Vanquish II Volante

[mikey k]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

The small window is not a design choice nor a buffet preventer. It is there simply because a full width window would have no place to fully retract into the door panel. As windscreens have tilted farther and farther back over time, this problem has worsened. These are called 'cheater' panels for a reason.

Open the door of your convertible and imagine the window going all the way forward...no place for it to retract into the door.

I'd understood that
How does the DB9 no have it though?

[DB9VolanteDriver]

mikey k said:

DB9VolanteDriver said:

The small window is not a design choice nor a buffet preventer. It is there simply because a full width window would have no place to fully retract into the door panel. As windscreens have tilted farther and farther back over time, this problem has worsened. These are called 'cheater' panels for a reason.

Open the door of your convertible and imagine the window going all the way forward...no place for it to retract into the door.

I'd understood that
How does the DB9 no have it though?

It has the side view mirror assembly in that spot. So either a fixed window panel or a mirror assembly. Either way, something has to fill that corner.

[Beefmeister]

Well, there goes the rest of my day...

http://www.astonmartin.com/en/cars/vanquish-volant...

edit: Screw you, Thumbsnap, you're complete bks.

Edited by Beefmeister on Wednesday 19th June 17:09

[AWV12]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

The small window is not a design choice nor a buffet preventer. It is there simply because a full width window would have no place to fully retract into the door panel. As windscreens have tilted farther and farther back over time, this problem has worsened. These are called 'cheater' panels for a reason.

Open the door of your convertible and imagine the window going all the way forward...no place for it to retract into the door.

I understand that (too), but the small chaeter panel on my DBS Volante (and your DB9 Volante) is much smaller than this side window. Especially when looking to the cars from the side.

See here: https://www.google.nl/search?q=dbs+volante

And here https://www.google.nl/search?q=vanquish+volante

Looking at other cars:

https://www.google.nl/search?q=maserati+grancabrio

https://www.google.nl/search?q=cabrio

Only few older cars have this side window:

MX5: https://www.google.nl/search?q=MX5

Z3: https://www.google.nl/search?q=Z3

Edited by AWV12 on Wednesday 19th June 20:39

[AWV12]

yeti said:

That small window is an odd design choice... must provide protection from buffetting at higher speeds?

Agree on gearbox; trouble with SS3 being offered alongside TT2 that 90% of buyers wouldn't know the difference. This sort of car spends most of it's life in full auto mode anyway so the SS3 is wasted on it and in fact mean Joe Public would buy it and not like it.

A 3-pedal manual of course has an obvious difference, but close to zero chance of that happening.

Maserati had CambiaCorsa / Duoselect alongside Automatica so it can be done however

Agree, and the +15% more stiffness of the body.

I am afraid you are right about the gearbox.........but let people choose would be a great think to do!

[DB9VolanteDriver]

AWV12 said:

I understand that (too), but the small chaeter panel on my DBS Volante (and your DB9 Volante) is much smaller than this side window. Especially when looking to the cars from the side.

I agree there is a size difference, and that could be due to the position of the mirror on the door which might be causing excess air to spill into that area (as Yeti suggested). I was just pointing out that something has to be there - window or mirror. Size itself is another issue. But this size (as opposed to those of the Z4/MX5) is not objectionable IMO.

[DavidV12V]

I love the car, really do as I think it looks better than the coup (die hard coup owner, I am) but am I alone in finding the official AM "advert" a little old-school and somewhat tired in terms of messaging, etc.? Surely with all those dollars they would have moved beyond appealing to middle aged men like me with the promise of female companionship?

However, as I was watching it it occurred to me that something looked a little odd, and so grabbed a screen shot - below - to me the rear wheel looks a little too small? Realise that camera angles etc. have a part to play, but still looks a little strange, no?

Remain to be corrected, of course....

[hornbaek]

Looks are great but the gearbox lets it own. Aston desperately needs access to next-gen technology. They should offer it with the manual gearbox because in a direct comparison the manual is still class leading and it will have a real niche appeal.

[AWV12]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

The small window is not a design choice nor a buffet preventer. It is there simply because a full width window would have no place to fully retract into the door panel. As windscreens have tilted farther and farther back over time, this problem has worsened. These are called 'cheater' panels for a reason.

Open the door of your convertible and imagine the window going all the way forward...no place for it to retract into the door.

I know there needs to be something, but it can be much much smaller than the large and ugly side window as now designed on the Vqs II Volante, see for instance the 991 cabrio, that also has the side mirrors on the door:

http://www.ausmotive.com/pics/2012/Porsche-991-911...

http://www.ausmotive.com/2012/01/10/detroit-2012-p...

Als on the DB9/DBS Volante it is a very small triangle of plastic, almost not nitceable when sitting inside.............but if you sit inside the Vqs II, the side window is prominently there...........

But ok, all a matter of taste I think, but as a real "open driver" these small details DO matter (as is the overhang of the front window, which is great with the open Astons, but way too much in the Maser GranCabrio, etc).