Brutally honest review of the 2012 Am Vantage!
Discussion
greggie87 said:
Thanks for sharing, most terribly amusing.
He doesn't like the car, that much is obvious, but he makes a valid point about the tech in the car, it is crap. Personally, if I could afford a car in this bracket without the impracticality of a second hand Lamborghini or such, it wouldn't be an AM - I'd want something racier like a top of the line 911. The way AM design market their cars, they aren't selling road racers, so comfort and luxury is important to them. Unfortunately, a lot of the things highlighted in this video are fair point - the dash is a rubbish design, I've always thought that, the Sat Nav is crap (is that still the old Volvo unit?), especially when it costs $2700, and the media centre screen is terrible.
Even if I had the money to buy a Vantage, or hell, even a Huayra, Veyron and an Agera R, I'd still feel a bit miffed that $2700 buys a pop up screen and a sat nav that can be outperformed by a $150 unit.
While we here at PH might say "Forget the tech, drop the roof, press the sport button and listen to that V8 roar" etc, I'd guess at least a good proportion of AM buyers are not driving or car enthusiasts so much as they are fashionistas looking for another accessory, and to these people the technology is probably more important than it would be to us.
Even if I had the money to buy a Vantage, or hell, even a Huayra, Veyron and an Agera R, I'd still feel a bit miffed that $2700 buys a pop up screen and a sat nav that can be outperformed by a $150 unit.
While we here at PH might say "Forget the tech, drop the roof, press the sport button and listen to that V8 roar" etc, I'd guess at least a good proportion of AM buyers are not driving or car enthusiasts so much as they are fashionistas looking for another accessory, and to these people the technology is probably more important than it would be to us.
Its fair though isn't it. If you are going to design a cubby hole that houses mobile phones, make it big enough to fit a `standard` phone. I haven't driven one with that paddle shift so can't comment but if it is as bad as he says, he has a valid point there too. The sat nav is a travesty tbh. Still using that crappy old volvo unit and charging that kind of money for it is a joke and bluetooth is standard in most 10 grand shopping cars these days so should be in the Aston too.
The dash layout I am less bothered about, its British to not conform and have the clocks rev in the opposite direction. The clocks themselves offer form over function which isn't a bad thing in a product like this. if you want it the other way around buy a Honda.
Imagine the field day he would have with a TVR lol.
The dash layout I am less bothered about, its British to not conform and have the clocks rev in the opposite direction. The clocks themselves offer form over function which isn't a bad thing in a product like this. if you want it the other way around buy a Honda.
Imagine the field day he would have with a TVR lol.
Edited by ///Mike on Saturday 11th August 13:11
Ha! Just goes to show the difference in mentalities between the ordinary blobs and the petrolheads. He highlights all the things that most of us here wouldn't give a damn about, then doesn't explore the factors that matter to people who love performance cars.
That or he's spent too much of his life driving wallowy monstrousities and simply has no clue.
That or he's spent too much of his life driving wallowy monstrousities and simply has no clue.
He has missed aload of stuff here.
As I have a MY12 Vantage S roadster I feel I need to clear up a few things
1) It's not devoid of tech (well come to that later)
2) The roof is cloth to keep weight down, boot space up and centre of gravity low
3) THe old Volvo Sat was turely bad, the one shown is a Garmin unit and works well, he is showing the basic 2D view, in 3D it looks gogd and had traffic notices built in. It is better than the Nav I've had built in to VW's and Subarus's (though I still use my Tom Tom )
4) The console display works well it switches to what ever you are messing with and is clear. My only grip is in hte sun it is too dim for a roadster
5) The "phone cradle" is not a for a phone it is for the tracker tags if you use them, the phone cradle is in the drivers door.
6) The "sex toy" is an elbow rest that goes in the centre console on none manual cars to stop you putting your elbom in the cup holder, not elegent but it works
7) The cubby holes behind the seats hose the perfectly adequte tool kit (not many AM owners use tools ) and the other is the battery had he bothered to look deeper 
8) He is a little confused on the "Crystal Key" it also called the Emotional COntrol Unit (Cheesy I know) but it works well just don't drop it! Older cars have a key and a fob, the ECU does it all.
