Boxster S to a Vantage... a few Q's
Discussion
Provided I get the right price for my Boxster S I am considering trading up (?) to a Vantage.
I went to the dealership yesterday to test drive and I must be honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the performance. With the Boxster the acceleration feels linear as you progress through the rpm. With the Vantage there was noise, then 4,000 rpm would be passed and the acceleration really kicked in. Seems I will need to drive with a heavier foot than I am used to. That said, the wife then took the car out and came back to tell me how much faster than the Boxster it was. Seems like she already has a heavy foot and has been thrashing my car! Anyway, low down torque aside, it still looks and sounds better than the Boxster and remains the choice of my heart even if my head is on the fence.
We tried a 4.3 Coupe and a 4.7 Roadster. Unless a great Coupe at a great price becomes available I think I will be going down the Roadster route. I'm not opposed to buying privately so over time I might post links to a few cars on here to see if anyone knows their history but in the interim I have a question about noise.
The roar of the 4.3 vs the 4.7 was noticeably different with the latter being deeper and louder. The dealership only got the 4.7 in the day before and had not yet prepared it for sale so I am wondering if it had perhaps had fuse 22 removed or is there really that stark a difference between the two when at idle. I mean, this really was night and day different.
I went to the dealership yesterday to test drive and I must be honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the performance. With the Boxster the acceleration feels linear as you progress through the rpm. With the Vantage there was noise, then 4,000 rpm would be passed and the acceleration really kicked in. Seems I will need to drive with a heavier foot than I am used to. That said, the wife then took the car out and came back to tell me how much faster than the Boxster it was. Seems like she already has a heavy foot and has been thrashing my car! Anyway, low down torque aside, it still looks and sounds better than the Boxster and remains the choice of my heart even if my head is on the fence.
We tried a 4.3 Coupe and a 4.7 Roadster. Unless a great Coupe at a great price becomes available I think I will be going down the Roadster route. I'm not opposed to buying privately so over time I might post links to a few cars on here to see if anyone knows their history but in the interim I have a question about noise.
The roar of the 4.3 vs the 4.7 was noticeably different with the latter being deeper and louder. The dealership only got the 4.7 in the day before and had not yet prepared it for sale so I am wondering if it had perhaps had fuse 22 removed or is there really that stark a difference between the two when at idle. I mean, this really was night and day different.
My view, for what little it is worth. Get the 4.7. Many feel it doesn't sound as good as a 4.3, me included (I believe the backbox design is different) but it is still a nice sound and the power delivery is more flexible with better mid-range grunt.
The 4.3 probably felt slow and then fast as you went past 4K RPM as that is when the exhaust vales open and the sound changes and gets much louder. Sound plays a part in the perception of speed. You can remove a fuse (22 or 15 depending on the model year) to have the vales open all the time or get a three way switch fitted, as many here have done, to control the valves yourself.
Best advice to anyone contemplating a Gaydon era Aston Martin is to get Grant's book, do the research and then wait for the spec you want. Once you have the Aston and learn what it is capable of you will not feel like it is anything but an upgrade.
Book thread is here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Book link is here:
http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/
Good luck in your search.
The 4.3 probably felt slow and then fast as you went past 4K RPM as that is when the exhaust vales open and the sound changes and gets much louder. Sound plays a part in the perception of speed. You can remove a fuse (22 or 15 depending on the model year) to have the vales open all the time or get a three way switch fitted, as many here have done, to control the valves yourself.
Best advice to anyone contemplating a Gaydon era Aston Martin is to get Grant's book, do the research and then wait for the spec you want. Once you have the Aston and learn what it is capable of you will not feel like it is anything but an upgrade.
Book thread is here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Book link is here:
http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/
Good luck in your search.
Thanks for the reply. Purchasing the book is on my list of things to do before I proceed with the car. My assumption however is that it deals with the objective whereas the focus of this thread will be the subjective.
Would it be beyond the pale for me to ask a dealership to fire the car up with and without the fuse?
Would it be beyond the pale for me to ask a dealership to fire the car up with and without the fuse?
I went from a 996 C4S to a 4.7 Vantage. My other half says she used to hear me approach the house from a distance away in the 996, in the Vantage she cant. But then i told her to get her ears syringed and never darken the interior of the Vantage again! To be fair the power delivery will be different from a flat 6 to a V8. As previous have said, go for the 4.7, its delivery is better mid-range. Many have said the noise is louder on the 4.3 but then this is easily remedied in the 4.7 with after market kit.
HappyBoxster said:
Thanks for the reply. Purchasing the book is on my list of things to do before I proceed with the car. My assumption however is that it deals with the objective whereas the focus of this thread will be the subjective.
Would it be beyond the pale for me to ask a dealership to fire the car up with and without the fuse?
It is your hard earned you are spending so ask the dealer to start with and without the fuse, and also a short drive too. Getting to the good time of year to negotiate on a roadster too as the roof down weather is disappearing so sales will slow.Would it be beyond the pale for me to ask a dealership to fire the car up with and without the fuse?
I've gone from a Cayman S to the V8 in the last month so can probably give you a good explanation of what to expect.
My V8 is the 4.3 so I can't comment much on the 4.7 but I can definitely say it feels slower at the bottom end due to low down torque, however when it gets going it really does fly. I've actually found this to be a real benefit of the car. I use it as a daily driver and have found myself much more likely to pop the cruise control on and just coast along during the morning commute, where as with the Cayman I was always foot to the floor to get any noise or joy from it. You really can enjoy this car at 30mph, it turns heads, sounds great (fuse 22 was out before I left the dealership) and when you do want to get your foot down you can just drop a gear and go.
Its very much a different type of experience to the Porsche, people let you out at junctions, compliment the car and generally like you, which is pretty much the opposite to the Cayman! Also how often do you drive a car at its max, it just doesn't really happen.
The negatives to be aware of would be that its a hand built car, so just don't go in expecting the same build quality of the Porsche. The quality really is good, very good in fact, but there's a few rattles and bits that are just not quite as good.
Apart from that I'm loving every minute of it, do it and don't look back.
My V8 is the 4.3 so I can't comment much on the 4.7 but I can definitely say it feels slower at the bottom end due to low down torque, however when it gets going it really does fly. I've actually found this to be a real benefit of the car. I use it as a daily driver and have found myself much more likely to pop the cruise control on and just coast along during the morning commute, where as with the Cayman I was always foot to the floor to get any noise or joy from it. You really can enjoy this car at 30mph, it turns heads, sounds great (fuse 22 was out before I left the dealership) and when you do want to get your foot down you can just drop a gear and go.
Its very much a different type of experience to the Porsche, people let you out at junctions, compliment the car and generally like you, which is pretty much the opposite to the Cayman! Also how often do you drive a car at its max, it just doesn't really happen.
The negatives to be aware of would be that its a hand built car, so just don't go in expecting the same build quality of the Porsche. The quality really is good, very good in fact, but there's a few rattles and bits that are just not quite as good.
Apart from that I'm loving every minute of it, do it and don't look back.
chriswhit said:
Its very much a different type of experience to the Porsche, people let you out at junctions, compliment the car and generally like you, which is pretty much the opposite to the Cayman! Also how often do you drive a car at its max, it just doesn't really happen.
I've never had a problem at junctions etc with the Porsche. That said, I've only done 1,500 miles in it and only around Cheshire. Perhaps we are just nice up here ??? 
It's a fair point about driving the car to the limit. This isnt something that I have any intention of getting anywhere near.
petop said:
I went from a 996 C4S to a 4.7 Vantage. My other half says she used to hear me approach the house from a distance away in the 996, in the Vantage she cant. But then i told her to get her ears syringed and never darken the interior of the Vantage again! To be fair the power delivery will be different from a flat 6 to a V8. As previous have said, go for the 4.7, its delivery is better mid-range. Many have said the noise is louder on the 4.3 but then this is easily remedied in the 4.7 with after market kit.
I need to speak to the dealer to find out what was happening on that 4.7 car. There must have been a kit (or missing fuse on it) because when it fired up both my wife and I turned arounnd to look. If I was buying on noise alone I would have taken it there and then. This didnt happen when the 4.3 fired up, nice as it was. Here is the 4.7:http://www.stratstone.com/VehicleSearch/Used/aston...
