Tales of a V8V (illustrated)
Discussion
Love the local knowledge mate and top instamatics as usual! That late snow is crazy as I've said that summer is earlier every year where I am!
O/T geekery - you still loving your new-ish Nikon gear? I just got a Sony A7Sii more for the 50P HD video and despite Sony lenses being video unfriendly, slow and expensive. Its truly fab for log video but for stills I keep reaching for my old 5DMkii. Just more organic, warmer and feel less harsh.
O/T geekery - you still loving your new-ish Nikon gear? I just got a Sony A7Sii more for the 50P HD video and despite Sony lenses being video unfriendly, slow and expensive. Its truly fab for log video but for stills I keep reaching for my old 5DMkii. Just more organic, warmer and feel less harsh.
Thank you people!
I have the Sony RX1RII, the small, expensive happy snappy with the fixed Zeiss 35mm f2 and that packs the same sensor as the A7RII and is my walk around camera of choice, a really great little thing.
I never even switch on video so those aspects are lost on me, but I do know many rave favorably about the Sony for video though.
5DMkII is getting a bit long in the tooth, but will still hold up amongst most of the new offerings as long as fast AF in low light is not your thing. 21MP, who needs more most of the time?!
soofsayer said:
Great write up and photos Dean. Was a great day !
Sure was, thanks for coming!Ken Figenus said:
O/T geekery - you still loving your new-ish Nikon gear? I just got a Sony A7Sii more for the 50P HD video and despite Sony lenses being video unfriendly, slow and expensive. Its truly fab for log video but for stills I keep reaching for my old 5DMkii. Just more organic, warmer and feel less harsh.
OK, I`ll nerd out a bit... The Nikon lenses are terrific, and the D850 is stonking bit of kit, sensor is amazing, noise at high ISO almost grain-like in quality, and it`s a proper handful that feels intuitive. I had an A7RII that I sold quite quickly, as not only do Sony lack a decent range of prime lenses (even now, three years ago it was dismal) but the much touted small mirrorless system is in reality a full frame camera with full frame sized optics that you attach to a small, ergonomically awkward body that is uncomfortable to hold. It created a nice image there`s no doubt about that, but the package disappoints. I have the Sony RX1RII, the small, expensive happy snappy with the fixed Zeiss 35mm f2 and that packs the same sensor as the A7RII and is my walk around camera of choice, a really great little thing.
I never even switch on video so those aspects are lost on me, but I do know many rave favorably about the Sony for video though.
5DMkII is getting a bit long in the tooth, but will still hold up amongst most of the new offerings as long as fast AF in low light is not your thing. 21MP, who needs more most of the time?!
Well, as winter has been somewhat elongated and I have been "ausland" a reasonable amount, the winter rubber, Pirelli Sottozero`s, are still on the car, but now back home amid temps in the mid 30`s (mid 90`s for you F people) for the last couple of days, I had the incentive to order some Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber. (One week waiting time)
Through the summer I have been running the same Bridgestones on the car since I picked it up in 2015, and while they are not recognised as the summer tyre of choice, they certainly stick around! I could probably get another summer out of them but it`s time for the PS4`s, read so much about them, need to feel the difference!
Through the summer I have been running the same Bridgestones on the car since I picked it up in 2015, and while they are not recognised as the summer tyre of choice, they certainly stick around! I could probably get another summer out of them but it`s time for the PS4`s, read so much about them, need to feel the difference!
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Saturday 5th October 09:36
Don`t dilly-dally folks, if you haven`t yet, get a set of Michelin Pilot Sports onto your Vantage immediately!!
Everything people have written on this forum about these Frenchies is true. Of course!
The Pilot Sports are so supple and pliant with oodles of would I say "gentle" feedback, the already good steering feels noticeably better, and the cornering grip is astounding compared to the Potenzas. I can get on the gas much earlier coming out of bends and they just bite and chuck the car forward!
Of course I am comparing new PS4`s to Bridgestones that had done well in excess of 20,000km, but I still recall what they were like when I first got the car
and they were only a couple of thousand km old - it really is night and day!
Bloody brilliant!
Of course I`ll be interested to see how long they last...
Everything people have written on this forum about these Frenchies is true. Of course!
The Pilot Sports are so supple and pliant with oodles of would I say "gentle" feedback, the already good steering feels noticeably better, and the cornering grip is astounding compared to the Potenzas. I can get on the gas much earlier coming out of bends and they just bite and chuck the car forward!
Of course I am comparing new PS4`s to Bridgestones that had done well in excess of 20,000km, but I still recall what they were like when I first got the car
and they were only a couple of thousand km old - it really is night and day!
Bloody brilliant!
Of course I`ll be interested to see how long they last...
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Friday 25th October 00:03
KiwiSG said:
From one Kiwi Aston Owning Photographer to another... fecking awesome mate !!! loving those shots - keep it up 
Cheers! The kiwi photographers car of choice, AM should do a campaign! 
Ken Figenus said:
They last really well mate! So These are PS4-S right?
Yes indeed, PS4S, not to be confused with PlayStation!billydo said:
Thanks for that report Dean. I've been waiting all year for the UK to have stock of these again (you could only get the fronts or rears I can't remember which), but they're finally here again.
Ordered via Blackcircles and booked-in for fitting on Wednesday... :-)
Neal.
Availability could have something to do with this unusual/weird fact I discovered... you decide, the front 235`s are made in France and the rear 275`s made in the USA!Ordered via Blackcircles and booked-in for fitting on Wednesday... :-)
Neal.
So, Furka Pass, Grimsel Pass, Susten Pass - that`s what I drove over today.
Unfortunately it was in the back of a Seat 7-seater while doing a location check with three other guys for an event later this year, so the experience was somewhat dampened by the mode of transport... I did get to drive to the meeting spot, a 1 hour 15 minute blast normally, somewhat longer due to the slow moving and predominantly Dutch camper vans, Belgium people-movers with numerous bikes strapped to the back, or dawdling VW and Renault estates with sticky faced children wrestling with a hound in the back seat, as the northern Europeans commence their summer-long expeditions south through the long suffering Gotthard tunnel.
However, up in the passes, along with the usual smattering of sports and super cars, I did see a few interesting sights as we made our way along.
A new DBS Volante, left hand drive but with GB plates?? Went up, turned around and went back down a stretch of road so the passenger could film it drive by.
A Ferrari Testarossa with bizarre rear wing that spoils the lines completely, but it still sounded terrific!
A Ferrari 812 Superfast, with a somewhat reduced front overhang.
Despite these peculiarities, after the 120km location check, I was at least able to leap in my car late in the day and head home via the now reasonably uncluttered Susten Pass More praise for the Michelin Pilot Sports, on familiar stretches of tarmac they are transformative!
Unfortunately it was in the back of a Seat 7-seater while doing a location check with three other guys for an event later this year, so the experience was somewhat dampened by the mode of transport... I did get to drive to the meeting spot, a 1 hour 15 minute blast normally, somewhat longer due to the slow moving and predominantly Dutch camper vans, Belgium people-movers with numerous bikes strapped to the back, or dawdling VW and Renault estates with sticky faced children wrestling with a hound in the back seat, as the northern Europeans commence their summer-long expeditions south through the long suffering Gotthard tunnel.
However, up in the passes, along with the usual smattering of sports and super cars, I did see a few interesting sights as we made our way along.
A new DBS Volante, left hand drive but with GB plates?? Went up, turned around and went back down a stretch of road so the passenger could film it drive by.
A Ferrari Testarossa with bizarre rear wing that spoils the lines completely, but it still sounded terrific!
A Ferrari 812 Superfast, with a somewhat reduced front overhang.
Despite these peculiarities, after the 120km location check, I was at least able to leap in my car late in the day and head home via the now reasonably uncluttered Susten Pass
More praise for the Michelin Pilot Sports, on familiar stretches of tarmac they are transformative!I'll be doing the Grimsel, Furka, Susten loop next week Dean but on my pushbike rather than in the Aston. Not sure my front crumple zone is as strong as the Ferrari's so maybe I'll take it a little easy on the decents! Continentals are the rubber of choice on the bike but I agree that the Michelins are everything the hype would have you believe. Keep the great pictures coming, Pete.
lestrat said:
How do these 200-cell cats get on with our well known MFK?
That`s actually and "interesting" story, probably should have mentioned it here earlier.When I had them fitted I said to Mike that the Swiss MFK was pretty strict. He made sure they were mounted with branding etc facing the underfloor, so the visible area showed no information of it being aftermarket.
When it was due for it`s MFK earlier this year, I had the boss at the local garage who services our Audi take the Vantage in for me, and said nothing to him about the work I had had done...
He came back saying something along the lines of, "Bloody hell, you had me sweating, they said the cats were not standard and I said yes they were, and he said no they weren`t."
Apparently they searched around for an AM part number, concluded they were after-market, and said because they would certainly be louder than standard, he had to sign a form agreeing to be the responsible person if I made a noisy nuisance of myself. Interestingly, nothing was said about the headers.
So, maybe a bit of a Trojan Horse technique, but it passed.
V8V Pete said:
I'll be doing the Grimsel, Furka, Susten loop next week Dean but on my pushbike rather than in the Aston. Not sure my front crumple zone is as strong as the Ferrari's so maybe I'll take it a little easy on the decents! Continentals are the rubber of choice on the bike but I agree that the Michelins are everything the hype would have you believe. Keep the great pictures coming, Pete.
There you go! I knew you lot just couldn't wait to see me in my sweat soaked lycra. Awesome roads, awesome ride. You've climbed over 3100m in the first 50 miles. Can't wait to get the Vantage there in the near future too.
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