Just cancelled my AMV8 order...
Discussion
XXXAngelXXX said:
my hometown is Stuttgart (Porsche/Merctown) and i will buy this next week in
Like the way you think XXX you need to post on these two threads
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=300594&f=70&h=0&p=2
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=300321&f=70&h=0&p=3
All cars have their faults, Porkers, AM, Massers,TVR etc etc, but all are what makes me get up at 4 in the morning to drive 600mls and work my arse off so i can afford a nice car (and other things as well).
If was in the martket for an 80k car I would beating a path to Aston Martins nearest show room. 60K would see me sat in a Poker, 40K a 4200GT Masser, 30K a TVR 350, and 15K what I have now. Regardless of which of the above I had all would have their faults but I'd still be a happy boy, as I am now.
If was in the martket for an 80k car I would beating a path to Aston Martins nearest show room. 60K would see me sat in a Poker, 40K a 4200GT Masser, 30K a TVR 350, and 15K what I have now. Regardless of which of the above I had all would have their faults but I'd still be a happy boy, as I am now.
This isn't my post, I read it on AMOC posted by jcparki, but I thought it was an interesting post balanced against what started this thread
Apologies to Jc if he also posts here.
JCPARKI :Just ordered an AMV8.
It has been specified as follows:
- Tungsten Silver (Exterior Paint)
- Phantom Grey (Leather Interior/Carpet)
- Tailor's Grey (Headliner)
- Alloy (Facia)
- Flint (Seat Belts)
Options include:
- 19" Wheels
- Red Callipers
- Chrome Grill
- Xenon (HID) Headlights
- Cruise Control
- Battery Conditioner
Before the purchase I test drove the Porsche Cayman, 997 and 997 S.
The main reasons we decided on the AMV8 were (in no particular order):
- Exclusivity
- Looks
- Engine
- Interior
- Dynamics
Exclusivity:
AM are only making 3,000 AMV8s a year versus approx 30,000 911s. Older Porsches have in the past held their resale value quite high. I don't expect this to happen to the 996 and 997 Porsches in the future. There are lots of examples of this in the Porsche range (eg 993 GT2 v 996 GT2). If you have lots of money and don't care about depreciation…then that is fine. But for most of us that isn't the case. I think this will be a big problem for Porsche in the future, when customers who have been burnt by huge depreciation, will avoid the Porsche brand.
Also…now that there are so many Porsche's on the roads…the non-Porsche-enthusiast types think they are all 'just Porsche's'. I drove the AMV8 through one of the richest parts of Sydney (Vaucluse), where people don't even blink an eye to Porsches, and people were straining to see:
1. What was making that awesome V8 sound (I'll talk about this more later)
2. What sort of great looking is it!
After I had driven by they were still straining their necks to look at the AMV8!!! Contrast that with the 3 Porsche's I tested, hardly anyone even glanced at it! (Note: except for the female police officer that pulled me over for a random breath test! She was very impressed with the standard 997). So this can be a plus or minus depending on what you want. But for us, exclusivity in terms of depreciation was a key consideration.
Looks:
The AMV8 just blows away the 911 and Cayman. It is just downright sexy. And because of the exclusivity, you don't see them very often, and thus don't tire of looking at it!
Looks are very subjective. However, 9 out of 10 people generally say they like the looks and design of the AMV8. With the Porsche's I don't think the 911 design is cutting edge enough now in 2006 (except for maybe the 997GT3RS). I love the 993, but come on guys (I'm talking to Porsche in Stuttgart), its been 10 years, and the 997 looks so similar to the 993! I want something new from Porsche, and don't want to be given a product (eg Cayman) that is engineered to go slower than their flagship model (911). I actually enjoyed driving the Cayman, but kept feeling like it needed more power and that it was engineered to go slower than the 911. I feel strongly that Porsche needs to break free. I also don't understand why the 911 has to be a rear engine (I'll talk about dynamics later). Why can't the 911 be a mid-rear? Rear engine is great for the track (like in my formula ford days), but on the road….mid-rear or front-mid engine layout is way better!
