Aston Martin V12 Speedster production confirmed
Discussion
BelfastBoy said:
marko370Z said:
Just why???
I cant ever seeing any of these type of cars actually being driven, and at that point whats the use in it being lighter than the standard car?
In general, I'd agree with you - but the glorious exception to the rule is that if you track down photographer GF Williams on social media (his pages aren't hard to find), he did a shoot with a Ferrari Monza owner over New Year where the car was most definitely being driven!I cant ever seeing any of these type of cars actually being driven, and at that point whats the use in it being lighter than the standard car?
NFC 85 Vette said:
It's been a long time since anything Aston related was greeted with positive reception. On a similar note, it's been a long time since the excellent abilities and engineering of the current cars was talked about. It's as if the actual cars don't matter anymore - the sole interest for many is how close is the marque to going under (almost as if willing it to happen).
DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
Agree 100%DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
donteatpeople said:
The negativity of this place is endless. Aston Martin retail sales are up 12% and they’re due to start selling the SUV which will increase sales massively (as happened with Rolls Royce) but they only made £100m profit so they’re clearly doomed?
Which company made £100m profit?Just looking at their 2018 filed accounts and I cant see which one, although there is a few in the group structure to be fair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7DivwvF2Y8/?utm_sourc...
Edited by bertie on Wednesday 8th January 17:03
You do start to worry about the business models of Aston and McLaren. They are both small, stand alone makers of essentially non-essential supercars catering to a very small market, competing against other companies ( Porsche, Lambo, Bentley, Rolls and to some extent Ferrari ) who have large companies behind them to share development cost. You might decry the "there all the same underneath" ethos behind a Urus/Cayenne/Q8/Bentaya but it does allow these companies to develop cars far more efficiently. Aston have to go it alone when they do something like the DBX and that makes it very hard to develop something unique and cost competitive ( and I know Merc help a bit, but they are also competitors at the end of the day ).
The result is that they, and McLaren, are pretty much forced to re-cycle what they have into ever more ludicrous guises in the hope that the current fad for short run specials will fool enough people into buying these ( or stuff their dealer network with unwanted cars, of which both seem guilty of late ). It won't last forever - and there are already signs of a "saturated" market for these - and you wonder where that then leaves them. Suspect their days as independent companies, even companies at all, are limited....
Not that I am another PH doom-monger, of course.....
The result is that they, and McLaren, are pretty much forced to re-cycle what they have into ever more ludicrous guises in the hope that the current fad for short run specials will fool enough people into buying these ( or stuff their dealer network with unwanted cars, of which both seem guilty of late ). It won't last forever - and there are already signs of a "saturated" market for these - and you wonder where that then leaves them. Suspect their days as independent companies, even companies at all, are limited....
Not that I am another PH doom-monger, of course.....
bertie said:
donteatpeople said:
The negativity of this place is endless. Aston Martin retail sales are up 12% and they’re due to start selling the SUV which will increase sales massively (as happened with Rolls Royce) but they only made £100m profit so they’re clearly doomed?
Which company made £100m profit?Edited by bertie on Wednesday 8th January 17:03
Now expecting £130-140m earnings (before interest & tax), having issued a profit warning a few days ago.
Yes, retail sales are up. But wholesales and margins are down and expenses are up.
They've received enough DBX orders to access £100m of additional debt, which is good, but it's at 15%, which is bad.
There was a time when Astons were so achingly sexy that my heart would skip a beat just seeing one in the flesh.
To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Ergo, why would I sink a ton of cash into an average looking car produced by a company with a less than stellar build quality record and a question mark over its financial viability? Moreover, I would have to be prepared to take an immediate and painful depreciation shafting.
Sorry, but if you want to play in the top tier you need to be at the top of your game. Aston is very much second tier and sadly I cannot see it surviving in its current incarnation.
To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Ergo, why would I sink a ton of cash into an average looking car produced by a company with a less than stellar build quality record and a question mark over its financial viability? Moreover, I would have to be prepared to take an immediate and painful depreciation shafting.
