V12 Vantage or V8 Vantage S?

[justin220]

Morning all,

This is half idle interest, half genuine, but I'd be interested to know what would be everyone's choice out of these two?

I am currently driving a Lotus Evora which I bought new and has been great for almost 3 years but I'm fancying a change. I've just had the buyers guide book delivered this morning so thought I'd have a hunt around Autotrader

Same price, given the choice.. Which one?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

Or

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

[willisit]

A manual V12 or an auto V8? Two very different cars...

I'd be after the V12. That one has been for sale for a while - perhaps due to the mileage. I'd still try it before deciding. Oh, and I'd only get a manual - so the choice would be easier here than perhaps for you (and my aim is, for a V12 in years to come).

[CarbonV12V]

Only one of them is manual - a choice of one is not really a choice at all

[justin220]

thought I'd get a few replies like that.

Obviously my main worry with that V12 is the mileage, and never being able to sell it on.

Absolutely love everything else about it though..

[yeti]

Tough question...

Coming from an Evora the S would suit you better as a sports car, the V12 is a muscle car really.

Might come down to transmission; paddle shift in the S or manual V12 with clutch pedal?

I think the V12 is a classic, a ridiculous car that the world has no place for and therefore a wonderful thing. The S is just an evolution of the standard car although something very special and probably more resolved.

For the same money, a newer cheaper car or older more expensive car... Vantage is leggy at 57k but if your mileage is low, what a bargain. Though I suspect for a very few quid more you'll knock tens of thousands of miles off with a different car.

[V8 Animal]

Same price? Does the V12 include VAT i read it doesn't it really bugs me why dealers have to say this as the public can't claim VAT back.

I accept they have to mention this on the advert, they should show both prices just to make it clear for thickies like me

Oh and V12

[bogie]

id go V12

and spend another £10k to get one with sensible mileage

[Vee12V]

V12V any time! Don't worry about depreciation, V12V's tend to hold their value very well.

[yeti]

V8 Animal said:

Same price? Does the V12 include VAT i read it doesn't it really bugs me why dealers have to say this as the public can't claim VAT back.

Yeah, they do harp on about the VAT. If it's 84k including VAT, it's a very expensive car for the miles :rolleyes;

[jonby]

yeti said:

V8 Animal said:

Same price? Does the V12 include VAT i read it doesn't it really bugs me why dealers have to say this as the public can't claim VAT back.

Yeah, they do harp on about the VAT. If it's 84k including VAT, it's a very expensive car for the miles :rolleyes;

I know that in an ideal world, whatever most of us want in the way of big bucks purchases like cars, houses, etc are always just above our budget and budgets are just that BUT......even if it were only 70k, it would be overpriced IMO - there are cars with significantly lower miles and asking prices of 80kish on the official dealer network including one with just 4.5k miles at 82k. If the asking price of this car is 84k as assumed, it makes it even more over priced

The other advantage of going to a dealer is that you can take an example of each car out, which you really have to do to see which you prefer of the two packages - for all the more subtle differences between the two cars and at risk of stating the obvious, the big questions are to see whether you prefer the combination of V8 & sportshift II or V12 & manual - that's a very personal choice with pros & cons for each, rather than 'better' and 'worse'

In fact at that budget, you have most of the range open to you - 2009 DBS manuals with 10-15k miles are similar money (80-85k) and IMO are the best value used Astons in the entire range, but they are further away from the evora in driving experience than vantage

Of course all of this is moving away from 70k and if that's your budget, you are probably better with a good S than the cheapest V12V on the market. Where V12V prices will be in 12 months time if you waited is an interesting question to which none of us know the answer.......if it goes out of production in Jan as expected by some of us, whether replaced with something else or not, I wonder where prices go then ?

[robgt]

I am not going to harp on about my V8S other than to say it is not an Auto ! It is an Automated Manual operated by paddles. I would never consider a manual again. Plus the Graziano box as fitted is I believe 18 Kgms lighter than the manual. I have driven A V12V and would still prefer my S. Both cars are superb but we all like different things. My advice would be drive both.

[yeti]

No mention of the dreaded depreciation yet either... the Vantage is going to drop a LOT more money than a V12 Vantage which has already dropped a big chunk

[AdamV8V]

robgt said:

Plus the Graziano box as fitted is I believe 18 Kgms lighter than the manual.

Really, I thought they were the same 'box?

Or is the unit in the V12V different / heavier?

The V8's (Man and ASM) have the same box, right?

[PascalBuyens]

V12. As much as I like a V8, but there's no competition there

[robgt]

Depreciation is always a bit scary . That is the price you pay for buying new. The reason I went to demo a V12 V was my thinking that they will lose less than the V8 . I was basing that on their relatively low production run. My idea was that were I to do so, the future jump to the new model V8 would not be so great. My first V8 lost 10% of invoice price in 6000 miles plus I had a substantial discount off my current S.

For me I believe the way forward is to pursue the Bamford Rose enhancements. I am hoping that within the next month or so I can look forward to even more power than my present 456BHP coupled with a lightened flywheel and switchable suspension . This should all add upto a far superior car than ever any new model will be. This will be achieved at a far less cost than upgrading to a new car. As a consequence depreciation does not come into the equation .

[robgt]

Hi Adam ,

The automated manual gearbox ie ASM2 as fitted to the Vantage S is 18 Kgms lighter than the manual box in the V8 andV12. It is also more efficient , hence the improvement in fuel consumption. It is also a close ratio box boasting 7 speed.

[Lunablack]

Even if the mileage was the same on both cars... It'd be the S for me....

Nicer colour too

[yeti]

robgt said:

As a consequence depreciation does not come into the equation .

Indeed - depreciation never matters until it's time to sell. If that time never comes...

[justin220]

Thanks all. Seems quite an even spread.

I'll definately try before buying, like I said this was just half serious, half idle interest..

[cayman-black]

bogie said:

id go V12

and spend another £10k to get one with sensible mileage

Agree. Too expensive with those miles any way.