Why not make the racier/track versions of the 911 rear-engined, and the other road going versions mid-rear?
Engine:
Yes I know…the 997 S engine pulls harder etc. but on the road, you can hardly tell the difference. Plus I love V8s. Maybe it is an Australian thing (see www.v8supercars.com.au ) but a V8 has a way better sound than a 6!
I also strongly believe, that the AMV8's V8 is the best road-going engine/exhaust sound EVER - period!!!!! I've heard heaps of Lambos etc…..and the AMV8 kills them!
Interior:
When I got into the Porsche….I immediately felt disappointed. It all just felt like plastic and like it was going to break! When I got into the AMV8, it felt like a piece of fine jewellery! Plus most things are standard on the AMV8. The Porsche options list is huge….CRAZY HUGE….and expensive!
Dynamics:
Now, I have a bit of experience of rear-engined cars on the track (eg Formula Ford). And on the track, this is awesome! With the weight over the back you get better grip out of corners. And under braking the weight over the back keeps the car level and thus brakes better. Now we all know the golden 911 rule…thou shall not lift. If you do, you risk the rear spinning around. And on the track this is fine because you rarely would have to lift, and if you do, it is a relatively safe environment. However, on the road, there ARE times you have to lift, and the potential consequences if you do are a lot more severe than on the track. I'll give you an example that happened to me about 3 months ago. I was driving along the Great Ocean Road (www.greatoceanrd.org.au/ ) to my beach house. I know this road back to front and have been driving it for 10 years. I was going very fast out of a bend and came suddenly upon a car that was doing about 4 times less in speed (excuse me for not being precise with my speeds, but the Police here are very strict and the fines very large!) Anyway, to cut a short story even shorter, I HAD to lift and brake suddenly. Had I been in a rear-engined 911, it WOULD have spun. I know the 997 is programmed to limit this, but in an emergency situation sheer physics will always win!
When I got into the AMV8, and put it on the limits etc., it just felt so natural and inspiring on the road. It didn't feel like it was going to bite me. It was very progressive. Now I have never driven a front-mid on the track, however, this car will rarely be tracked (that’s what race cars are for!) so our decision was based on what was best for the road.
Conclusion:
So based on the above we decided on the AMV8. It arrives in April 2007 and I can't wait!
I'll be very interested to hear what everyone thinks of my views? However, don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Porsche, just some of their decisions that don't meet my personal needs.
Apologies to Jc if he also posts here.
JCPARKI :Just ordered an AMV8.
It has been specified as follows:
- Tungsten Silver (Exterior Paint)
- Phantom Grey (Leather Interior/Carpet)
- Tailor's Grey (Headliner)
- Alloy (Facia)
- Flint (Seat Belts)
Options include:
- 19" Wheels
- Red Callipers
- Chrome Grill
- Xenon (HID) Headlights
- Cruise Control
- Battery Conditioner
Before the purchase I test drove the Porsche Cayman, 997 and 997 S.
The main reasons we decided on the AMV8 were (in no particular order):
- Exclusivity
- Looks
- Engine
- Interior
- Dynamics
Exclusivity:
AM are only making 3,000 AMV8s a year versus approx 30,000 911s. Older Porsches have in the past held their resale value quite high. I don't expect this to happen to the 996 and 997 Porsches in the future. There are lots of examples of this in the Porsche range (eg 993 GT2 v 996 GT2). If you have lots of money and don't care about depreciation…then that is fine. But for most of us that isn't the case. I think this will be a big problem for Porsche in the future, when customers who have been burnt by huge depreciation, will avoid the Porsche brand.
Also…now that there are so many Porsche's on the roads…the non-Porsche-enthusiast types think they are all 'just Porsche's'. I drove the AMV8 through one of the richest parts of Sydney (Vaucluse), where people don't even blink an eye to Porsches, and people were straining to see:
1. What was making that awesome V8 sound (I'll talk about this more later)
2. What sort of great looking is it!
After I had driven by they were still straining their necks to look at the AMV8!!! Contrast that with the 3 Porsche's I tested, hardly anyone even glanced at it! (Note: except for the female police officer that pulled me over for a random breath test! She was very impressed with the standard 997). So this can be a plus or minus depending on what you want. But for us, exclusivity in terms of depreciation was a key consideration.
Looks:
The AMV8 just blows away the 911 and Cayman. It is just downright sexy. And because of the exclusivity, you don't see them very often, and thus don't tire of looking at it!
Looks are very subjective. However, 9 out of 10 people generally say they like the looks and design of the AMV8. With the Porsche's I don't think the 911 design is cutting edge enough now in 2006 (except for maybe the 997GT3RS). I love the 993, but come on guys (I'm talking to Porsche in Stuttgart), its been 10 years, and the 997 looks so similar to the 993! I want something new from Porsche, and don't want to be given a product (eg Cayman) that is engineered to go slower than their flagship model (911). I actually enjoyed driving the Cayman, but kept feeling like it needed more power and that it was engineered to go slower than the 911. I feel strongly that Porsche needs to break free. I also don't understand why the 911 has to be a rear engine (I'll talk about dynamics later). Why can't the 911 be a mid-rear? Rear engine is great for the track (like in my formula ford days), but on the road….mid-rear or front-mid engine layout is way better!
Why not make the racier/track versions of the 911 rear-engined, and the other road going versions mid-rear?
Engine:
Yes I know…the 997 S engine pulls harder etc. but on the road, you can hardly tell the difference. Plus I love V8s. Maybe it is an Australian thing (see www.v8supercars.com.au ) but a V8 has a way better sound than a 6!
I also strongly believe, that the AMV8's V8 is the best road-going engine/exhaust sound EVER - period!!!!! I've heard heaps of Lambos etc…..and the AMV8 kills them!
Interior:
When I got into the Porsche….I immediately felt disappointed. It all just felt like plastic and like it was going to break! When I got into the AMV8, it felt like a piece of fine jewellery! Plus most things are standard on the AMV8. The Porsche options list is huge….CRAZY HUGE….and expensive!
Dynamics:
Now, I have a bit of experience of rear-engined cars on the track (eg Formula Ford). And on the track, this is awesome! With the weight over the back you get better grip out of corners. And under braking the weight over the back keeps the car level and thus brakes better. Now we all know the golden 911 rule…thou shall not lift. If you do, you risk the rear spinning around. And on the track this is fine because you rarely would have to lift, and if you do, it is a relatively safe environment. However, on the road, there ARE times you have to lift, and the potential consequences if you do are a lot more severe than on the track. I'll give you an example that happened to me about 3 months ago. I was driving along the Great Ocean Road (www.greatoceanrd.org.au/ ) to my beach house. I know this road back to front and have been driving it for 10 years. I was going very fast out of a bend and came suddenly upon a car that was doing about 4 times less in speed (excuse me for not being precise with my speeds, but the Police here are very strict and the fines very large!) Anyway, to cut a short story even shorter, I HAD to lift and brake suddenly. Had I been in a rear-engined 911, it WOULD have spun. I know the 997 is programmed to limit this, but in an emergency situation sheer physics will always win!
When I got into the AMV8, and put it on the limits etc., it just felt so natural and inspiring on the road. It didn't feel like it was going to bite me. It was very progressive. Now I have never driven a front-mid on the track, however, this car will rarely be tracked (that’s what race cars are for!) so our decision was based on what was best for the road.
Conclusion:
So based on the above we decided on the AMV8. It arrives in April 2007 and I can't wait!
I'll be very interested to hear what everyone thinks of my views? However, don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Porsche, just some of their decisions that don't meet my personal needs.
A bloke owning a 90's Ferrari is in no place to talk about the quality of other car interiors! The inside of a 355 looked shite in the 90's and it looks shite today, but then so did the interiors of 993s and DB7s and Virages.
Either way, no plastic ever looks expensive, just the way it is, but I certainly think it is a viable question as to whether *any* plastic buttons should be used in an £80k car. Yes, Porsche that applies to you also, doubly so in fact with that button infested command console or whatever its called!
One pt about this exclusivity and attention thing though. Those who think one of the reasons they are buying an AMV8 or DB9 is for the exclusiveness and attention they generate...you arent and they do not. Oh they will attract some glances, lingering looks and the occasional conversation with someone, but that *isnt* attention, at least not at the levels you think you are thinking of. Ive just spend a yr living with serious attention and a very *rare* factor and it was an aspect I frankly have come to loathe and my fiancee finds *very* unsettling. You learn very quickly that you *dont* want to buy a car for attention and exclusivity once you have to really experience it. Attention is when ppl stalk you on the road and follow you till you stop, when you damn nr cause multi car pile ups on the M4 because a bunch of blokes in the Saxo behind you are giving it the Waynes World. When you nip to the loo quickly at a service station to come back and find a crowd of blokes round your car whilst your fiancee is still inside it, when guys lean across their wives in their Espace at 70mph on the M-way and yell out of the window alongside you "How much?" whilst rubbing his fingers. They are just the most memorable ones.
The worst though was probably the bunch of lads crowding round it at my sister's house and her 40th bday party. She asked me to go and talk to them as she knew them and outside there was also some of the party ppl round the car, inc her husband's dad who was an ex CoE Cannon and various members of the family. That to me was already pushing my comfort zone of attention, but the pt at which one of the lads said "when I can afford it, Im going to get me one of these pussy wagons" was I think the pt at which I wanted to crawl off and die somewhere! It gets even worse when you consider there also happened to be there, the 2 youngish daughters of one of the company's Uber Gurus and car's designers!
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
Either way, no plastic ever looks expensive, just the way it is, but I certainly think it is a viable question as to whether *any* plastic buttons should be used in an £80k car. Yes, Porsche that applies to you also, doubly so in fact with that button infested command console or whatever its called!
One pt about this exclusivity and attention thing though. Those who think one of the reasons they are buying an AMV8 or DB9 is for the exclusiveness and attention they generate...you arent and they do not. Oh they will attract some glances, lingering looks and the occasional conversation with someone, but that *isnt* attention, at least not at the levels you think you are thinking of. Ive just spend a yr living with serious attention and a very *rare* factor and it was an aspect I frankly have come to loathe and my fiancee finds *very* unsettling. You learn very quickly that you *dont* want to buy a car for attention and exclusivity once you have to really experience it. Attention is when ppl stalk you on the road and follow you till you stop, when you damn nr cause multi car pile ups on the M4 because a bunch of blokes in the Saxo behind you are giving it the Waynes World. When you nip to the loo quickly at a service station to come back and find a crowd of blokes round your car whilst your fiancee is still inside it, when guys lean across their wives in their Espace at 70mph on the M-way and yell out of the window alongside you "How much?" whilst rubbing his fingers. They are just the most memorable ones.
The worst though was probably the bunch of lads crowding round it at my sister's house and her 40th bday party. She asked me to go and talk to them as she knew them and outside there was also some of the party ppl round the car, inc her husband's dad who was an ex CoE Cannon and various members of the family. That to me was already pushing my comfort zone of attention, but the pt at which one of the lads said "when I can afford it, Im going to get me one of these pussy wagons" was I think the pt at which I wanted to crawl off and die somewhere! It gets even worse when you consider there also happened to be there, the 2 youngish daughters of one of the company's Uber Gurus and car's designers!
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
DJC said:
A bloke owning a 90's Ferrari is in no place to talk about the quality of other car interiors! The inside of a 355 looked shite in the 90's and it looks shite today, but then so did the interiors of 993s and DB7s and Virages.
Either way, no plastic ever looks expensive, just the way it is, but I certainly think it is a viable question as to whether *any* plastic buttons should be used in an £80k car. Yes, Porsche that applies to you also, doubly so in fact with that button infested command console or whatever its called!
One pt about this exclusivity and attention thing though. Those who think one of the reasons they are buying an AMV8 or DB9 is for the exclusiveness and attention they generate...you arent and they do not. Oh they will attract some glances, lingering looks and the occasional conversation with someone, but that *isnt* attention, at least not at the levels you think you are thinking of. Ive just spend a yr living with serious attention and a very *rare* factor and it was an aspect I frankly have come to loathe and my fiancee finds *very* unsettling. You learn very quickly that you *dont* want to buy a car for attention and exclusivity once you have to really experience it. Attention is when ppl stalk you on the road and follow you till you stop, when you damn nr cause multi car pile ups on the M4 because a bunch of blokes in the Saxo behind you are giving it the Waynes World. When you nip to the loo quickly at a service station to come back and find a crowd of blokes round your car whilst your fiancee is still inside it, when guys lean across their wives in their Espace at 70mph on the M-way and yell out of the window alongside you "How much?" whilst rubbing his fingers. They are just the most memorable ones.
The worst though was probably the bunch of lads crowding round it at my sister's house and her 40th bday party. She asked me to go and talk to them as she knew them and outside there was also some of the party ppl round the car, inc her husband's dad who was an ex CoE Cannon and various members of the family. That to me was already pushing my comfort zone of attention, but the pt at which one of the lads said "when I can afford it, Im going to get me one of these pussy wagons" was I think the pt at which I wanted to crawl off and die somewhere! It gets even worse when you consider there also happened to be there, the 2 youngish daughters of one of the company's Uber Gurus and car's designers!
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
Pray tell - what car did you have for a year that caused so much unwelcome attention? Oh and thank you for pointing out that Aston owners don't know the meaning of the words exclusivity or attention or indeed that we er. are not thinking what we think we're thinking?!..................What a dense lot we are.Either way, no plastic ever looks expensive, just the way it is, but I certainly think it is a viable question as to whether *any* plastic buttons should be used in an £80k car. Yes, Porsche that applies to you also, doubly so in fact with that button infested command console or whatever its called!
One pt about this exclusivity and attention thing though. Those who think one of the reasons they are buying an AMV8 or DB9 is for the exclusiveness and attention they generate...you arent and they do not. Oh they will attract some glances, lingering looks and the occasional conversation with someone, but that *isnt* attention, at least not at the levels you think you are thinking of. Ive just spend a yr living with serious attention and a very *rare* factor and it was an aspect I frankly have come to loathe and my fiancee finds *very* unsettling. You learn very quickly that you *dont* want to buy a car for attention and exclusivity once you have to really experience it. Attention is when ppl stalk you on the road and follow you till you stop, when you damn nr cause multi car pile ups on the M4 because a bunch of blokes in the Saxo behind you are giving it the Waynes World. When you nip to the loo quickly at a service station to come back and find a crowd of blokes round your car whilst your fiancee is still inside it, when guys lean across their wives in their Espace at 70mph on the M-way and yell out of the window alongside you "How much?" whilst rubbing his fingers. They are just the most memorable ones.
The worst though was probably the bunch of lads crowding round it at my sister's house and her 40th bday party. She asked me to go and talk to them as she knew them and outside there was also some of the party ppl round the car, inc her husband's dad who was an ex CoE Cannon and various members of the family. That to me was already pushing my comfort zone of attention, but the pt at which one of the lads said "when I can afford it, Im going to get me one of these pussy wagons" was I think the pt at which I wanted to crawl off and die somewhere! It gets even worse when you consider there also happened to be there, the 2 youngish daughters of one of the company's Uber Gurus and car's designers!