Sorry, but if you want to play in the top tier you need to be at the top of your game. Aston is very much second tier and sadly I cannot see it surviving in its current incarnation.
Seacube said:
There was a time when Astons were so achingly sexy that my heart would skip a beat just seeing one in the flesh.
To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Out of interest which cars were the ones that would make your heart skip a beat? To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
lukeharding said:
Seacube said:
There was a time when Astons were so achingly sexy that my heart would skip a beat just seeing one in the flesh.
To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Out of interest which cars were the ones that would make your heart skip a beat? To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Another car that no one (certainly on PH anyway) could afford.
Just another pointless toy to be wrapped in cotton wool by the very few speculators and never to be driven.
Realistically, why would anyone even attempt to exploit its performance with no screen especially so on a wet motorway. Soaked to the skin, car water logged and blinded by spray.. ridiculous.
Certainly not a car to be used in the UK.
Just another pointless toy to be wrapped in cotton wool by the very few speculators and never to be driven.
Realistically, why would anyone even attempt to exploit its performance with no screen especially so on a wet motorway. Soaked to the skin, car water logged and blinded by spray.. ridiculous.
Certainly not a car to be used in the UK.
It's been a long time since anything Aston related was greeted with positive reception. On a similar note, it's been a long time since the excellent abilities and engineering of the current cars was talked about. It's as if the actual cars don't matter anymore - the sole interest for many is how close is the marque to going under (almost as if willing it to happen).
DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
[/quote]
^^^ This 100%, well said sir!
DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
[/quote]
^^^ This 100%, well said sir!
A1VDY said:
Another car that no one (certainly on PH anyway) could afford.
Just another pointless toy to be wrapped in cotton wool by the very few speculators and never to be driven.
Realistically, why would anyone even attempt to exploit its performance with no screen especially so on a wet motorway. Soaked to the skin, car water logged and blinded by spray.. ridiculous.
Certainly not a car to be used in the UK.
I'm sure the average Just another pointless toy to be wrapped in cotton wool by the very few speculators and never to be driven.
Realistically, why would anyone even attempt to exploit its performance with no screen especially so on a wet motorway. Soaked to the skin, car water logged and blinded by spray.. ridiculous.
Certainly not a car to be used in the UK.
According to Forbes, in 2019 there are around 2,100 billionaires in the world — their (known) total net worth exceeds $8.7 trillion dollars. More of them live in the US than any other nation.
Why? Well, Maclaren have one in the pipeline or on sale and so does Mercedes to name but two and nobody has lambasted these manufacturers over it! I'm sure this has been in the pipeline for a while and not a sudden overreaction to their current financial plight and market research has been done etc. They are giving what the market wants, I wouldn't buy one even if I was loaded but there are lots of people who do like them to use or look at as a toy, or whatever. So long as it makes Aston some money (same for other manufacturers) and people like them and want to buy them, what's the problem? I do find it ironic that Aston is making some great cars at the moment but is struggling financially, let's all hope the DBX is a success and changes this.
8Speed said:
NFC 85 Vette said:
It's been a long time since anything Aston related was greeted with positive reception. On a similar note, it's been a long time since the excellent abilities and engineering of the current cars was talked about. It's as if the actual cars don't matter anymore - the sole interest for many is how close is the marque to going under (almost as if willing it to happen).
DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
Agree 100%DBX was an outstanding milestone, but instead of acknowledging that a very small company had developed a bespoke chassis platform (when its rivals use VAG's parts bin), with what looks like a peach of a car, when the UK car industry is facing dire times, it was just called "too late to the party". The investment required to make that possible, was large - and the benefits wont be reaped for some years. As a prestige performance car firm, to not offer an SUV at this moment in time is short sighted. Aston would have developed it sooner had it been able to, and had it had the vision to do so (something AP brought, because the management prior to that were happy to rest on their laurels and assume customers would continue to buy increasingly outdated products on old underpinnings).
The obsession with the share price often leads to every single announcement of a new model being termed "desperation". My opinion, as a customer, who's had a few visits to the factory, spoken to the workers on the assembly line, who are proud of the work they do and the company they work for, and had the benefit of experiencing everything in the current model range - there should be be more discussion of the good things surrounding the company, because the cars they make are outstanding, customers are treated well, the factory is in tune with the dealers, and the company continues to develop new cars when the UK car making industry faces an uncertain future.
I appreciate that they're navigating through some difficult waters, but when they're trying to grow the company and offer a more diverse range of products, to do that in the current economic climate, where performance car sales appear to be reducing across all makes (in particular, non-essential cars like supercars), and the UK's own manufacturing situation and future appears somewhat foggy - the challenge was always going to be difficult, and financially very costly.
The V12 Speedster - why not? McLaren has the Elva, Ferrari has a couple of 812 based offerings. Few complained about other car makers making small number specials with no windscreen, but for some reason when Aston Martin does it, it's deemed "desperate".
A1VDY said:
Another car that no one (certainly on PH anyway) could afford.
Are you new here? There are a significant number of PH members that could very easily afford one of these to add to their already very expensive collections.Whether they would want to though is another question.
I went through the process of deciding whether to upgrade from my v12v to the new Vantage. I think my dilemma is the same as many others in the market. Besides marmite styling inside and out, the new car has lost that ability to thrill. It’s quick but not visceral or engaging along with the very awkward inelegant design - it won’t age well. The fact RR and Bentley GT sales are stronger re-inforces this fact. Because the Aston is now so big I’d compare it to a Range Rover sport with your arse closer to the floor. Same issue with the DB11. Outside looks slightly fussy, inside of it looks like a merc - the new Bentley GT has shown up how cars should approach that segment of car. The new DBS looks better but is a body kit and joke remap for utterly stupid money compared to a DB11 AMR or otherwise. Because many cars will be on AM Finance, someone is already holding the residual “baby” so Aston can’t slaughter that even more with facelifts yet - maybe 5 years in. So essentially the used market is in a funk while everyone decides whether to go “new model” as per the consumerist brainwash or appreciate the last of “Peak car” era. (other cars in the same era like the 997 also fall into the same category - the big blobby new cars drive like video games) with engines, steering and looks (while legislation has killed real driving cars, there’s no excuse for the styling). Anyone who has driven a 991gt3 at warp speed after getting out of a 997 gt3 in an exhilarated sweat will relate to this. There is always a market from people who want the latest most exclusive thing - they’re often not the enthusiast or discerning drivers. Just worried that they need to be seen in the "it", with the latest performance stats (try enjoying one of the new turbo torque cars with electric steering on a damp road!) Theirs are probably the cars for sale at the moment now that the step up in price to the New Vantage seems reasonably cheap. We’ve also got the perfect storm of Brexit and the impact of Climate Change peer pressure frowning on fossil fuel cars - that will have a short term impact on the image of ICE sports cars until people realise the volumes are a tiny niche compared to the mass fleet of everyday cars and trucks etc. When the dust settles on that lot, people will want something to behold and savour - whichever is the best to look at, the best to drive. And that will not likely be the latest crop of legislatively strangled bloaters. Again look at the 911 market and trend for Retromods....The current buck stops with Palmer (From Nissan!) for the design sign offs and push for volume, but the DBX in volume and the margin on ultra elite custom runs like the DB4 Zagato will probably bail them out (DBX like Rapide, will go Electric at some point). I think it’s very sad and hope the brands sports cars survives this chapter, but I’m utterly thankful I’ve got a manual v12v in the shed - longest I’ve ever kept a car by far (5 years and counting - having had other stuff alongside it which has been and gone) The noise and feel from an NA V12 with hydraulic steering compared to the Merc Turbo and video game transmission and steering....there is just no comparison whatsoever. Just look at it, start it and go drive it....
dtatton99 said:
I went through the process of deciding whether to upgrade from my v12v to the new Vantage. I think my dilemma is the same as many others in the market. Besides marmite styling inside and out, the new car has lost that ability to thrill. It’s quick but not visceral or engaging along with the very awkward inelegant design - it won’t age well. The fact RR and Bentley GT sales are stronger re-inforces this fact. Because the Aston is now so big I’d compare it to a Range Rover sport with your arse closer to the floor. Same issue with the DB11. Outside looks slightly fussy, inside of it looks like a merc - the new Bentley GT has shown up how cars should approach that segment of car. The new DBS looks better but is a body kit and joke remap for utterly stupid money compared to a DB11 AMR or otherwise. Because many cars will be on AM Finance, someone is already holding the residual “baby” so Aston can’t slaughter that even more with facelifts yet - maybe 5 years in. So essentially the used market is in a funk while everyone decides whether to go “new model” as per the consumerist brainwash or appreciate the last of “Peak car” era. (other cars in the same era like the 997 also fall into the same category - the big blobby new cars drive like video games) with engines, steering and looks (while legislation has killed real driving cars, there’s no excuse for the styling). Anyone who has driven a 991gt3 at warp speed after getting out of a 997 gt3 in an exhilarated sweat will relate to this. There is always a market from people who want the latest most exclusive thing - they’re often not the enthusiast or discerning drivers. Just worried that they need to be seen in the "it", with the latest performance stats (try enjoying one of the new turbo torque cars with electric steering on a damp road!) Theirs are probably the cars for sale at the moment now that the step up in price to the New Vantage seems reasonably cheap. We’ve also got the perfect storm of Brexit and the impact of Climate Change peer pressure frowning on fossil fuel cars - that will have a short term impact on the image of ICE sports cars until people realise the volumes are a tiny niche compared to the mass fleet of everyday cars and trucks etc. When the dust settles on that lot, people will want something to behold and savour - whichever is the best to look at, the best to drive. And that will not likely be the latest crop of legislatively strangled bloaters. Again look at the 911 market and trend for Retromods....The current buck stops with Palmer (From Nissan!) for the design sign offs and push for volume, but the DBX in volume and the margin on ultra elite custom runs like the DB4 Zagato will probably bail them out (DBX like Rapide, will go Electric at some point). I think it’s very sad and hope the brands sports cars survives this chapter, but I’m utterly thankful I’ve got a manual v12v in the shed - longest I’ve ever kept a car by far (5 years and counting - having had other stuff alongside it which has been and gone) The noise and feel from an NA V12 with hydraulic steering compared to the Merc Turbo and video game transmission and steering....there is just no comparison whatsoever. Just look at it, start it and go drive it....
Nicely said. I think you're spot on. BigChiefmuffinAgain said:
You do start to worry about the business models of Aston and McLaren. They are both small, stand alone makers of essentially non-essential supercars catering to a very small market, competing against other companies ( Porsche, Lambo, Bentley, Rolls and to some extent Ferrari ) who have large companies behind them to share development cost. You might decry the "there all the same underneath" ethos behind a Urus/Cayenne/Q8/Bentaya but it does allow these companies to develop cars far more efficiently. Aston have to go it alone when they do something like the DBX and that makes it very hard to develop something unique and cost competitive ( and I know Merc help a bit, but they are also competitors at the end of the day ).
The result is that they, and McLaren, are pretty much forced to re-cycle what they have into ever more ludicrous guises in the hope that the current fad for short run specials will fool enough people into buying these ( or stuff their dealer network with unwanted cars, of which both seem guilty of late ). It won't last forever - and there are already signs of a "saturated" market for these - and you wonder where that then leaves them. Suspect their days as independent companies, even companies at all, are limited....
Not that I am another PH doom-monger, of course.....
I see your point of view but Aston Martin and McLaren are very different Animals. ASton Martin has been around for over 100 years, longer than most of its competitors. The result is that they, and McLaren, are pretty much forced to re-cycle what they have into ever more ludicrous guises in the hope that the current fad for short run specials will fool enough people into buying these ( or stuff their dealer network with unwanted cars, of which both seem guilty of late ). It won't last forever - and there are already signs of a "saturated" market for these - and you wonder where that then leaves them. Suspect their days as independent companies, even companies at all, are limited....
