V8 Vantage Roadster
Discussion
Personally I'd stop and have a look at Grants book (Link at the top, £20) tells you everything you need to know about the Vantage (and other Gaydon Astons), this covers tweaks, changes, upgrades, options all in easy to digest titbits - it could however cost you a fortune, I started off with a 4.3 in mind and ended up with a 2009 4.7.
Your budget is close to the (lower end of) 4.7 mark (one on AT today) so I'd definitely get the book, have a read and then decide whether you want the 4.3 or 4.7. Both are great cars.
Your budget is close to the (lower end of) 4.7 mark (one on AT today) so I'd definitely get the book, have a read and then decide whether you want the 4.3 or 4.7. Both are great cars.
Apart from going from 33mpg to about 15mpg, you should like it.
Essential is full history and check when the clutch was last replaced - anecdotal evidence suggests an average of about 20k miles life span.
Check paintwork around door handles & front top of doors
Most other things are common to anything with an engine & wheels!
Essential is full history and check when the clutch was last replaced - anecdotal evidence suggests an average of about 20k miles life span.
Check paintwork around door handles & front top of doors
Most other things are common to anything with an engine & wheels!
Just do your costing correctly. Basically every bill tripples - fuel, tax, servicing and general running costs.
Check the clutch as one's at that price probably don't have a new one. £3k + to replace if it does need one. Corrosion is a biggy, as above, check it's all in good order. Brakes will run you another £2.5k + so make sure they are all ok. Even pads alone are £500 a side. Check the roof as it's prone to wear and if it breaks you don't want to know the repair cost. Tyres are c£300 each so make sure they all look good as well. And check electrics in general.
Enjoy
Check the clutch as one's at that price probably don't have a new one. £3k + to replace if it does need one. Corrosion is a biggy, as above, check it's all in good order. Brakes will run you another £2.5k + so make sure they are all ok. Even pads alone are £500 a side. Check the roof as it's prone to wear and if it breaks you don't want to know the repair cost. Tyres are c£300 each so make sure they all look good as well. And check electrics in general.
Enjoy
The 4.3 is adequate 
Premium Audio is definitely worth it but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me...just turn on the stereo and the words'Premium Audio System' appear.
If no Premium Audio, then remove fuse 22 and just listen to the exhaust note instead
I'm on my second V8 Vantage , first was a 55 plate coupe on 25,000 miles that the previous owner onwed for 4 years and 5,500 miles - without servicing the car ! I got a good discount, took car to an independent for a full inspection, a service, refurb'd the alloys and then ran it for 14 months without any issue. I only sold the car as i bought a Roadster.
The V8 Vantage Roadster - I bought the car and it was 4 years to the day old , car had done 49,000 miles.
Again , I got the car for a good price, it was still under AM warranty. 3 months later i had the car serviced and extended the warranty for another year. The Roof module failed a few days later , all covered under warranty. Car has been faultless since then , except for two new tyres - shop around and you can save a little on the £300 quoted above.
Oh and during the 7,000 miles i have done, the car has averaged 18 MPG. I don't particularly drive fast and do quite a few short journeys.
Buy the 'Grants book' , if you want to reduce the risk then buy one with an AM warranty or have one put on the car as part of the purchase , truly a beautiful car
Premium Audio is definitely worth it but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me...just turn on the stereo and the words'Premium Audio System' appear.
If no Premium Audio, then remove fuse 22 and just listen to the exhaust note instead
I'm on my second V8 Vantage , first was a 55 plate coupe on 25,000 miles that the previous owner onwed for 4 years and 5,500 miles - without servicing the car ! I got a good discount, took car to an independent for a full inspection, a service, refurb'd the alloys and then ran it for 14 months without any issue. I only sold the car as i bought a Roadster.
The V8 Vantage Roadster - I bought the car and it was 4 years to the day old , car had done 49,000 miles.
Again , I got the car for a good price, it was still under AM warranty. 3 months later i had the car serviced and extended the warranty for another year. The Roof module failed a few days later , all covered under warranty. Car has been faultless since then , except for two new tyres - shop around and you can save a little on the £300 quoted above.
Oh and during the 7,000 miles i have done, the car has averaged 18 MPG. I don't particularly drive fast and do quite a few short journeys.
Buy the 'Grants book' , if you want to reduce the risk then buy one with an AM warranty or have one put on the car as part of the purchase , truly a beautiful car
Digger said:
Premium Audio. Is it worth it?
Sure is.Watch this review of the Vantage.
They enthuse over the Premium Audio, which is a 700 watt Alpine system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUKnn7pBcg
Run this youtube audio through surround sound if you can. ~ Magnificent.
WARNING ~ WATCHING THIS FILM WILL MAKE YOU WANT A VANTAGE.
Edited by Jon39 on Monday 28th January 18:53
I think the quality of the sound system is far more important in a coupe than a roadster. My 9 had premium sound and I think I only had the radio on about four times in the two years I had it - I'd much rather have the roof down and listen to the engine. Having said that if it doesn't have premium sound it is something for the dealers to beat you around the head with when you come to trade it in!
Having not listened to the Premium sound system, I have to say i'm more than pleased with my Bog standard set up. I don't doubt the premium is better,and indeed after reading on here how it was a must have option, was slightly concerned when I settled on the one I finally bought without it.I think as has been said all ready, condition/ warrenty are the driving factors....don't let the sound system be a deal breaker.
Jon39 said:
Sure is.
Watch this review of the Vantage.
They enthuse over the Premium Audio, which is a 700 watt Alpine system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUKnn7pBcg
Run the youtube audio through surround sound if you can. Magnificent.
What a great video that is thanks for that Watch this review of the Vantage.
They enthuse over the Premium Audio, which is a 700 watt Alpine system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUKnn7pBcg
Run the youtube audio through surround sound if you can. Magnificent.
Edited by Jon39 on Monday 28th January 14:23
Well, an Elise and Vantage are very different. Few things can compare to the pure driving experience of an Elise and hence I would certainly consider a 4.3 as paying extra for 4.7 from a performance perspective is probably not worth it (if you are comparing to an Elise of course).
Elises are great fun and will give more fun on a B road blast than a Vantage but they are not as easy to live with as a Vantage is. I would say the Vantage gives 85% of the pure driving pleasure of an Elise but then gives way more 'feel good' factor as the car really does feel 'special'
I had a 120bhp S2 elise which I then added an Audi Turbo engine to, taking it to 260bhp which made it absolutely mental but when I then got my first Vantage (4.3 2007) I was never disappointed with the Vantage performance - sure it was nowhere near as fast, below 100mph, but the Aston is about so much more than just performance.
It really depends on what you want/need from a car, if it's to be used most/every day then the Aston is a better bet. If it's the odd weekend toy / trackday then it's tough one IMHO the 4.3 Vantage doesn't really make for a regular track day machine (and it would get very expensive if you did)- in an ideal world I'd have an Elise AND a Vantage as they are so different, but if I was to only have one then the Aston would win every time for me.
As others have said, running costs will be very different, however many Elise owners end up modding their cars and it's easy to run up sizeable bills on them.
Elises are great fun and will give more fun on a B road blast than a Vantage but they are not as easy to live with as a Vantage is. I would say the Vantage gives 85% of the pure driving pleasure of an Elise but then gives way more 'feel good' factor as the car really does feel 'special'
I had a 120bhp S2 elise which I then added an Audi Turbo engine to, taking it to 260bhp which made it absolutely mental but when I then got my first Vantage (4.3 2007) I was never disappointed with the Vantage performance - sure it was nowhere near as fast, below 100mph, but the Aston is about so much more than just performance.
It really depends on what you want/need from a car, if it's to be used most/every day then the Aston is a better bet. If it's the odd weekend toy / trackday then it's tough one IMHO the 4.3 Vantage doesn't really make for a regular track day machine (and it would get very expensive if you did)- in an ideal world I'd have an Elise AND a Vantage as they are so different, but if I was to only have one then the Aston would win every time for me.
As others have said, running costs will be very different, however many Elise owners end up modding their cars and it's easy to run up sizeable bills on them.
Digger said:
Hi All.
About to pull the plug on an Elise SC when I read the front page Aston article and realised if I pulled all the stops out I could pick up a manual 2007 Vantage for less than £45k.
I may pop over to see one later today. Any guidance for a first-timer?
Digger, loads of good advice here. I went from an Elise to a 4.3 V8V. They couldn't be any more different, but that's the point - they are completely separate entities. One, as you know, is a focused track machine capable of staggering cornering forces, exhilarating acceleration and immediate feedback. The other is an Aston Martin; it's as beautiful as any woman you'll ever meet, capable of turning heads at every junction, making children pull on their parents arms whilst pointing. It makes grown adults stop and stare, it garners praise at the filling station, it creates conversations with strangers outside the butchers, it makes other motorists smile, put their thumbs up, try to keep within earshot of your exhaust, wastes your time as you look over your shoulder just once more as you walk away. But it is, at the end of the day, about how it makes you feel. It's just, well, an Aston, and I for one love every single bit about it.About to pull the plug on an Elise SC when I read the front page Aston article and realised if I pulled all the stops out I could pick up a manual 2007 Vantage for less than £45k.
I may pop over to see one later today. Any guidance for a first-timer?
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest, it's been quite a day.
Now this has caught my eye! Slippery slope . . . 
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Digger said:
Now this has caught my eye! Slippery slope . . .
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
I'll sell you my "59" manual 4.7 Roadster for that...http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Buying cars - it really is a slippery slope. But a fun one
Good luck in your search Digger.
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