V8 Vantage Gearbox options and clutch life
Discussion
Hi everybody,
I am currently trying to put finance in place that among other things will allow me to get a V8 Vantage for about £40k. There seems to be plenty to choose from but I am not sure about which transmission type I should go for. I have always owned manual cars and feel I drawn to them from my previous experience. What are the benefits (if any) of a sports shift car? I drove a manual Aston at the weekend and the gear change felt positive and accurate with plenty of feel so it hard for me to comprehend a sports shift being better or making me feel more connected to the car. Also there is the issue of the clutch. They are expensive to replace - but how long can I expect a new clutch to last? Does the answer depend on which transmission type it is attached to?
Please let me know what you think.
I am currently trying to put finance in place that among other things will allow me to get a V8 Vantage for about £40k. There seems to be plenty to choose from but I am not sure about which transmission type I should go for. I have always owned manual cars and feel I drawn to them from my previous experience. What are the benefits (if any) of a sports shift car? I drove a manual Aston at the weekend and the gear change felt positive and accurate with plenty of feel so it hard for me to comprehend a sports shift being better or making me feel more connected to the car. Also there is the issue of the clutch. They are expensive to replace - but how long can I expect a new clutch to last? Does the answer depend on which transmission type it is attached to?
Please let me know what you think.
HI Jonny,
I can only speak as an ex manual V8V owner, but I have tried the sportshift for an extended period in a courtesy car.
Firstly, the manual in a V8V is manly, in so far as the OE clutch is a handful that is unfortunately made of cheese. Actually, that's a little unfair, as owners on here have had it last 60k miles. If it's due to be replaced, there are after market options that are well worth considering. A twin plate clutch with lightened flywheel will allow the car to rev more freely and take the heavy weight out of the original clutch.
Sportshift, for me, only worked well in S mode and paddle shifting. Using it like a traditional auto drove me mad, but there was an element of fun in s mode. You'll need to have a try, but make sure you get an extended test drive as these things can grow on you and you'll need to adapt your driving style a little to lift slightly on upshifts. Again, a modified clutch will get rid of some of the problems.
So, your choice, but I'd plumb for a non OE twin plate manual every time!
I can only speak as an ex manual V8V owner, but I have tried the sportshift for an extended period in a courtesy car.
Firstly, the manual in a V8V is manly, in so far as the OE clutch is a handful that is unfortunately made of cheese. Actually, that's a little unfair, as owners on here have had it last 60k miles. If it's due to be replaced, there are after market options that are well worth considering. A twin plate clutch with lightened flywheel will allow the car to rev more freely and take the heavy weight out of the original clutch.
Sportshift, for me, only worked well in S mode and paddle shifting. Using it like a traditional auto drove me mad, but there was an element of fun in s mode. You'll need to have a try, but make sure you get an extended test drive as these things can grow on you and you'll need to adapt your driving style a little to lift slightly on upshifts. Again, a modified clutch will get rid of some of the problems.
So, your choice, but I'd plumb for a non OE twin plate manual every time!
Ive had manual for 10 years now, managed 73k miles out of the original clutch. The OE clutch was really heavy, but the later OE design that came with the 4.7 got much lighter and is just like a regular car. There was a service item about 8 years ago to revise spec of gearbox oil and a small modification, the gearbox has been silky smooth since.
I never got on with the original Sportshift, I do like an auto in my daily driver, but the sportshift is an automated manual. I guess an acquired tasted.
A clutch is expensive, say £2500 for OE fitted at an indy. You could get lucky and save some money if you dont replace the flywheel, but thats really up to you. With much of the cost being labour, better err on the safe side.
Plenty of other options out there for clutch "upgrades", all depends how much you want to spend and how long you will keep the car.
I never got on with the original Sportshift, I do like an auto in my daily driver, but the sportshift is an automated manual. I guess an acquired tasted.
A clutch is expensive, say £2500 for OE fitted at an indy. You could get lucky and save some money if you dont replace the flywheel, but thats really up to you. With much of the cost being labour, better err on the safe side.
Plenty of other options out there for clutch "upgrades", all depends how much you want to spend and how long you will keep the car.
johnymac said:
Hi everybody,
I am currently trying to put finance in place that among other things will allow me to get a V8 Vantage for about £40k. There seems to be plenty to choose from but I am not sure about which transmission type I should go for. I have always owned manual cars and feel I drawn to them from my previous experience. What are the benefits (if any) of a sports shift car? I drove a manual Aston at the weekend and the gear change felt positive and accurate with plenty of feel so it hard for me to comprehend a sports shift being better or making me feel more connected to the car. Also there is the issue of the clutch. They are expensive to replace - but how long can I expect a new clutch to last? Does the answer depend on which transmission type it is attached to?
Please let me know what you think.
I have owned and driven both a manual Vantage V8 and Sportshift Vantage V8 over extensive periods. I am currently trying to put finance in place that among other things will allow me to get a V8 Vantage for about £40k. There seems to be plenty to choose from but I am not sure about which transmission type I should go for. I have always owned manual cars and feel I drawn to them from my previous experience. What are the benefits (if any) of a sports shift car? I drove a manual Aston at the weekend and the gear change felt positive and accurate with plenty of feel so it hard for me to comprehend a sports shift being better or making me feel more connected to the car. Also there is the issue of the clutch. They are expensive to replace - but how long can I expect a new clutch to last? Does the answer depend on which transmission type it is attached to?
Please let me know what you think.
I would not buy a sports shift again, ever, personally, I think it's one of the worst gearboxes I have experienced. Manual is much more involved and a much smoother and better car to drive.
I am sure some will agree and others disagree and prefer the Sportshift........
I guess it's down to personal preference
Yes, rather like Marmite, some owners like Sportshift, others do not.
Sportshift has the same manual gearbox, but with automated gear selection. It has gradually been improved during three versions, the last only being on the V12.
If you try Sportshift, do some manoeuvring and stop-start traffic driving. They are the tricky aspects. At high speeds it is a delight, with fast changes.
I like my manual. The only criticism is sometimes there is a notchy feeling, changing from 1st to 2nd, when first driving with a cold engine. Not much of a problem, and when hot you will not notice any difficulties.
With clutches, there is a high reverse gear ratio, so repeated reversing up slopes will not help. They last 75,000 miles with care, or 10,000 with abuse. There is a lot of horsepower going through the clutch. To obtain the beautiful 51:49 balance, the gearbox is at the rear, with a torque tube between clutch and gearbox. This layout make changing a clutch more complex, hence the high cost.
Edited by Jon39 on Monday 30th May 19:37
Thanks everyone who took the time to reply.
I drove a manual roadster last week and liked the way it felt. The gear change had a good positive action. I tried twice to test drive a sports shift but neither of the vendors (both trade) seemed keen for me to drive them without some sort of commitment to buy - so I put a deposit on the one I test drove. The more I think about it the more I am happy with my choice. Time will tell I guess. I just can't wait for the money to be sorted so I can slide myself into the drivers seat for good!
Thanks again everybody.
I drove a manual roadster last week and liked the way it felt. The gear change had a good positive action. I tried twice to test drive a sports shift but neither of the vendors (both trade) seemed keen for me to drive them without some sort of commitment to buy - so I put a deposit on the one I test drove. The more I think about it the more I am happy with my choice. Time will tell I guess. I just can't wait for the money to be sorted so I can slide myself into the drivers seat for good!
Thanks again everybody.
johnymac said:
Thanks everyone who took the time to reply.
I drove a manual roadster last week and liked the way it felt. The gear change had a good positive action. I tried twice to test drive a sports shift but neither of the vendors (both trade) seemed keen for me to drive them without some sort of commitment to buy - so I put a deposit on the one I test drove. The more I think about it the more I am happy with my choice. Time will tell I guess. I just can't wait for the money to be sorted so I can slide myself into the drivers seat for good!
Thanks again everybody.
Congratulation on your pending purchase you will not regret it, especially when you reach 4000rpm....... Make sure you post some pictures once you get itI drove a manual roadster last week and liked the way it felt. The gear change had a good positive action. I tried twice to test drive a sports shift but neither of the vendors (both trade) seemed keen for me to drive them without some sort of commitment to buy - so I put a deposit on the one I test drove. The more I think about it the more I am happy with my choice. Time will tell I guess. I just can't wait for the money to be sorted so I can slide myself into the drivers seat for good!
Thanks again everybody.
I started with a 2007 Manual...it had over 30k miles on it and the clutch was on its last legs when service was due so I had it changed for an OEM clutch.....I then moved up to the Vantage S with sportshift 2.....as previously mentioned..Sport was selected full time and it was never driven as an auto, it does take over from 2nd to 1st whether you like it or not and early in ownership it could be a little erratic....but I got used to it and found it great.I also drive a Mercedes with auto and paddles...and hardly ever bother with the paddles because the auto is so good......The Vantage S was sold for another project I had going on so I was without an Aston for about 8 months before I bought a 2007 very low miles Roadster...this time with the AS1 box......I hadn't formed an opinion about whether AS2 or manual was my preference....but the guy who sold me the vantage S with the AS2 told me I'd hate AS1 before I test drove it.....anyway, when I did,it seemed ok to me and not half as bad as I was expecting it to be.Yes...I'd choose the AS2 over the AS1...and yes , if the car was right the manual too. The AS1 very occasionally has a silly moment and pauses a little too long when pulling away but I can accept it as part of the whole experience of owning the car and I find driving it a pleasure.I'm totally in the dark about how to compare clutch life between AS1 and manual..what can I expect and what would cause it to fail/wear early?
Hi All,
Well I managed to do the deed and we are now in possession of a beautiful black V8 roadster. We bought from Apex motors in Swindon who were utterly brilliant to deal with. Unfortunately we went on holiday to Turin and southern France a few days later so didn't get to use it much before we left. We were tempted to take it with us but when we arrived in Turin we were glad we hadn't. I think if we had, we would have turned around and come back!
Anyway we have used it a few times since coming back and really love it and as has been said before the sound is wonderful above 4000 revs. It is taking me a bit of time getting used to it as I am used to thrashing my Elise around the local roads and power and weight of the Aston really has to be taken into account!
Anyway as requested:-![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/kOu0rXhe.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/fpx87ppg" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/fpx87ppg.jpg)
Well I managed to do the deed and we are now in possession of a beautiful black V8 roadster. We bought from Apex motors in Swindon who were utterly brilliant to deal with. Unfortunately we went on holiday to Turin and southern France a few days later so didn't get to use it much before we left. We were tempted to take it with us but when we arrived in Turin we were glad we hadn't. I think if we had, we would have turned around and come back!
Anyway we have used it a few times since coming back and really love it and as has been said before the sound is wonderful above 4000 revs. It is taking me a bit of time getting used to it as I am used to thrashing my Elise around the local roads and power and weight of the Aston really has to be taken into account!
Anyway as requested:-
johnymac said:
I thought I had uploaded a couple of pictures but it looks like the second one didn't upload, so here it is. As you can see I went for a straightforward manual in the end and am happy so far with my choice. 
Great car, congratulations, you definitely made the right choice going for the manual in my opinion.Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff