6spd Vantage V12
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm on the hunt for an early V12V manual and test drove one the other day having watched the market for a while.
It was predictably brilliant but I thought I would consult the collective PH wisdom...
1. The car had 26k on the clock and the clutch bite point was right on the top of the pedal - is this normal from experience? The heel of my foot pretty much had to be off the floor to engage it. How long do clutches usually last? There was no sign of clutch slip so is this something that could be adjusted?
2. The dreaded values... do you think the abundance of V8Vs on the market will pull the prices south so they follow the trajectory of say DB7s - where you can get a 5.9 manual for around £30-£35k - or will the V12V retain a unique place as one of the final manual Astons?
As an aside I saw that the 2010 car in the Silverstone auction yesterday went for £46.8k - and even with the buyer's premium that puts it in the low 50's. Someone got a great deal there! But it does get you thinking.
Cheers
I'm on the hunt for an early V12V manual and test drove one the other day having watched the market for a while.
It was predictably brilliant but I thought I would consult the collective PH wisdom...
1. The car had 26k on the clock and the clutch bite point was right on the top of the pedal - is this normal from experience? The heel of my foot pretty much had to be off the floor to engage it. How long do clutches usually last? There was no sign of clutch slip so is this something that could be adjusted?
2. The dreaded values... do you think the abundance of V8Vs on the market will pull the prices south so they follow the trajectory of say DB7s - where you can get a 5.9 manual for around £30-£35k - or will the V12V retain a unique place as one of the final manual Astons?
As an aside I saw that the 2010 car in the Silverstone auction yesterday went for £46.8k - and even with the buyer's premium that puts it in the low 50's. Someone got a great deal there! But it does get you thinking.
Cheers
Hi gubsta
You didn’t mention what year the car is. I think some of the very early cars did suffer some clutch related problems which required an upgrade. I’m not certain of the details but someone on here will probably know. The biting point on mine (June 2012) is high too and it’s never proven to be an issue. As you probably know the V12 has a twin plate clutch which is much lighter than the single plate one fitted to the V8. I don’t think anyone can put an exact figure on how long either type will last as it very much depends on how it’s been driven. Would think a new one would be £2.5-3k to replace? As before, someone here will have a better idea. Perhaps Mike at BR? As for values, this is always an area which concerns people. The CCM brakes put buyers off as they are infamously expensive to replace if there are problems. And with the ongoing war on petrol engines and adoption of EVs, plus speed restrictions everywhere, I can’t see values rising any time soon. As you rightly state, the V12V is one of the last of its type that we will ever see, but in the current environment that doesn’t mean it will appreciate. My advice would be, if you like it and can afford it, buy it and enjoy it while you can.
Best Regards
Minglar
You didn’t mention what year the car is. I think some of the very early cars did suffer some clutch related problems which required an upgrade. I’m not certain of the details but someone on here will probably know. The biting point on mine (June 2012) is high too and it’s never proven to be an issue. As you probably know the V12 has a twin plate clutch which is much lighter than the single plate one fitted to the V8. I don’t think anyone can put an exact figure on how long either type will last as it very much depends on how it’s been driven. Would think a new one would be £2.5-3k to replace? As before, someone here will have a better idea. Perhaps Mike at BR? As for values, this is always an area which concerns people. The CCM brakes put buyers off as they are infamously expensive to replace if there are problems. And with the ongoing war on petrol engines and adoption of EVs, plus speed restrictions everywhere, I can’t see values rising any time soon. As you rightly state, the V12V is one of the last of its type that we will ever see, but in the current environment that doesn’t mean it will appreciate. My advice would be, if you like it and can afford it, buy it and enjoy it while you can.
Best Regards
Minglar
gubsta said:
2. The dreaded values... do you think the abundance of V8Vs on the market will pull the prices south so they follow the trajectory of say DB7s - where you can get a 5.9 manual for around £30-£35k - or will the V12V retain a unique place as one of the final manual Astons?
As an aside I saw that the 2010 car in the Silverstone auction yesterday went for £46.8k - and even with the buyer's premium that puts it in the low 50's. Someone got a great deal there! But it does get you thinking.
As an aside I saw that the 2010 car in the Silverstone auction yesterday went for £46.8k - and even with the buyer's premium that puts it in the low 50's. Someone got a great deal there! But it does get you thinking.
Whether this has relevance to demand, I am not sure, but the successor to the DB7 was the DB9. Possibly there are more buyers who are now looking for a DB9, so it would carry a premium to DB7.
Carry that thinking forward and the successor model to the V12 Vantage in 2018 was ....... well there should be demand for a V12V in the future.
We must remember that this auction price is approximate to dealer trade-in. No dealer guarantee etc. at an auction.
For an incoming dealer car at £50k, the advertised retail might be around £60k (many overheads to pay, including the warranty premium).
I bought mine just before Easter - it's a 2013 car, but I think the clutch is pretty normal on mine i.e. not noticeably that high. What you can do is take it to Aston for a full inspection, which can then be used for a Timeless warranty. My warranty cost about £2k, for peace of mind. I believe the inspection for it is around £400, but that's something you would need to check.
After that, I can say part of the reason I bought the V12V as opposed to other cars was that I felt it will hold its value relatively better than most other cars in it's price bracket - and I still stick by that, I think relatively they are about as steady and stable as you can find in that price bracket of sports cars, and I saw Porsches (GT4 etc) getting hammered, McLarens dropping steadily etc... you get the picture. We're currently in an uncertain market, and that's pushing car prices down noticeably and therefore every car will lose some value, these being no exception. Certainly had I waited a few months on mine, I may have saved a bit, but I feel I got a fair deal at the time and I adore the car, and have used it for some great trips in my relatively short ownership.
After that, I can say part of the reason I bought the V12V as opposed to other cars was that I felt it will hold its value relatively better than most other cars in it's price bracket - and I still stick by that, I think relatively they are about as steady and stable as you can find in that price bracket of sports cars, and I saw Porsches (GT4 etc) getting hammered, McLarens dropping steadily etc... you get the picture. We're currently in an uncertain market, and that's pushing car prices down noticeably and therefore every car will lose some value, these being no exception. Certainly had I waited a few months on mine, I may have saved a bit, but I feel I got a fair deal at the time and I adore the car, and have used it for some great trips in my relatively short ownership.
Not really sure on the clutch point, but as previous posts have said, get a pre-purchase inspection done. Am not sure how easily they can check clutch wear, would that be quite a labour intensive check? However, am sure they can have a quick drive around the block to check for you or indeed will be a lot better informed about biting points etc to give an informed answer.
As for depreciation - is a very hard one in the current market, but I think your money should be reasonably safe in one of these - reasonably low build numbers, a manual, n/a V12, British marque all wrapped up in the gorgeous and timeless body of a Vantage...hopefully you can't go too far wrong. There have been quite a few articles recently too of these being the next classic, Evo ran one a few months ago springs to mind.
As for depreciation - is a very hard one in the current market, but I think your money should be reasonably safe in one of these - reasonably low build numbers, a manual, n/a V12, British marque all wrapped up in the gorgeous and timeless body of a Vantage...hopefully you can't go too far wrong. There have been quite a few articles recently too of these being the next classic, Evo ran one a few months ago springs to mind.
Morning!
I've got a 6Sp V12 and the clutch bite point is a little high - but this is normal. The "issue" that someone mentioned isn't a fault - it's a minor squeak from a bearing if you try to get off the line in a spirited way. It doesn't effect the performance or reliability of the clutch. A few have had their clutches replaced under warranty from Aston - but others haven't been so lucky as it's not a fault per say.
As for residuals - I'm a believer you should always buy these cars with your heart and not your head - but I don't believe you're going to lose too much money. Longer term - I do believe these are a good investment. There are only 1200 cars worldwide in the original 6sp guise - and IMO it's a better box than the 7sp car with the dogleg.
With these cars, I'd be tempted to make sure the brakes are well looked after. The CCM's are hella expensive if they go wrong or haven't been looked after. I'd contemplate also sticking a warranty on it. It's not cheap (2500 a year in the most expensive category I think), but as I discovered after a fault with my air con, it would have been far cheaper to buy the warranty
Regards the auction car - I wouldn't take that price at face value. Auctions are funny things and everyone goes in expecting that something they're buying probably has a few gremlins. Cars go to auction under a few scenarios. Either 1) Reposession, or 2) No one can sell it. In the case of 2 - that means multiple people have likely viewed and determined there's something not quite right with it. If you buy a car from a reputable source (or actually even privately where the owner has a good history file), then you'll be fine.
Other than that - do it.
Cheers
Chris.
I've got a 6Sp V12 and the clutch bite point is a little high - but this is normal. The "issue" that someone mentioned isn't a fault - it's a minor squeak from a bearing if you try to get off the line in a spirited way. It doesn't effect the performance or reliability of the clutch. A few have had their clutches replaced under warranty from Aston - but others haven't been so lucky as it's not a fault per say.
As for residuals - I'm a believer you should always buy these cars with your heart and not your head - but I don't believe you're going to lose too much money. Longer term - I do believe these are a good investment. There are only 1200 cars worldwide in the original 6sp guise - and IMO it's a better box than the 7sp car with the dogleg.
With these cars, I'd be tempted to make sure the brakes are well looked after. The CCM's are hella expensive if they go wrong or haven't been looked after. I'd contemplate also sticking a warranty on it. It's not cheap (2500 a year in the most expensive category I think), but as I discovered after a fault with my air con, it would have been far cheaper to buy the warranty
Regards the auction car - I wouldn't take that price at face value. Auctions are funny things and everyone goes in expecting that something they're buying probably has a few gremlins. Cars go to auction under a few scenarios. Either 1) Reposession, or 2) No one can sell it. In the case of 2 - that means multiple people have likely viewed and determined there's something not quite right with it. If you buy a car from a reputable source (or actually even privately where the owner has a good history file), then you'll be fine.
Other than that - do it.
Cheers
Chris.
Edited by woodsypedia on Thursday 14th November 08:05
Edited by woodsypedia on Thursday 14th November 11:46
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