Discussion
cathalm said:
An "S" version is tipped to be on its way. It would make sense to have a supercharger as both Jaguar and Range Rover use supercharged versions of this engine.
Every time there's people insisting its a Jag engine! They started with the Jag 4.2 V8, then rebuilt it form the block up changing virtually everything, then actually changed the block itself. The internal dimensions themeselves are not even the same, which makes this, by any definition, a new engine. Of course they can supercharge this new engine, but i wouldn't bet against turbocharging with the current turbo technology eliminating lag and the greater efficiency of turbos.
Wasn't the Jag engine an American Ford V8 engine? So now we have an Aston badge on a car made by Ford using the block of an engine from years ago??
naumanf1 said:
Love the looks of the car, it just makes it pointless to buy a DB9 or a Vanquish, cause all three look the same.
As for the engine being "all-new", I don't quite agree to that, since this is a warmed up Jaguar 4.2 liter V8.
As for the best Aston ever, that remains to be seen. As far as Aston Vantages go, nothing beats the mid-90's Vantage in my book, brute looks and brute power. Love it.
Look at the pics of an AMV8 and a DB9 side by side, makes the DB9 look like a barge.
Its inferior to a porsche on the spec sheet, not really that fast and the reviewer gives the impression that most of it isn't that great but since its an Aston and very pretty we can make allowances.
Which is pretty much what Clarkson said, he also said he'd take the Aston every time and I entirely agree. The 911 is designed to do everything well in a technical, efficent manner, the Aston is designed to be a great drive, in a sensual, tactile kind of way.
BTW its nice to see there is actually an engine under the bonnet, not something that looks like a server room.
Which is pretty much what Clarkson said, he also said he'd take the Aston every time and I entirely agree. The 911 is designed to do everything well in a technical, efficent manner, the Aston is designed to be a great drive, in a sensual, tactile kind of way.
BTW its nice to see there is actually an engine under the bonnet, not something that looks like a server room.
The problem with most reviews I've read is they compare it to a 911.
The truth is its in 911TT territory price wise. Assuming the 997TT is a step up from the 996TT (let alone as big a step up as the standard 997 is from the standard 996)the AMV8 is going to have a very difficult time competing IMO.
Still sounds like a great car though.
The truth is its in 911TT territory price wise. Assuming the 997TT is a step up from the 996TT (let alone as big a step up as the standard 997 is from the standard 996)the AMV8 is going to have a very difficult time competing IMO.
Still sounds like a great car though.
dinkel said:
911 and AMV8 Read all about it . . . scroll to the middle.
Nice article and pics...I love that AM V8, but to make it "perfect" give it a bit more hp poke, and loose some weigth...
But then again, a "perfect" car for me would be no longer then about 4 meter and around 1000kg and starting from 500hp.
with perfect balance and not too high, and rearwheeldrive and give's you a good feeling factor.
René
5to1 said:
The problem with most reviews I've read is they compare it to a 911.
The truth is its in 911TT territory price wise. Assuming the 997TT is a step up from the 996TT (let alone as big a step up as the standard 997 is from the standard 996)the AMV8 is going to have a very difficult time competing IMO.
Still sounds like a great car though.
This is true, however, this Aston model is basically the equivalent of the basic 911 carrera 2. There is indeed a big price difference but that is because of a few things. Firstly, the vantage will be exclusive and exotic, and you pay for that individual style statement. The 911 is common as muck. Secondly the Aston brand carries a lot more cachet and people spending that amount of cash often value that.
Most importantly, the vantage comes with the costs and values inherent with a car that has been "tailored". The leather is stitched by hand, the engine built by hand, the car is put together with love by a group of men in brown coats (albeit in a new high facility) withindividual care and attention. Or at leats, thats what the brand represents. People enjoy the bespoke quality of something built in this way, it feels special to own something created by the passion of others.
The 911 is indeed a great car, massively capable, but the Aston represents values such as passion and style. Whereas for many people, the 911 is simply cold and efficient. And (especially in cab form) is shaped like a phillips ladyshave.
Mags such as evo tested it against a 911 with optional sports pack and carbon ceramic brakes. I understand this from a cost point of view but I would have liked to see a base 911 against a base vantage, which seems to me to be a more usefull comparison given the differences above. After all,if Aston release a sports suspension setup (as they did with the Vanquish) will they then test against a 911 with another optional extra added on to ensure continued lack of parity?
Personally i think in some areas the 911 has benefitted from journalistic porchophilia at times. I have read reviews raving about the stylish interior of the 996 for example, and criticisms of the vantage interior in other reviews. The 911 interior up to the 997 is dire, drab and devoid of style, but this is not mentioned or thought about cos its a 911. Even the 997 interior is pretty sleep worthy, with an audi TT having a better design and more attractive execution. Just an example you understand.
"It also has a class and breeding that sets it apart from its similarly priced German rivals."
Sorry is he suggesting Porsche has no class or breeding?? HELLO! 100% Porsche vs 90% Aston 10% Jag 100% Ford??
As for previoulsy suggested bespoke nature of Aston, this is not the case anymore really is it.... manufactured in fewer numbers to manufacture exclusivity the mark up must be HUGE! and don't tell me the interiors are still hand stitched?? they're not are they?
And I don't think you'll find a 911/996/997 owner or motoring correspondent that thinks its clinical or cold, surely if it were it wouldn't keep winning award after award for Performance car of the year and such like.
What we have with the Aston is the best competition the Porsche has yet faced and thank god for that, I think it is better looking than the Porsche and that alone will win it more fans in the more superficial areas of the buying public, but its technology and performance and spec will force Porsche to make sure its contender remains all-conquering.
Sorry is he suggesting Porsche has no class or breeding?? HELLO! 100% Porsche vs 90% Aston 10% Jag 100% Ford??
As for previoulsy suggested bespoke nature of Aston, this is not the case anymore really is it.... manufactured in fewer numbers to manufacture exclusivity the mark up must be HUGE! and don't tell me the interiors are still hand stitched?? they're not are they?
And I don't think you'll find a 911/996/997 owner or motoring correspondent that thinks its clinical or cold, surely if it were it wouldn't keep winning award after award for Performance car of the year and such like.
What we have with the Aston is the best competition the Porsche has yet faced and thank god for that, I think it is better looking than the Porsche and that alone will win it more fans in the more superficial areas of the buying public, but its technology and performance and spec will force Porsche to make sure its contender remains all-conquering.
380bhp/302 ft/lbs in a car that weighs 1570kg..
figs would have looked good ten years ago.!
I know Aston do not want to tread on the toes pf DB9/Vanquish owners but please.. 242bhp/tonne is poor for an £80k sports car.
At least it looks stunning, from the front anyway.
Rob
PS.. my Sag with 406bhp and weighing in at 1060 kg would eat it for breakfast.
figs would have looked good ten years ago.!
I know Aston do not want to tread on the toes pf DB9/Vanquish owners but please.. 242bhp/tonne is poor for an £80k sports car.
At least it looks stunning, from the front anyway.
Rob
PS.. my Sag with 406bhp and weighing in at 1060 kg would eat it for breakfast.
agoogy said:
...and don't tell me the interiors are still hand stitched?? they're not are they?...
Indeed they are. I was at the Gaydon factory on September 5th watching some ladies hand stitch the leather onto the dash of a LHD V8 Vantage. In fact, you could see entire hides stained and waiting to be laser cut posted to boards behind the area where the panels are stitched together. I think something on the order of 3-5 hides are used per V8 and are colored per the customer's requirement by Aston Martin.
The shell for the seats are made by Recaro, but all of the padding and leather is hand applied by AM to their specifications. All of the metal trim is real metal, not painted plastic. The carpets are hand stitched, and there is only one robot in the entire factory which is used for the application of adhesives to certain body panels.
Porsche takes 7-9 hours to paint a car, whereas the V8 Vantage will be put through a 50 hour paint process handled entirely by a team of two painters including a 25 hour polishing, inspection, and touch-up process at the end.
The inspection process during each phase of the manufacturing process is done manually. That's why the factory at Gaydon only produces on average 10 completed cars each day, which will increase to about 15 when the V8 line goes full swing.
There are still cars that are hand built. The Mercedes G-Class is an example, with only 23 per day rolling off the line of which only about half are for civilian use.
But do you know why I'm buying an AM V8 over a Porsche 997? Because I will look forward to driving my car every day and it will be fun to drive, and will make me fell good every day...the same as my G55 does for me now even after ten years of owning/driving a G-wagen. The Porsche might be a fine machine to drive, and if I were a professional driver it might have slightly faster lap times on the track, but it doesn't offer me the same emotional feeling. Spending more than $20,000 for a car is probably for emotional reasons...so for one person an AM V8 is a waste of money and for another it is a bargain. It all depends on your tastes and what makes you happy.
Having said that, I do plan on taking my AM V8 out on the track just as my G55 is used in the desert during the cooler months of the year (I live in Dubai).
AMV8 v 911
It's a bit like listening to your favourite music track on a CD (911 - perfect clarity and the same each time without fault) or having the band play in your back garden (Aston - the quality may not be as brilliant, but the atmosphere is sooooooo real it hurts and you'll enjoy so many more aspects of the performance).
It's a bit like listening to your favourite music track on a CD (911 - perfect clarity and the same each time without fault) or having the band play in your back garden (Aston - the quality may not be as brilliant, but the atmosphere is sooooooo real it hurts and you'll enjoy so many more aspects of the performance).
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