have driven them together a few times, and they really are neck and neck in terms of pace. Obviously we were not driving completely on the ragged edge, but as far as we could tell, in vaguely real world situations, they were very evenly matched.

Obviously a turbo would be ain a different league.

I am happy with the change.

[northernmedia]

2 years have now passed since I switched from a 997C2S to my 07 V8V - I simply adore it.
There is so much more to a car than just out and out performance. For me anyway
Reliability wise it's been great, 12k miles covered with the only real expense being a new clutch (now on 54k).
Come to the fold

[MadMacMcMad]

I have had my 4.3 08 Vantage Roadster for 4 years and love it.
I came from a Noble, so a serious downturn in performance so I did a little chasing.
Bamford Rose fitted new primaries and removed the 6 cats and replaced with two fast flow. Lightened flywheel and twin plated clutch.
What a difference.
The car felt slow and heavy and since the mods quicker and you do get a kick in the back and because the flywheel is much lighter, you can blip the throttle on quick down change. Not possible on a standard due to the age in engine pick up.

The only reliability issue I have had in 4 years is a new clutch. They are quite agriculteral and heavy, so get it changed as soon as you can.

I now have 415 or so HP and it drives like a 4.7.
The noise is infectious. Nascar!

[spinone]

i switched from a 997 c2s to a 4.3 manual vantage. yes the porsche was quicker, but the vantage is good fun to drive and the sound of that V8 make me smile every time i press that loud pedal.

[Big Ry]

Same as others, I recently chopped from a 997.2 S PDK to an SP10 Manual........and would never swap back.

I like to have a play with a cars performance, but I don't routinely rag the arse out of them either, so performance difference between the 911 and SP is irrelevant for me.

As others have said though, if you want a technically astounding car stick with the Porsche, if you want something that is technically brilliant (albeit maybe not as good as some things out there), but will make you grin every time you so much as look at it let alone drive it, then AM is the route for you.

[Jockman]

I went form a Vauxhall Corsa and a 1992 Push Bike to a DBS.

I get the same sort of looks and people pointing at me but I must admit I find there is a bit more power in the DBS.

I can park the Corsa anywhere, unlike the DBS, and I never think twice about picking my nose in the Corsa - never in the DBS

I have no trouble getting the Corsa into my drive whereas I need a plank and a wife to get the DBS in.

Washing the Corsa is easier. The SatNav in the Corsa is superior.

MPG is also superior in the Corsa and a full tank lasts about 2 months.

The Corsa doesn't need a Tracker. Indeed, I'd quite happily pay you to steal it.

HTH

[davek_964]

Jockman said:

The Corsa doesn't need a Tracker. Indeed, I'd quite happily pay you to steal it.

HTH

Actually, that's an interesting point.

My turbo does have tracker. My 360 doesn't but that's because it's garaged - if I kept it on the drive, then the insurers would insist on tracker. And the AM would be on the drive - so if it didn't already have it, it would probably need it.

[Neil1300r]

davek_964 said:

Actually, that's an interesting point.

My turbo does have tracker. My 360 doesn't but that's because it's garaged - if I kept it on the drive, then the insurers would insist on tracker. And the AM would be on the drive - so if it didn't already have it, it would probably need it.

Mine doesn't. It was also cheaper to insure as being parked on the drive than in the garage.

[Jockman]

davek_964 said:

Actually, that's an interesting point.

My turbo does have tracker. My 360 doesn't but that's because it's garaged - if I kept it on the drive, then the insurers would insist on tracker. And the AM would be on the drive - so if it didn't already have it, it would probably need it.

Why, thank you, Davek.....it's nice that >somebody< appreciates me

As Neil says, some Insurers actually charge LESS for cars on the driveway. It's all just a big spreadsheet with lots of variables on it. Two of my 4 Insurers have not insisted on garaging. Nor did they insist on a Tracker tbh.

I'm quite lonely so I count the Tracking Company as part of my Friends & Family phone deal

[Neil1300r]

Jockman said:

some Insurers actually charge LESS for cars on the driveway.

Assuming you can actually get your car on the drive

[snuffy]

davek_964 said:

Neil1300r said:

Yes. The Vantage will feel slow in a straight line compared to the 996 Turbo.

That I can live with, since the turbo is overkill for the roads anyway (especially since mine is mapped).

I told myself that when I went from a Noble M12 to a 4.3 Vantage. 18 months later and it was gone.

[snuffy]

Jockman said:

I have no trouble getting the Corsa into my drive whereas I need a plank stepladder and a wife to get in the DBS.

[davek_964]

snuffy said:

davek_964 said:

Neil1300r said:

Yes. The Vantage will feel slow in a straight line compared to the 996 Turbo.

That I can live with, since the turbo is overkill for the roads anyway (especially since mine is mapped).

I told myself that when I went from a Noble M12 to a 4.3 Vantage. 18 months later and it was gone.

Fair point - there is no logic to car ownership. I was well aware the turbo was overkill / unnecessarily fast for UK roads before I got it mapped. But I still had to see what it was like to have a mapped one!

[snuffy]

davek_964 said:

Fair point - there is no logic to car ownership. I was well aware the turbo was overkill / unnecessarily fast for UK roads before I got it mapped. But I still had to see what it was like to have a mapped one!

Exactly. I've just had my GTR remapped and upped the power by almost 25% (very simply and cheap to do on a GTR compared to an Aston). I don't need that but I just like the idea.

As I say, I thought a Vantage would be fine for me, but it turned out it wasn't. But I fully understand that I'm in the minority with not liking a Vantage. But I suspect it was because I went from a Noble. If I'd have gone from something less quick then maybe the Vantage would have been fine.

But I reckon you never really know if it's teh right car for you until you have owned it for a while and you don't really get that much out of a test drive.

[Jockman]

snuffy said:

As I say, I thought a Vantage would be fine for me, but it turned out it wasn't.

I said from day 1, Adrian....you were always too handsome for the Vantage

No two ways about it.

[snuffy]

Jockman said:

I said from day 1, Adrian....you were always too handsome for the Vantage

No two ways about it.

Phil, you are indeed a wise man. I shall tell my wife that !!

[AMDBSNick]

Is George the only person on this forum without a wife

[Neil1300r]

AMDBSNick said:

Is George the only person on this forum without a wife

Thought he was the only virgin

[Jockman]

AMDBSNick said:

Is George the only person on this forum without a wife

Yes, but he has a left hand so no great shakes

[hashluck]

Jockman said:

I went form a Vauxhall Corsa and a 1992 Push Bike to a DBS.

I get the same sort of looks and people pointing at me but I must admit I find there is a bit more power in the DBS.

I can park the Corsa anywhere, unlike the DBS, and I never think twice about picking my nose in the Corsa - never in the DBS

I have no trouble getting the Corsa into my drive whereas I need a plank and a wife to get the DBS in.

Washing the Corsa is easier. The SatNav in the Corsa is superior.

MPG is also superior in the Corsa and a full tank lasts about 2 months.

The Corsa doesn't need a Tracker. Indeed, I'd quite happily pay you to steal it.

HTH