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
DJC said:
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
DJC, let me guess, big Lambo, Fezza!
I, like most of the other guys on this site, haven't purchased an AMV8 to impress others, I buy the car because it appeals to me. I actually dislike attention, this (sadly) is one reason why I don't want a Fezza or Lambo!
With the Aston the difference is most attention is positive, because it hasn't (yet) got the brash flash image of some cars & is seen as a "British" supercar! I haven't found that the car attracts huge attention (thankfully) but when it does it is more a case of "Mmmm nice an Aston" rather than look at that flash W*nker in his XYZ. This can only be a good thing & I think this is the point most owners are making.
grant3 said:
DJC said:
Or it could be just me and everybody else loves that kind of attention!
DJC, let me guess, big Lambo, Fezza!
I, like most of the other guys on this site, haven't purchased an AMV8 to impress others, I buy the car because it appeals to me. I actually dislike attention, this (sadly) is one reason why I don't want a Fezza or Lambo!
With the Aston the difference is most attention is positive, because it hasn't (yet) got the brash flash image of some cars & is seen as a "British" supercar! I haven't found that the car attracts huge attention (thankfully) but when it does it is more a case of "Mmmm nice an Aston" rather than look at that flash W*nker in his XYZ. This can only be a good thing & I think this is the point most owners are making.
Edited by Pugsey on Friday 25th August 10:44
Pugsey said:
Pray tell - what car did you have for a year that caused so much unwelcome attention? Oh and thank you for pointing out that Aston owners don't know the meaning of the words exclusivity or attention or indeed that we er. are not thinking what we think we're thinking?!..................What a dense lot we are.
Er I didnt say that now did I? There was a reason I mentioned the AMV8 and DB9 specifically and not "Aston" owners.
I run a Sagaris. It comes with attention as part of its baggage, you dont get a choice in it. No modern Aston really generates those levels of attention, they are a lot more subtle...inc a Vanquish which is one of the reasons Ive considered swapping the Sagaris for one. Ive always bought cars on what they can do for me, but now that Ive experienced and had to live with that much attention, I *much* more appreciate the subtler, more muted appeals of something like a Vanq. Ive banged on before about *loving* a 90s Vantage but I fear it would come with something approaching the same attention levels, so these days I lean towards a Vanq or likely its replacement.
DJC said:
Pugsey said:
Pray tell - what car did you have for a year that caused so much unwelcome attention? Oh and thank you for pointing out that Aston owners don't know the meaning of the words exclusivity or attention or indeed that we er. are not thinking what we think we're thinking?!..................What a dense lot we are.
Er I didnt say that now did I? There was a reason I mentioned the AMV8 and DB9 specifically and not "Aston" owners.
I run a Sagaris. It comes with attention as part of its baggage, you dont get a choice in it. No modern Aston really generates those levels of attention, they are a lot more subtle...inc a Vanquish which is one of the reasons Ive considered swapping the Sagaris for one. Ive always bought cars on what they can do for me, but now that Ive experienced and had to live with that much attention, I *much* more appreciate the subtler, more muted appeals of something like a Vanq. Ive banged on before about *loving* a 90s Vantage but I fear it would come with something approaching the same attention levels, so these days I lean towards a Vanq or likely its replacement.
Pugsey said:
DJC said:
Pugsey said:
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more stuff
richb said:
Pugsey said:
DJC said:
Pugsey said:
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Edited by Pugsey on Friday 25th August 12:07
Pugsey said:
richb said:
Pugsey said:
DJC said:
Pugsey said:
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Edited by Pugsey on Friday 25th August 12:07
Sigh...see it always degenerates into this and everybody defends their own patch heedless or regardless. This is why Im no good, I dont feel the need to defend something to the last breathe, so with that said let me throw a cpl of things in here.