HappyBoxster said:
chriswhit said:
Its very much a different type of experience to the Porsche, people let you out at junctions, compliment the car and generally like you, which is pretty much the opposite to the Cayman! Also how often do you drive a car at its max, it just doesn't really happen.
I've never had a problem at junctions etc with the Porsche. That said, I've only done 1,500 miles in it and only around Cheshire. Perhaps we are just nice up here ??? I've had a Cayman before. Hated it. And it definitely just blended into the background as it is just a standard (but nice) sports car.
As above, dont mean this post to sound cheeky but I'm just a bit stumped as to someone comparing a Vantage to a Boxster. And I'e sold my last two, so I'm completely impartial !
X7LDA said:
This is going to sound cheeky, but it's not meant this way, so please dont take offence - but it is just a Boxster... Cheapest Vantage is, what, £30k, cheapest Boxster is about £3k? Very different cars.
I've had a Cayman before. Hated it. And it definitely just blended into the background as it is just a standard (but nice) sports car.
As above, dont mean this post to sound cheeky but I'm just a bit stumped as to someone comparing a Vantage to a Boxster. And I'e sold my last two, so I'm completely impartial !
I'm not trying to reach a defintive on which is the better car but knowing my starting point when comparing and contrasting is useful as it provides context. I'm not sure price is really relevant to the equation. Value maybe, but not outright price. I've had a Cayman before. Hated it. And it definitely just blended into the background as it is just a standard (but nice) sports car.
As above, dont mean this post to sound cheeky but I'm just a bit stumped as to someone comparing a Vantage to a Boxster. And I'e sold my last two, so I'm completely impartial !
I have had two Boxsters in the past, a 4.3 V8V and a 4.7 V8V. In fact I kept the Boxster S for a year when we got our first V8V because the trade in offered was deplorable and thought I would just keep hold of it.
Very different cars with both having some great plus points but when I traded my 4.3 in for the 4.7 after 15/18 months I found that I had done less than 500 miles in the Boxster because whenever it came to choosing which car to go out in it was the Aston that was chosen! More noise, sense of drama and just a much nicer place to be IMO. The only thing I really missed with the Astons was that they were both coupes - then went on to get a DB9V and the current one. Problem solved.
As for the noise on start up doesn't matter whether the fuse is in or out the valves are open on start up. The 4.7 is a much more drivable car than the 4.3 with the engine torque much improved - and get one with a sports pack if you can as the handling is better. However, I did think that the 4.3 made the better noise of the two. Had never really thought about removing Fuse 22 on the 4.3 but it was one of the first things I did with the 4.7.
Grant's book is a must and will help you understand better the differences between the two variants.
Have fun with your search and if/when you get one let us see the pictures. Good luck.
Very different cars with both having some great plus points but when I traded my 4.3 in for the 4.7 after 15/18 months I found that I had done less than 500 miles in the Boxster because whenever it came to choosing which car to go out in it was the Aston that was chosen! More noise, sense of drama and just a much nicer place to be IMO. The only thing I really missed with the Astons was that they were both coupes - then went on to get a DB9V and the current one. Problem solved.
As for the noise on start up doesn't matter whether the fuse is in or out the valves are open on start up. The 4.7 is a much more drivable car than the 4.3 with the engine torque much improved - and get one with a sports pack if you can as the handling is better. However, I did think that the 4.3 made the better noise of the two. Had never really thought about removing Fuse 22 on the 4.3 but it was one of the first things I did with the 4.7.
Grant's book is a must and will help you understand better the differences between the two variants.
Have fun with your search and if/when you get one let us see the pictures. Good luck.
V12woollie said:
My view, for what little it is worth. Get the 4.7. Many feel it doesn't sound as good as a 4.3, me included (I believe the backbox design is different) but it is still a nice sound and the power delivery is more flexible with better mid-range grunt.
The 4.3 probably felt slow and then fast as you went past 4K RPM as that is when the exhaust vales open and the sound changes and gets much louder. Sound plays a part in the perception of speed. You can remove a fuse (22 or 15 depending on the model year) to have the vales open all the time or get a three way switch fitted, as many here have done, to control the valves yourself.
Best advice to anyone contemplating a Gaydon era Aston Martin is to get Grant's book, do the research and then wait for the spec you want. Once you have the Aston and learn what it is capable of you will not feel like it is anything but an upgrade.
Book thread is here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Book link is here:
http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/
Good luck in your search.
The car also feels faster at higher revs because the engine has variable valve timing so it's not just a "sound" perception. The 4.3 probably felt slow and then fast as you went past 4K RPM as that is when the exhaust vales open and the sound changes and gets much louder. Sound plays a part in the perception of speed. You can remove a fuse (22 or 15 depending on the model year) to have the vales open all the time or get a three way switch fitted, as many here have done, to control the valves yourself.
Best advice to anyone contemplating a Gaydon era Aston Martin is to get Grant's book, do the research and then wait for the spec you want. Once you have the Aston and learn what it is capable of you will not feel like it is anything but an upgrade.
Book thread is here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Book link is here:
http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/
Good luck in your search.
HappyBoxster said:
Provided I get the right price for my Boxster S I am considering trading up (?) to a Vantage.
I went from a 997 Gen 2 to the 4.7 Vantage and you seriously dont need a question mark for is it a trade up, its a no brainer - but they are seriously different in terms of what they deliver, so a direct comparison is not equitable - But its no different to comparing an ugly duckling to Beyonce. A boxter is a boxter is a boxter, a 911 is a911 is a 911, a GT3 is a GT3 is a GT3, But an Aston well thats something in a class of oneI looked at a fully loaded new Boxster S a few years ago after I was disappointed by driving a 4.3 Vantage
Then I realised I could afford an early 4.7 roadster
The early 4.7's are quiet even with fuse 22 out
Easy enough to change with a 4.3, AM sports or aftermarket back box
Search out a 4.7 roadster with sport pack and check the roof for wear (see FAQ)
The one you've linked is a none sport pack ASM1 car
I reckon you could get an N420 roadster for that sort of money
ETA
even better - this one is an S with an AM dealer.
I reckon that could be haggled close to the other one
MUCH better car with all the MY12.25 updates and S additions
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...
Then I realised I could afford an early 4.7 roadster
The early 4.7's are quiet even with fuse 22 out
Easy enough to change with a 4.3, AM sports or aftermarket back box
Search out a 4.7 roadster with sport pack and check the roof for wear (see FAQ)
The one you've linked is a none sport pack ASM1 car
I reckon you could get an N420 roadster for that sort of money
ETA
even better - this one is an S with an AM dealer.
I reckon that could be haggled close to the other one
MUCH better car with all the MY12.25 updates and S additions
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...
Edited by mikey k on Thursday 28th August 20:37
This is an S as well but I don't think the dealer realises
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...
mikey k said:
This is an S as well but I don't think the dealer realises
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...
mikey k said:
This is an S as well but I don't think the dealer realises
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...
Tungsten Silver one from Grange has sold.
Blue one had gone to Sevenoaks when Reading closed, they upped the price by £3,000 at the same time and it is now under offer.
Personally I like the colour of the interior, makes a change from the usual black not that there is anything wrong with black interiors mind just good to see something a bit different.
Shame the dealers don't update their ads more frequently although I suppose leaving them up means potential customers will call to enquire and that then gives them a chance to switch sell another car.
Blue one had gone to Sevenoaks when Reading closed, they upped the price by £3,000 at the same time and it is now under offer.
Personally I like the colour of the interior, makes a change from the usual black not that there is anything wrong with black interiors mind just good to see something a bit different.
Shame the dealers don't update their ads more frequently although I suppose leaving them up means potential customers will call to enquire and that then gives them a chance to switch sell another car.
Edited by Laser Sag on Thursday 28th August 21:37
Laser Sag said:
Grey one from Grange has sold
Blue one had gone to Sevenoaks when Reading closed and is now under offer, personally I like the colour of the interior definitely makes a change from the usual black.
Nothing wrong with black interiors mind just good to see something a bit different.
So as far as I can tell that make NO used V8S Roadsters for sale in the UK currentlyBlue one had gone to Sevenoaks when Reading closed and is now under offer, personally I like the colour of the interior definitely makes a change from the usual black.
Nothing wrong with black interiors mind just good to see something a bit different.
Agree on the black interiors, does tend to force you into a factory order though
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