RE: Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster: Review

[Zod]

Not really offended. Just would hate people to miss out on the experience of these cars through reading misinformed views.

My car gets driven (16000 miles in three years) and is usually filthy.

[Axionknight]

I preferred the battleship grey hardtop PH featured a few weeks ago, give me that, along with more discreet vents on the bonnet then sign me up - after I sell the house and empty the bank accounts.

Cracking motor, I love it.

[mikey k]

Zod said:

Not really offended. Just would hate people to miss out on the experience of these cars through reading misinformed views.

My car gets driven (16000 miles in three years) and is usually filthy.

Totally!
10k miles/yr over the last 5 years for me.

F1GTRUeno Zod is spot on here. No ones offended just frustrated that the usual myths get trotted out and no listens to the people who own these, do actual put miles on and drive them hard.

[AMDBSNick]

mikey k said:

Totally!
10k miles/yr over the last 5 years for me.

F1GTRUeno Zod is spot on here. No ones offended just frustrated that the usual myths get trotted out and no listens to the people who own these, do actual put miles on and drive them hard.

^^^^this^^^^

[jonby]

I too am not offended but again, disagree with much of what has been said. I think I am pretty well qualified to talk about this topic having bought & specced as a new car a V12 Vantage roadster 'mark 1', delivered in Jan last year, in which I've since covered just over 17,000 miles

I have regular conversations with a number of the other owners who are members of this exclusive 'club' of 101 and they are mostly in a similar boat. As other v12 owners have suggested, this is not a car for WAGs or posing

What the review & many of the comments seem to miss is that V12V is very different to any other car Aston have produced in recent years - it drives like a caged animal, begging to be driven hard and commanding respect - I love the fact that pulling out of my road onto the main road, at 15-20 mph, when cold, especially if the road is slightly damp, the car will still throw it's back end out if you're not careful

At the same time, it more than held it's own on an intensive track day at Imola 2 weeks ago, driven hard for 60 or so laps. My car has done a total of 3 weekends at Evo triangle, 2 Alpine tours, 3 track days, a trip to La Sentier in Switzerland and 2 trips to Le Mans - this car is perfectly suitable for enthusiasts

Many of the opinions are derived from assumptions based on stats like weight or the fact it's a soft top, rather than actual experience. Yes in the hands of an F1 driver round a tight technical track, a 458 or 12C will be faster. But pushed hard round the alps by a driver that has spent time in his/here V12V getting to know the car, I can assure you there is zero real work difference. Plus I think I have more fun, having to work the car harder, using the excellent gearbox to it's full potential and having the incredible noise, only enhanced by being hood down

As for fitting the ZF box to this car as suggested by one review (IIRC auto car), what utter nonsense - a torque convertor box makes no sense in this car. It shows a complete failure to 'get' this car. I've driven V12VS as a coupe - the box is excellent. Yes in auto mode it's rubbish compared to DSG/auto boxes but so what - when will some people realise a single clutch flappy paddle box is a 2 pedal automated manual car, not an auto car. Nobody talks about how rubbish the auto mode is in a 3 pedal car (there is none of course), or how slow the shifts are. Compared to a 3 pedal car, the shifts are quicker (in any mode) and it offers an auto mode that is literally impossible in a 3 pedal car (though the torque is so great in V12V that you can just leave it in 3rd). In flappy mode, this box is superb. Admittedly having said all that, the main reason I won't change my V12VR to a V12VSR is that I want the last of an era 3 pedal car.......

All most of this goes to show is that whilst I respect and read with interest journo opinions, you should always drive a car for yourself if you want an informed decision, if for no other reason than so much is subjective but also, because often the journo opinions are based on how a car 'should' drive on paper rather than how it actually drives, perhaps because they don't get enough time driving the car the way an owner does. Case in point - every single review of mark 1 V12VR was done on winter wheels & tyres (sottozero) which the car had never even been tested properly on at that stage to my knowledge, but it was so icy when the car was being reviewed I assume the factory were afraid to let the car out to journos on corsas.....

[chelme]

jonby said:

I too am not offended but again, disagree with much of what has been said. I think I am pretty well qualified to talk about this topic having bought & specced as a new car a V12 Vantage roadster 'mark 1', delivered in Jan last year, in which I've since covered just over 17,000 miles

I have regular conversations with a number of the other owners who are members of this exclusive 'club' of 101 and they are mostly in a similar boat. As other v12 owners have suggested, this is not a car for WAGs or posing

What the review & many of the comments seem to miss is that V12V is very different to any other car Aston have produced in recent years - it drives like a caged animal, begging to be driven hard and commanding respect - I love the fact that pulling out of my road onto the main road, at 15-20 mph, when cold, especially if the road is slightly damp, the car will still throw it's back end out if you're not careful

At the same time, it more than held it's own on an intensive track day at Imola 2 weeks ago, driven hard for 60 or so laps. My car has done a total of 3 weekends at Evo triangle, 2 Alpine tours, 3 track days, a trip to La Sentier in Switzerland and 2 trips to Le Mans - this car is perfectly suitable for enthusiasts

Many of the opinions are derived from assumptions based on stats like weight or the fact it's a soft top, rather than actual experience. Yes in the hands of an F1 driver round a tight technical track, a 458 or 12C will be faster. But pushed hard round the alps by a driver that has spent time in his/here V12V getting to know the car, I can assure you there is zero real work difference. Plus I think I have more fun, having to work the car harder, using the excellent gearbox to it's full potential and having the incredible noise, only enhanced by being hood down

As for fitting the ZF box to this car as suggested by one review (IIRC auto car), what utter nonsense - a torque convertor box makes no sense in this car. It shows a complete failure to 'get' this car. I've driven V12VS as a coupe - the box is excellent. Yes in auto mode it's rubbish compared to DSG/auto boxes but so what - when will some people realise a single clutch flappy paddle box is a 2 pedal automated manual car, not an auto car. Nobody talks about how rubbish the auto mode is in a 3 pedal car (there is none of course), or how slow the shifts are. Compared to a 3 pedal car, the shifts are quicker (in any mode) and it offers an auto mode that is literally impossible in a 3 pedal car (though the torque is so great in V12V that you can just leave it in 3rd). In flappy mode, this box is superb. Admittedly having said all that, the main reason I won't change my V12VR to a V12VSR is that I want the last of an era 3 pedal car.......

All most of this goes to show is that whilst I respect and read with interest journo opinions, you should always drive a car for yourself if you want an informed decision, if for no other reason than so much is subjective but also, because often the journo opinions are based on how a car 'should' drive on paper rather than how it actually drives, perhaps because they don't get enough time driving the car the way an owner does. Case in point - every single review of mark 1 V12VR was done on winter wheels & tyres (sottozero) which the car had never even been tested properly on at that stage to my knowledge, but it was so icy when the car was being reviewed I assume the factory were afraid to let the car out to journos on corsas.....

Thanks for your contribution. I have yet to drive one, but totally see where you are coming from having owned classics that have been an absolute joy to behold, own and drive (and I do not mean to suggest the Aston is a Classic in the 'old' sense either).In fairness to the recent reviewer for Autocar, his appreciation that the Aston is the more fulfilling car to own if you value how it makes you feel, was clear.

[f328nvl]

I await the imminent delivery of my V12V Roadster (manual). I chose it ahead of the V12V Roaster S, which I have driven, for three reasons:

- Gearbox
- Gearbox
- Gearbox

(and it's a bit rarer as noted above)

The V12S is brilliant at speed but when you slow down you end up nodding like a Wayne's World Character listening to Bohemian Rhapsody on every gear change. And it rolls backwards in neutral (Thank you to the chap behind who blew his horn as I almost imperceptibly reversed towards him).

The suspension is magnificent and you are not going to mistake it for a V8 from the inside unless you are really very stupid, or drunk, which would raise a whole different set of issues.

http://www.honestjg.com/2014/09/v12-roadster-third...

[V8LM]

f328nvl said:

I await the imminent delivery of my V12V Roadster (manual). I chose it ahead of the V12V Roaster S, which I have driven, for three reasons:

- Gearbox
- Gearbox
- Gearbox

(and it's a bit rarer as noted above)

The V12S is brilliant at speed but when you slow down you end up nodding like a Wayne's World Character listening to Bohemian Rhapsody on every gear change. And it rolls backwards in neutral (Thank you to the chap behind who blew his horn as I almost imperceptibly reversed towards him).

The suspension is magnificent and you are not going to mistake it for a V8 from the inside unless you are really very stupid, or drunk, which would raise a whole different set of issues.

http://www.honestjg.com/2014/09/v12-roadster-third...

Congrats on your new purchase, but it think you'll find it will roll backwards in neutral too.

[MonteV]

bubney72 said:

Oh look, an Aston that looks identical to all other Astons of the last 20 years!

It looks great.

[Mark and George]

The Vantage V12S Roadster is definitely the one to have. It's far rarer too with only 65 registered in Blighty as of end 2016. Spec is important. Don't go for Obsidian Black if you can. Interior and exterior carbon fibre is automotive jewellery and with contrasting colour this is a true halo car for the future. Beautifully made, this car is a stunner. In Sport mode, auto is acceptable. In paddle shift, it is an awesome pocket rocket. Just sublime. The Coupe is good too, but the experience is more visceral again in the Roadster which should hold its value better too, just as rag top E Types still command higher prices than Coupes.