No current car comes close to matching a current build Sagaris/350 interior. I was raised on a Dad's love of 40's,50's and 60's motorsport, a deep, deep love of Jags and Astons is in my blood. Ive only ever had 1 car pic/poster on my wall and that is the XJ13 painting on my wall. For all that though, I was Tiffosi through my youth, I loved everything about the Bloody Red Cars, culminating in that frankly w@nkfest material of a car...the F40. Maturing from my teens though into adulthood and becomming a purchaser my love for things Italian has died dramatically...mostly because of them producing cars designed for America and accountants, i.e.fat bottom line! As Ive started to look at the sexy metal to buy though Ive started to care more and more about the interior...as the driver you spend your time in there, not outside looking at the thing! A few things have become obvious. Porsche made OK interiors when they stuck to the basics in pre 996 interiors. They were functional and you could appreciate that for what it was. Since the 996 and the Boxster their interiors are bloody woeful. Cheap sh1t plastic, naff construction and the leather is nothing special either when you do spec it...panel by flaming panel at extra cost per panel! Ferrari interiors are the biggest disgrace of all. Everything they did in the 90's frankly you could just throw in the bin interior wise, utter rubbish. I think my office furniture has more class to it. They have started to drag their arse out of the mire though with the nwe 430, 599 and 612...they look like they have interiors to match their price tags. God I was disappointed when I got inside the Virage and DB7. Yes the seats were great, but I loathed the cheap & nasty plastic inside on the dash, the instrument panel and the big bulky blocky thing on the Virage? Simply not good enough. For something like the Vantage though I could forgive that because it had twin screws, but the normal Virage nope
Then I drove a normal DB7 and nearly cried in horror at how non descript it was to drive. It was just like when I drove a Tamora...dont think Ive ever been so bored when I should have been thrilled. Thought I was driving a Mondeo Ruined that illusion, but at least it did leave the DB7 Vantage. I was very tempted by one when I bought the Sagaris...I still struggle to believe I turned down an Aston V12 Vantage when I had a chance! The new stuff is very nice inside, beautiful instruments and it looks classy. I think the insides of the latest Astons do very well indeed thankyou...certainly a shedload better than any Porsche and easily the equal of Ferrari.
The inside of a Sagaris however is in a different league. The whole glue thing Ive never understood because Ive never smelt it and the one comment everybody makes when they get in mine is that they can smell the leather. Ive never smelt glue in any other TVR Ive been in either, for that matter Ive never smelt glue in *any* car Ive been in! You can smell vinyl in tin box towny cars, and smell leather in decently leathered cars, but not glue. The shoddy thing is a laugh aswell, if for no other reason than there is nothing inside a Sagaris/350 interior to be shoddy! All you get is 2 stalks, 6 flat buttons and 4 rotary knobs that are fixed on pretty solidly! Oh and a momo steering wheel...thats it! Covered in perfectly hand stitched leather. Now I can moan a lot about *different* aspects of the car (loathe the steering feel and amount of assist in it), but the interior is as perfect as it gets. Other TVRs are fair game. I love the look of the new Tuscan 2 'vert, but think the interior looks rubbish and Ive never liked either the outside or the inside of the coupe/targe tuscans. My old Griffith...well I never worked out how the heating controls worked in all the time I had it, or even if they *did* work! The wood veneer dash wasnt the classiest item Ive ever come crome across either.
Slate or appreciate a car on its merits, dont just defend your patch. I probably will replace the Sagaris with a Vanq and get a T2 'vert at some pt in the next yr, both will have better qualities than the other in different areas. Similarly Ive had a 997tt on order for the best part of the last 3 yrs that is pencilled in for Nov (but Ill probably delay to keep the money in the business for now) that does a lot of things better than any other car on the planet, but Im never going to believe its interior is worth a place in a £100k car!
Another good aspect of the tt of course is that like an Aston it can be quite subtle and not draw silly amounts of attention.
Sorry to disappoint those who thought I ran a big Fezza or Lambo! Be a cold day in hell before I wasted my money on a Lambo - any of them and that includes a Miura.
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