8) The display on the dash pod works OK for me, there is a multifunction digital display that will show range to empty, speed, tyre pressure and a load of other stuff
9) The rev counter does go the "wrong" way as some TVR's do I like it!
10) He is a tall guy (~6' 4" I'd guess) many tall owners have no issue getting in and driving. The seats are VERY adjustable, I guess he just didn't bother (he managed later on though )
11) The "box" is actually a 7 speed robotised manual (not dual clutch & not 6 speed as he says) on the paddles it is as good as my DSG car, in Auto it is a bit clumsy (a bit like my DSG car ) It is a derivative of the box in the Ferrari California.
12) The sport button simply narrows the throttle band on the pedal and leaves the exhaust valves open (I pulled the fuse so it does that all the time )
13) The suspension on that car is the optional sport pack, it is tight but is fine for M way use and is brilliant round the twisties
14) BOth mine have creaked and rattled in fairness the dealer does sort them out.
15) Premium audio is great, B&O is pointless on a roadster and not that much better
Lastly the lack of tech?
It has tyre pressure read out to dash, hill control, 6 pot calipers with two piece floating discs, composite wings, Aluminium bonded chassis, aluminium panels, dry sump engine to get it lower and further back, 7 speed flappy paddle box, explosive roll over hoops
I've had a few fast roadster but only recently came to realise it's not about the power, the Vantage Roadster is an event to drive what ever the speed. THat's why I bough mine over a Gallardo or 430.
Rant over
As I have a MY12 Vantage S roadster I feel I need to clear up a few things
1) It's not devoid of tech (well come to that later)
2) The roof is cloth to keep weight down, boot space up and centre of gravity low
3) THe old Volvo Sat was turely bad, the one shown is a Garmin unit and works well, he is showing the basic 2D view, in 3D it looks gogd and had traffic notices built in. It is better than the Nav I've had built in to VW's and Subarus's (though I still use my Tom Tom
)4) The console display works well it switches to what ever you are messing with and is clear. My only grip is in hte sun it is too dim for a roadster
5) The "phone cradle" is not a for a phone it is for the tracker tags if you use them, the phone cradle is in the drivers door.
6) The "sex toy" is an elbow rest that goes in the centre console on none manual cars to stop you putting your elbom in the cup holder, not elegent but it works
7) The cubby holes behind the seats hose the perfectly adequte tool kit (not many AM owners use tools
) and the other is the battery had he bothered to look deeper 8) He is a little confused on the "Crystal Key" it also called the Emotional COntrol Unit (Cheesy I know) but it works well just don't drop it! Older cars have a key and a fob, the ECU does it all.
8) The display on the dash pod works OK for me, there is a multifunction digital display that will show range to empty, speed, tyre pressure and a load of other stuff
9) The rev counter does go the "wrong" way as some TVR's do I like it!
10) He is a tall guy (~6' 4" I'd guess) many tall owners have no issue getting in and driving. The seats are VERY adjustable, I guess he just didn't bother (he managed later on though
)11) The "box" is actually a 7 speed robotised manual (not dual clutch & not 6 speed as he says) on the paddles it is as good as my DSG car, in Auto it is a bit clumsy (a bit like my DSG car
) It is a derivative of the box in the Ferrari California.12) The sport button simply narrows the throttle band on the pedal and leaves the exhaust valves open (I pulled the fuse so it does that all the time
)13) The suspension on that car is the optional sport pack, it is tight but is fine for M way use and is brilliant round the twisties
14) BOth mine have creaked and rattled in fairness the dealer does sort them out.
15) Premium audio is great, B&O is pointless on a roadster and not that much better
Lastly the lack of tech?
It has tyre pressure read out to dash, hill control, 6 pot calipers with two piece floating discs, composite wings, Aluminium bonded chassis, aluminium panels, dry sump engine to get it lower and further back, 7 speed flappy paddle box, explosive roll over hoops
I've had a few fast roadster but only recently came to realise it's not about the power, the Vantage Roadster is an event to drive what ever the speed. THat's why I bough mine over a Gallardo or 430.
Rant over
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