Not that I am another PH doom-monger, of course.....
Where as McLaren are just starting out, their not even 10 years old so for people to slag them off time and time again for reusing the the same engine and chassis configuration is quite frankly ridiculous. Ferrari and Porsche took almost 15 years to develop a new engine or chassis configuration.
Also McLaren have quite a lot of financial backing where as Aston Martin does not.
dtatton99 said:
I went through the process of deciding whether to upgrade from my v12v to the new Vantage. I think my dilemma is the same as many others in the market. Besides marmite styling inside and out, the new car has lost that ability to thrill. It’s quick but not visceral or engaging along with the very awkward inelegant design - it won’t age well. The fact RR and Bentley GT sales are stronger re-inforces this fact. Because the Aston is now so big I’d compare it to a Range Rover sport with your arse closer to the floor. Same issue with the DB11. Outside looks slightly fussy, inside of it looks like a merc - the new Bentley GT has shown up how cars should approach that segment of car. The new DBS looks better but is a body kit and joke remap for utterly stupid money compared to a DB11 AMR or otherwise. Because many cars will be on AM Finance, someone is already holding the residual “baby” so Aston can’t slaughter that even more with facelifts yet - maybe 5 years in. So essentially the used market is in a funk while everyone decides whether to go “new model” as per the consumerist brainwash or appreciate the last of “Peak car” era. (other cars in the same era like the 997 also fall into the same category - the big blobby new cars drive like video games) with engines, steering and looks (while legislation has killed real driving cars, there’s no excuse for the styling). Anyone who has driven a 991gt3 at warp speed after getting out of a 997 gt3 in an exhilarated sweat will relate to this. There is always a market from people who want the latest most exclusive thing - they’re often not the enthusiast or discerning drivers. Just worried that they need to be seen in the "it", with the latest performance stats (try enjoying one of the new turbo torque cars with electric steering on a damp road!) Theirs are probably the cars for sale at the moment now that the step up in price to the New Vantage seems reasonably cheap. We’ve also got the perfect storm of Brexit and the impact of Climate Change peer pressure frowning on fossil fuel cars - that will have a short term impact on the image of ICE sports cars until people realise the volumes are a tiny niche compared to the mass fleet of everyday cars and trucks etc. When the dust settles on that lot, people will want something to behold and savour - whichever is the best to look at, the best to drive. And that will not likely be the latest crop of legislatively strangled bloaters. Again look at the 911 market and trend for Retromods....The current buck stops with Palmer (From Nissan!) for the design sign offs and push for volume, but the DBX in volume and the margin on ultra elite custom runs like the DB4 Zagato will probably bail them out (DBX like Rapide, will go Electric at some point). I think it’s very sad and hope the brands sports cars survives this chapter, but I’m utterly thankful I’ve got a manual v12v in the shed - longest I’ve ever kept a car by far (5 years and counting - having had other stuff alongside it which has been and gone) The noise and feel from an NA V12 with hydraulic steering compared to the Merc Turbo and video game transmission and steering....there is just no comparison whatsoever. Just look at it, start it and go drive it....
Makes for interesting reading. I think from a previous generation V12 to the new V8 would be a hard jump, because the V12 is indeed special. However, the previous generation V8 doesn't have that sort of thrill and isn't perhaps a dissimilar car to the new one (I'm not talking about the looks which are subjective). It's more of a GT car than a sports car, is a bit big and a bit heavy. The interior isn't that great, though a nice enough place to be like the new one is. I think the price point has caused a few problems and the recent deals that have been had are more in line with what we'd expect for a single generation jump. The new cars are trying to bring in a different type of driver and a younger crowd, and I do believe they are doing that.
Seacube said:
lukeharding said:
Seacube said:
There was a time when Astons were so achingly sexy that my heart would skip a beat just seeing one in the flesh.
To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Out of interest which cars were the ones that would make your heart skip a beat? To me, the latest models have lost that unique visual beauty and are now just pleasant looking sports cars with some slightly fussy design details.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff