Discussion
NFC 85 Vette said:
There was a fork in the road, and the marque could either continue to build traditional, gentlemanly, subtle cars
)
If they took the path of market leading driving dynamics, a +£120k price tag and aggressive contemporary design versus an adequately performing gentlemen’s car with ‘beauty and soul’, great, good luck to um - their company, their choice, but whoever is steering the ship needs to have market research right because the latter brand values saw them good for +70k units over the last decade or so.)
The acid test of this generations success will be to see if prior to DBX release, say 2019 / 2020 the New Vantage and DB11 annual production volume eclipses the previous peak, because anything less, as Palmer has stated in many interviews, would be catastrophic for them.
But I don’t think it will be too much about how any Aston looks which will put sales and the future at risk in the early 2020’s. Risk for Aston comes from the car featured on the next page on from the New Vantage in Autocar today - The Tesla roadster, looks gorgeous, 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, battery range 620 miles at a cost of £190k - allegedly.
In the article about the new Vantage Aston’s design team is quoted as saying “The vantage is about being the hunter, it’s a car you want to get in and chase down a Lamborghini Hurican or a Porsche 911” (a bit of a silly statement for Aston to make if you ask me!) because whilst they try keep pace with the ‘hits’ of today, with an electrification strategy of mid 2020’s time will tell if the Petrol / Electric fork in the road they have taken across the whole model range works out for them? As much of a Petrolhead I am, I have to admit the world of electric motors which is coming is going to make the combustion engine seem totally archaic?
sadlerj said:
My thoughts indeed, funnily enough after I saw the price I was straight onto Autotrader to see 540C/570S prices and I see you can get a high spec 570S for the same price and a high spec Vantage, now that is serious competition just there...
I’ll sell you mine...PM me, as I’ll be picking up the new Vantage. Available immediately if you want it. AMDBSVNick said:
NFC 85 Vette said:
There was a fork in the road, and the marque could either continue to build traditional, gentlemanly, subtle cars that would have an increasingly small customer base, or it could embrace a change of ethos, do something different to avoid the criticism of all the cars looking similar and bear the cross of upsetting purists immediately afterward. As an engineer at Gaydon said to me yesterday "wait until they see the DBX". Times are changing, and the marque had to turn up the wick to remain a viable alternative to the products that other manufacturer's are coming up with. Pretty isn't enough anymore, it had to be a bit more savage aesthetically.
The task of replacing the Vantage was the toughest the marque has had, and it would divide opinion either way. Produce a car that's a subtle refresh of the outgoing car with some modern internals and innovation and some would feel it wasn't a big enough step change for a car that's over a decade old (how many other cars have had as long a production run with so few major overhauls?). The original car was just that damn good, it made the task of improving on it that much more difficult.
Conversely, starting from scratch, some would feel it's too big a departure from tradition. It's certainly the most radical looking production Aston to date, and has been received as I thought it might - where it's liked, it's loved, and where it's disliked, it's detested and described as an MX5, GT86 etc.
With the focus very much being on aesthetics and price in the last 24 hours, the actual performance data and handling have been somewhat forgotten about. Even as a 'basic' launch model, it's likely to be the most potent car this side of (I guess) a GT12. As a driver's car, I'm told it will be utterly wonderful. The S is some way off (2021, perhaps), the manual option and roadster slotting in before that.
With the majority of imagery of the new Vantage insisting on being from low angles, looking up its nostrils, it makes the front end look much bigger than it is in the metal. Like the DB11, it doesn't look as good in photos as it does in the metal. Perhaps that's why (as shown in the old Vantage? thread) the original is so loved, you couldn't take a bad photograph of that car.
There's some very very good things happening at Gaydon, it might upset the traditional views of many, but some of it's necessary to allow Aston to keep pace with its rivals. The DBS will be something special (someone who's driven it described it to me as being like to a Group B car, quite crackers), and the new Vanquish will be another level again (in both looks and performance).
I'm looking forward to the Bristol launch evening next week
The task of replacing the Vantage was the toughest the marque has had, and it would divide opinion either way. Produce a car that's a subtle refresh of the outgoing car with some modern internals and innovation and some would feel it wasn't a big enough step change for a car that's over a decade old (how many other cars have had as long a production run with so few major overhauls?). The original car was just that damn good, it made the task of improving on it that much more difficult.
Conversely, starting from scratch, some would feel it's too big a departure from tradition. It's certainly the most radical looking production Aston to date, and has been received as I thought it might - where it's liked, it's loved, and where it's disliked, it's detested and described as an MX5, GT86 etc.
With the focus very much being on aesthetics and price in the last 24 hours, the actual performance data and handling have been somewhat forgotten about. Even as a 'basic' launch model, it's likely to be the most potent car this side of (I guess) a GT12. As a driver's car, I'm told it will be utterly wonderful. The S is some way off (2021, perhaps), the manual option and roadster slotting in before that.
With the majority of imagery of the new Vantage insisting on being from low angles, looking up its nostrils, it makes the front end look much bigger than it is in the metal. Like the DB11, it doesn't look as good in photos as it does in the metal. Perhaps that's why (as shown in the old Vantage? thread) the original is so loved, you couldn't take a bad photograph of that car.
There's some very very good things happening at Gaydon, it might upset the traditional views of many, but some of it's necessary to allow Aston to keep pace with its rivals. The DBS will be something special (someone who's driven it described it to me as being like to a Group B car, quite crackers), and the new Vanquish will be another level again (in both looks and performance).
I'm looking forward to the Bristol launch evening next week
BamfordMike said:
As much of a Petrolhead I am, I have to admit the world of electric motors which is coming is going to make the combustion engine seem totally archaic?
Yes but Aston are at least taking steps to address electric as well. I hope we will have a choice and the best of both worlds. BamfordMike said:
If they took the path of market leading driving dynamics, a +£120k price tag and aggressive contemporary design versus an adequately performing gentlemen’s car with ‘beauty and soul’, great, good luck to um - their company, their choice, but whoever is steering the ship needs to have market research right because the latter brand values saw them good for +70k units over the last decade or so.
The acid test of this generations success will be to see if prior to DBX release, say 2019 / 2020 the New Vantage and DB11 annual production volume eclipses the previous peak, because anything less, as Palmer has stated in many interviews, would be catastrophic for them.
But I don’t think it will be too much about how any Aston looks which will put sales and the future at risk in the early 2020’s. Risk for Aston comes from the car featured on the next page on from the New Vantage in Autocar today - The Tesla roadster, looks gorgeous, 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, battery range 620 miles at a cost of £190k - allegedly.
In the article about the new Vantage Aston’s design team is quoted as saying “The vantage is about being the hunter, it’s a car you want to get in and chase down a Lamborghini Hurican or a Porsche 911” (a bit of a silly statement for Aston to make if you ask me!) because whilst they try keep pace with the ‘hits’ of today, with an electrification strategy of mid 2020’s time will tell if the Petrol / Electric fork in the road they have taken across the whole model range works out for them? As much of a Petrolhead I am, I have to admit the world of electric motors which is coming is going to make the combustion engine seem totally archaic?
In the wake of the Tesla announcement (which seems to have excited the internet more than I expected), it makes nearly all the ICE equipped sports cars being launched seem somewhat old hat. The truth is that all the sports car manufacturers who continue to produce internal combustion engine cars, are fighting against the tide somewhat. Governments (as witnessed in the budget earlier today) are throwing big chunks of money at EV technology, as a way to force people out of fossil fuel cars.The acid test of this generations success will be to see if prior to DBX release, say 2019 / 2020 the New Vantage and DB11 annual production volume eclipses the previous peak, because anything less, as Palmer has stated in many interviews, would be catastrophic for them.
But I don’t think it will be too much about how any Aston looks which will put sales and the future at risk in the early 2020’s. Risk for Aston comes from the car featured on the next page on from the New Vantage in Autocar today - The Tesla roadster, looks gorgeous, 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, battery range 620 miles at a cost of £190k - allegedly.
In the article about the new Vantage Aston’s design team is quoted as saying “The vantage is about being the hunter, it’s a car you want to get in and chase down a Lamborghini Hurican or a Porsche 911” (a bit of a silly statement for Aston to make if you ask me!) because whilst they try keep pace with the ‘hits’ of today, with an electrification strategy of mid 2020’s time will tell if the Petrol / Electric fork in the road they have taken across the whole model range works out for them? As much of a Petrolhead I am, I have to admit the world of electric motors which is coming is going to make the combustion engine seem totally archaic?
In the case of the Vantage, the new one will likely be the last Vantage to use an internal combustion engine, much as the DBS / Vanquish / DBX will be. If it does indeed turn out to be the case, I'm glad they're still fighting and not throwing in the towel prematurely.
the pics do the car no justice, videos are much better.
I have changed my mind completely since watching the videos .. the car is much more coherent, stylish and good looking on video. I love the short overhangs, and the fact that it is shorter than a 911.
should be fantastic to drive.
any one has price list with options?
I have changed my mind completely since watching the videos .. the car is much more coherent, stylish and good looking on video. I love the short overhangs, and the fact that it is shorter than a 911.
should be fantastic to drive.
any one has price list with options?
SFO said:
the pics do the car no justice, videos are much better.
I have changed my mind completely since watching the videos .. the car is much more coherent, stylish and good looking on video. I love the short overhangs, and the fact that it is shorter than a 911.
should be fantastic to drive.
any one has price list with options?
No but I speccd up a magnetic with black wheels, red calipers, carbon pack, black inside with red stitching and my dealer tells me it’s around 155k I have changed my mind completely since watching the videos .. the car is much more coherent, stylish and good looking on video. I love the short overhangs, and the fact that it is shorter than a 911.
should be fantastic to drive.
any one has price list with options?
FrankieMac said:
I’ll sell you mine...PM me, as I’ll be picking up the new Vantage. Available immediately if you want it.
Interesting that you are swapping from a Mac to a new Vantage, what drove that decision? (ps I'm not in the market for either at the moment ta, my Vantage is a keeper)
sadlerj said:
Interesting that you are swapping from a Mac to a new Vantage, what drove that decision?
I change cars every 12 months on average! Ticked the Mac box, fabulous car, a real drivers car, love the brand and the attention it gets...all positive. I fancy a change and the new Vantage hits the spot...with me anyway. I ticked all the Carbon Fibre exterior and interior options, plus a Q special paint and was told my likely spec would run to £175k
I know that's at the crazy end and there is no way I would spend that much in real life on a new V8V, but I was just picking what I would have liked with no regard to cost until we got to the end. Anyway I guess it would have been possible to push the old V8 Vantage to something similar with a lot of Q and Carbon Fibre additions too.
As always a balanced hand is required on the spec process...
I know that's at the crazy end and there is no way I would spend that much in real life on a new V8V, but I was just picking what I would have liked with no regard to cost until we got to the end. Anyway I guess it would have been possible to push the old V8 Vantage to something similar with a lot of Q and Carbon Fibre additions too.
As always a balanced hand is required on the spec process...
I like it , it's different and will be a grower . It's an addition to my V12VS and the other one not a replacement and that's fine with me .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkTJ3R_gSNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkTJ3R_gSNQ
cayman-black said:
Upperworks said:
2 weeks ago? What a peasant. Important people like moi saw it 6 weeks ago. 
pmsl...Also thats the worst configurator i have ever used.
Edited by cayman-black on Wednesday 22 November 16:02
the previous gen configurator was much worse. Or should that be even worse
I'm off to see what dinner I can find in your bins 
This is all just my opinion. But I disagree with the view that Tesla provides genuine competition here
I would be very happy to have a Tesla as a daily driver
But when it comes to a weekend car (and most Vantages are weekend cars really) I would think that most people are after something beautiful, fast, makes a good SOUND and has a touch of practicality (for weekends away).
I don’t care how fast a Tesla can go in a straight line (that novelty will soon wear off) if it sounds like a sewing machine
As I said, just my opinion. Maybe I’m in a minority here. But for these types of car a petrol engine is a must
I would be very happy to have a Tesla as a daily driver
But when it comes to a weekend car (and most Vantages are weekend cars really) I would think that most people are after something beautiful, fast, makes a good SOUND and has a touch of practicality (for weekends away).
I don’t care how fast a Tesla can go in a straight line (that novelty will soon wear off) if it sounds like a sewing machine
As I said, just my opinion. Maybe I’m in a minority here. But for these types of car a petrol engine is a must
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