RE: Aston Martin Vantage: Spotted
Discussion
Oldwolf said:
I was at the NEC Motorshow when they launched these - lusted after one ever since
From 2:06 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-8JEIxcpus
We tend to give Aston a free pass in the UK, but it's easy to forget just how far off the pace the Virage/Vantage and DB7 were in the 90s and how much investment it took to keep the brand alive and competitive through the 00s.
A colleague of mine had one of these in the mid 90s and insists it was an absolute swine of a thing to own, like driving a truck at low speed, broken a lot, an absolute handful in the wet, pitiful range, and really very obviously hand made (and not in a good way). That power output was seriously pushing it at the time, let alone from an old engine design that was done on a relative shoestring. Apparently it grenaded itself after very few miles. I don't care, I still want one more than any other car.
A colleague of mine had one of these in the mid 90s and insists it was an absolute swine of a thing to own, like driving a truck at low speed, broken a lot, an absolute handful in the wet, pitiful range, and really very obviously hand made (and not in a good way). That power output was seriously pushing it at the time, let alone from an old engine design that was done on a relative shoestring. Apparently it grenaded itself after very few miles. I don't care, I still want one more than any other car.
dme123 said:
We tend to give Aston a free pass in the UK, but it's easy to forget just how far off the pace the Virage/Vantage and DB7 were in the 90s and how much investment it took to keep the brand alive and competitive through the 00s.
A colleague of mine had one of these in the mid 90s and insists it was an absolute swine of a thing to own, like driving a truck at low speed, broken a lot, an absolute handful in the wet, pitiful range, and really very obviously hand made (and not in a good way). That power output was seriously pushing it at the time, let alone from an old engine design that was done on a relative shoestring. Apparently it grenaded itself after very few miles. I don't care, I still want one more than any other car.
A neighbour swapped his ContiR for a new one of these, but gave up frustrated with the lack of reliability. After about six months he was back in a BentleyA colleague of mine had one of these in the mid 90s and insists it was an absolute swine of a thing to own, like driving a truck at low speed, broken a lot, an absolute handful in the wet, pitiful range, and really very obviously hand made (and not in a good way). That power output was seriously pushing it at the time, let alone from an old engine design that was done on a relative shoestring. Apparently it grenaded itself after very few miles. I don't care, I still want one more than any other car.
It scared the life out of my poor dog the first time it came rumbling down the country lane we used to live on, and I still love the idea of them to this day
si_xsi said:
A brute of a car, think I would have to change the gear stick to something less Ford Granada though, it looks so out of place. Twin Eton blowers IIRC. I remember Clarkson's period review and drag race against other 90's coupes, the Aston faired quite well but compromised by weight.
I think the length of the gear lever may have been to gain some leverage over the gear linkage. The zf gearbox fitted was neither slick or easy to change gear with. Same as fitted to the lotus Carlton. 
Probably one of the coolest cars in history, it's got two superchargers for crying out loud! Would love a V600 LM in green. A very British take on muscle car. I think the current AM head of engineering or design does own one, seem to remember reading article in evo that he had one with a custom exhaust that set off other car alarms. WANT 
When I was living near Newport Parnell back in the day, I used to see these all the time... unofficially the Sherrington to Newport pagnell dual carriageway section of the A509 was their test track. No cameras. No vans. No plod. And this was before the Land Rover roundabout addition...
Id not long had my Supra and was err, seeing what she had, and about halfway down and into triple digits, one of these flew past me like I was standing.
I fell in love right there
Id not long had my Supra and was err, seeing what she had, and about halfway down and into triple digits, one of these flew past me like I was standing.
I fell in love right there
I haven't read through the entire thread but this may be of interest to some and a good cause too.
https://www.rafbf.org/red10
https://www.rafbf.org/red10
I did the factory tour of the old Newport Pagnell works around the time they were making the last of these - wonderful experience...
You walked into a room where there were a few bits of metal laid in a square and as you walked around that was turned into a complete car by people doing actual craft (not wielding an array of robot arms and airguns making adult Meccano kits)
The cars in the latter stages were marked with 'flaws' - flaws I certainly couldn't see and the final paintwork put almost anything you buy now to shame (water-based paint may have reduced pollution by a tiny amount BUT the finish on most modern cars is woeful-to-the-point of bodgery?)
I shudder that someone ordered one of these in white tho - that must have been one UGLY car ;0
You walked into a room where there were a few bits of metal laid in a square and as you walked around that was turned into a complete car by people doing actual craft (not wielding an array of robot arms and airguns making adult Meccano kits)
The cars in the latter stages were marked with 'flaws' - flaws I certainly couldn't see and the final paintwork put almost anything you buy now to shame (water-based paint may have reduced pollution by a tiny amount BUT the finish on most modern cars is woeful-to-the-point of bodgery?)
I shudder that someone ordered one of these in white tho - that must have been one UGLY car ;0
Edited by 405dogvan on Wednesday 9th August 09:14
amazing stuff.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff