Possible move back to the dark side.....

[MarlonM]

Guys

I am considering changing my 4.3 Vantage sportshift that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Has anyone has the experience of moving either way, too or from, a V8 Vantage to a 997 Turbo?

I am hearing that the Turbo can be considered a little boring, though I am attracted by the outright speed of the car.

Any thoughts would be gladly appreciated!

cheers

[mikey k]

MarlonM said:

Guys

I am hearing that the Turbo can be considered a little boring, though I am attracted by the outright speed of the car.

Pretty much sums it up.
Character vs speed
Which is important to you?
Would you be better off spending some time and money on the 4.3? (geo, Bamford Rose bits, driver training, driving meets )

I know there are guys that have gone both ways and guys that own both on here
Try posting on 6Speed as well - it is mainly a Porsche forum with an active Aston section, many of who have been in your shoes.

[MarlonM]

Thanks for the reply Mikey.

The Bamford Rose thing sounds interesting - what does this involve (sorry relative newbie to tuning!)

I see loads of 997s about (I have had 2!) so yes they are pretty common compared to the V8V (they only make 3000 or so a year?) and my worry is I would get fairly bored fairly quickly of the 997 TT. Ive never had a 911 Turbo, so that is tempting, but I dont want to be in a position 6-7 months down the line where I am tired of the clinical 911!

[yeti]

MarlonM said:

The Bamford Rose thing sounds interesting - what does this involve (sorry relative newbie to tuning!)

Basically no limits apart from what your wallet sets

http://www.bamfordrose.com/exhaust-system.html is the popular choice, will give you 4.7 levels of power and torque. Culminating in a GT4 spec 4.7 engine with 475bhp...

They are itching to do a 5.1 conversion on someones car as well

[mikey k]

MarlonM said:

Thanks for the reply Mikey.

The Bamford Rose thing sounds interesting - what does this involve (sorry relative newbie to tuning!)

I see loads of 997s about (I have had 2!) so yes they are pretty common compared to the V8V (they only make 3000 or so a year?) and my worry is I would get fairly bored fairly quickly of the 997 TT. Ive never had a 911 Turbo, so that is tempting, but I dont want to be in a position 6-7 months down the line where I am tired of the clinical 911!

See the sticky at the top of the forum for Bamford Rose stuff.
Interesting fact from the Factory tour on Friday.
Porsche make 37k 911's per year, there are only 3.5k Gaydon Vantages in the UK.

997TT's are mentally quick, some say too quick for a road car, they are also AWD so very "stable"
I liken them to the Nissan GTR and EVO sticks - very quick and easy to drive fast but not much character or engagement.
I looked at GTR's and 997TT's before I bought my first Aston and decided I wanted the character rather than the out right performance.

[GPM3D]

I've had numerous 911's - the last new one being a 997 Turbo back in 06 when they first came out - I sold that two years later to buy my first V8V - a 4.3 This was then upgraded to the 400 spec with a QuickSilver exhaust and then replaced 2 years ago with 4.7 N420 spec car.
The Turbo is mighty fast and handles superbly - but not characterful; if that makes sense. The change to the 4.3 might have been seen to a down grade; it was in terms of power and handling, and I was left with a chunk of money.
But the Aston is much nicer to own - the majority of the 'shiny bits' in the Porsche are plastic, as are the trims etc - no doubt to cut costs and weight - whilst the Aston is quality. The Sportspack suspension on my current V8V makes a big difference to the handling, and the car is hardly lacking in power - despite what's said over on the Porsche forums!
So as I see it, either do upgrades to your current V8, or find a high / right spec one.
Graham

[Guycord]

"Going to the "Dark side" was those who have converted from 4 litres to 6 litres and where you can feel the real power of the force Luke."

Going from a V8 Vantage to a Porsche seems a bit like converting to "Jar-Jar Binks" to me.

[D16RR_Rich]

MarlonM said:

Guys

I am considering changing my 4.3 Vantage sportshift that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Has anyone has the experience of moving either way, too or from, a V8 Vantage to a 997 Turbo?

I am hearing that the Turbo can be considered a little boring, though I am attracted by the outright speed of the car.

Any thoughts would be gladly appreciated!

cheers

Hi Marlon

Don't bother getting a 997 turbo, get yourself a Nissan GTR.
If your after outright performance it will do 0-60mph in 2.7secs.
I'm currently looking for one myself, awesome car.
Go for a test drive, you won't look back!!

Cheers
Rich

[franki68]

Having owned a 997 turbo ,I can only reconfirm what has been said ,if you want to go very fast then it is brilliant,but for that the gtr is better,I changed into an r8 v8 after that,which was a much slower but much better and more enjoyable car
The Porsche definitely lacks charisma and to be honest I found it the worst of the 997 range.

[CPBRI]

Don't understand the comments about 911s not having character? As much as I enjoy the V12V, I also have a great time driving 911s. Speed and handling don't add up to character? They do for me.

Change is good for the soul.

[yeti]

Agreed, have owned Astons and 911s of one sort or another for a few years now, side by side. The normally aspirated 911s have bags of character, are a great and chalkenging drive and make a lovely boise. Turbos I have no idea, but suspect they might be a one trick pony?

Crap-yourself acceleration is a good one-trick to have though

However, given the choice of only having one of them, it'd be the Aston every single time.

[franki68]

CPBRI said:

Don't understand the comments about 911s not having character? As much as I enjoy the V12V, I also have a great time driving 911s. Speed and handling don't add up to character? They do for me.

Change is good for the soul.

some of the n/a cars have character ,the turbo is a rather souless experience ,exciting but rarely brings a smile to your face.The car is more about grip than balance,the noise of the 997 turbo is frankly a disgrace for a 100k car,the engine has mega pull from low rpm but has i found noticeable lag and after 5500 rpm there is no point revving it any more as the performance just fades away after that.The only reason you would buy one over a gtr is for the badge .

[George H]

franki68 said:

...if you want to go very fast then it is brilliant,but for that the gtr is better...

May I ask why the GTR would be better? It's a fair bit heavier isn't it? Plus has an awful interior and looks ste compared to the Porsche (imo).

[CarbonV12V]

George H said:

May I ask why the GTR would be better? It's a fair bit heavier isn't it? Plus has an awful interior and looks ste compared to the Porsche (imo).

I just sold my 997 Turbo before buying the V12V. I did test drive the GTR but agree with the above. The statistics are awesome but the looks/quality are crap. The interior was such as disappointment with far too much plastic and other cheap products - the roof lining was a complete joke - cardboard?

The 997 Turbo was a stunning package and with AWD gave a level of confidence and ability far in excess of my skills. The power delivery and speed were addictive but it does not have the interior quality, sound or sense of occassion that the V12V has. Also I hope that the AM service team will be better than the OPC but not holding my breath on that one.

[franki68]

George H said:

May I ask why the GTR would be better? It's a fair bit heavier isn't it? Plus has an awful interior and looks ste compared to the Porsche (imo).

It's a better car to drive than the 997 turbo,surely the point of such cars.

[Jockman]

George H said:

May I ask why the GTR would be better? It's a fair bit heavier isn't it? Plus has an awful interior and looks ste compared to the Porsche (imo).

I had a GTR behind me on Sunday ??

Awesome, scary cars. Driver was fine and no stupidity - one look at the exhaust pipes when he turned off sent a cold shiver down my spine.

It's the sort of car that says.."What you looking at?"

[George H]

Jockman said:

It's the sort of car that says.."What you looking at?"

Yes, and you can respond with 'the Nissan badge '

[mikey k]

George H said:

Jockman said:

It's the sort of car that says.."What you looking at?"

Yes, and you can respond with 'the Datsun badge '

Corrected for you as you are too young

I have a few friends with GTR's and their equivalant of Bamford Rose is in St Helens.
They are a complete weapon but getting on for Aston expensive to run especially parts.
For instance a slight knock to the front that triggers the bonnet pedestrian system with cost you ~£11k to fix

[mikey k]

Here's a friends 2 year GTR ownership experience which is not untypical

http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/792004-my-datsun-g...

[AMGreg]

GT3 instead?

I thought i'd throw that into the mix ;-)