First couple of weeks of V12V

[ripley500]

Well after a couple of weeks after my change from V8 Vantage to V12 Vantage I thought I would share my initial thoughts.

I'd had my 2007 4.3 V8 for about two years and absolutely loved it. I enjoyed every time I took it out and never got bored of the car - it was always a 'sense of occasion' driving it and whilst not the fastest car in it's class, I always found I was happy with the performance as I do feel that Aston's are about much more than just power.

I'd always promised myself a V12 as I always held the thought that it was exactly my type of car, fabulous looks, mountains of torque, good balance between road/track focus and of course the intangible 'Aston' effect.

So, the good points;
- Lightweight seats are awesome. I had initially thought that I would prefer sports seats as when I tried both back to back, the sports seats feel initially more comfortable as there is more padding. The lightweights by comparison seem initially a bit like sitting on wood! - however, in the real world you don't swap from one to the other and I find the lightweight seats supremely comfortable and really suit the character of the car. I was also concerned that as there is not a heated seat option then I'd regret this but the alcantara fabric means even on these chilly mornings the seats are not uncomfortably cold.

- Alcantara steering wheel - like the seats, this really suits the car, very tactile and adds to the driving experience - when I was looking for a car I had not previously liked the alcantara wheel but I'm a convert now

- The noise - after reading forums I was expecting the noise to be not quite up to my old V8 standards but I have to say it's much better. It's louder and far more noticeable in a good way. Even at low speeds the car makes a terrific sound and adds to the overall presence of the car

- The engine - due to the cold, wet weather I've not really had a chance to push the car so I've been taking it easy but it's clear already that the engine is immense. The push from the engine is relentless regardless of which gear you're in and even with only light throttle, the car is easily into three figure speeds without even realizing it. It's quite strange as I'm finding I can change my driving style as the car can be left in 6th gear even around town as it will drive along at 20mph and accelerate well even in 6th - there is no need to do a lot of gear changes even around town. Really makes for a relaxing, lazy drive one minute then changes into a fire breathing dragon the next.

The 'bad' points;
- errrrmmmm...... the gear lever is a bit cold in the morning.......and I find operating radio, ipod etc a bit random as the buttons aren't quite as intuitive (but who cares - if I wanted intuitive I'd buy a VW!)

Am I glad I swapped for my V8? Simply put, yes! It helped that I went from an 07 to an 09 so the change meant I got the newer interior with things like standard iPod connection so everything seems just a little bit better than my old car. The car feels more alive and not just in performance terms - the quality of the ride has been a great surprise, it's firm but I find it quite comfortable - looking forward to being able to push the handling a bit more.

The most telling thing though is that if someone said to me that I had to have my old V8 back then I wouldn't be disappointed - yes, for me I much prefer the V12 but I think it says something about how special Astons are that I'd happily have my 07 V8 back and still be happy.

[ripley500]

babyvantage said:

While I was tempted to go Italian, there is something so unique about Aston's, that magazines, facts and figures can never convey.

Enjoy your car!

I did try a Gallardo as an option as I've always fancied one but although they are stunning from the outside I felt that inside it was not special enough and didn't feel as quick as the V12 - although I expect that's down to the torque in the V12 making the car 'feel' faster. The italians are that bit louder in a 'look at me' kind of way and I appreciate the more sophisticated gentleman's ambiance that an Aston brings (blimey, I'd best start looking for the pipe & slippers )

[ripley500]

Zod said:

The 666 can be erased by the fitment of Sottozeros from November through to the end of March.

This is a car that will happily and predictably put out its rear end on the Corsas in the summer, but that will do so violently with a not so violent application of throttle as the weeather gets colder and damper. The Sottozeros return behaviour to summer mode (and you have a more than decent chance of moving around in snow, where you have none with the Corsas).

Do these tyres fit on standard wheels or is the winter wheel package required?

[ripley500]

Zod said:

What do you think? They wouldn't manage to extract as much cash from you if they fitted the standard wheels!

They're a little narrower, enough to require new wheels.

Damn. I could justify new tyres but new wheels as well, I think not.

Restrained use of the right foot therefore is going to be more cost effective