New V12VS Owner (From Porsche)
Discussion
Hi all,
Don't know where to start really! So, a few weeks ago I bought my "dream" sports car. A 991.2 GTS with Carbon Bucket seats. I searched for months to find the right spec and finally found the below car. However, a day into ownership, the car developed a pretty serious fault. I wont go into too much detail, but the car ended up being back with Porsche for weeks, after just a couple of weeks with the car. I was gutted, the whole experience massively dampened. I was in a 992 as a courtesy car (very nice of Porsche,) and to be honest something apart from the breakdown felt wrong. Neither the 992 nor 991.2 GTS had made me want to just go out for an early Sunday blast. I don't need a daily driver and this purchase was purely for fun. The 991.2 GTS was my favorite of the two, for the week or so that I was in the car. Super fast and they both cover so many bases, but they still felt like fabulous daily drivers, and less like that weekend thrill you look forward to. Due to the fault, Porsche were happy to return the vehicle which left me looking for another car.
Now the V12VS was always top of my list, but I went for the Porsche as rear seats meant more time behind the wheel (I have a 3 yr old and 1 yr old.) Out of curiosity, I called my insurance company only to find that a V12VS is £350 a year cheaper to insure. Prices also meant that I could buy a V12VS AND a Golf GTI (mk7) for the same outlay! The Golf was £250 to insure, so I actually saved £100 a year by having both cars, and it means the Golf gets the kids in the back, and the V12 remains an unspoiled special toy!
I found a car in my (close to ideal) spec at Aston Martin Mayfair - Tungsten Silver, full carbon exterior including side strakes and roof. Lightweight alloys. Lipstick Grill with interior carbon part colour coded tungsten. Some nice interior stitching and contrasting grey leather. Aston wings on the headrests. Alcantara wheel. AMI 3 with the updated haptic vanquish dash. I fell in love at first sight and bought it.
Now... the drive home sent chills down my spine. It was a euphoric moment for me. What was missing in the Porsche, was CERTAINLY present in the Aston! The smell of the leather. The v12 grumble at JUST 20mph! This car is more fun to drive at slow speeds, than the Porsche was at max rpm! The build of torque through the rev range is also really enjoyable. The turbo Porsche would no doubt get you to your destination quicker. You could stamp the pedal and stay out of a hedge! The V12 keeps you on your feet, and I love that. I'm also a big fan of the sportshift III ! If you try to drive it like the PDK then it will seem pants. But when you understand it is an automated manual, and start to learn your shift points / lift of throttle points it becomes so much more involving than a point and squirt pdk. The steering too... The 992 had better electric steering than the 991.2 GTS, they're getting good at electric feel now... But it is no contest for Hydraulic racks! The feel you get through the lovely alcantara wheel is sublime. It is really confidence inspiring when pressing on.
There really is a (tungsten) silver lining to every cloud. I was gutted when I realised the Porsche would be going back, but am now so happy that it got me into the Aston! If I only had space for one car to do it all (include escort the kids) then it would have to be the Porsche, great daily. But for a "fun toy," the Aston feels in a different league. Pics, or it didn't happen...
Don't know where to start really! So, a few weeks ago I bought my "dream" sports car. A 991.2 GTS with Carbon Bucket seats. I searched for months to find the right spec and finally found the below car. However, a day into ownership, the car developed a pretty serious fault. I wont go into too much detail, but the car ended up being back with Porsche for weeks, after just a couple of weeks with the car. I was gutted, the whole experience massively dampened. I was in a 992 as a courtesy car (very nice of Porsche,) and to be honest something apart from the breakdown felt wrong. Neither the 992 nor 991.2 GTS had made me want to just go out for an early Sunday blast. I don't need a daily driver and this purchase was purely for fun. The 991.2 GTS was my favorite of the two, for the week or so that I was in the car. Super fast and they both cover so many bases, but they still felt like fabulous daily drivers, and less like that weekend thrill you look forward to. Due to the fault, Porsche were happy to return the vehicle which left me looking for another car.
Now the V12VS was always top of my list, but I went for the Porsche as rear seats meant more time behind the wheel (I have a 3 yr old and 1 yr old.) Out of curiosity, I called my insurance company only to find that a V12VS is £350 a year cheaper to insure. Prices also meant that I could buy a V12VS AND a Golf GTI (mk7) for the same outlay! The Golf was £250 to insure, so I actually saved £100 a year by having both cars, and it means the Golf gets the kids in the back, and the V12 remains an unspoiled special toy!
I found a car in my (close to ideal) spec at Aston Martin Mayfair - Tungsten Silver, full carbon exterior including side strakes and roof. Lightweight alloys. Lipstick Grill with interior carbon part colour coded tungsten. Some nice interior stitching and contrasting grey leather. Aston wings on the headrests. Alcantara wheel. AMI 3 with the updated haptic vanquish dash. I fell in love at first sight and bought it.
Now... the drive home sent chills down my spine. It was a euphoric moment for me. What was missing in the Porsche, was CERTAINLY present in the Aston! The smell of the leather. The v12 grumble at JUST 20mph! This car is more fun to drive at slow speeds, than the Porsche was at max rpm! The build of torque through the rev range is also really enjoyable. The turbo Porsche would no doubt get you to your destination quicker. You could stamp the pedal and stay out of a hedge! The V12 keeps you on your feet, and I love that. I'm also a big fan of the sportshift III ! If you try to drive it like the PDK then it will seem pants. But when you understand it is an automated manual, and start to learn your shift points / lift of throttle points it becomes so much more involving than a point and squirt pdk. The steering too... The 992 had better electric steering than the 991.2 GTS, they're getting good at electric feel now... But it is no contest for Hydraulic racks! The feel you get through the lovely alcantara wheel is sublime. It is really confidence inspiring when pressing on.
There really is a (tungsten) silver lining to every cloud. I was gutted when I realised the Porsche would be going back, but am now so happy that it got me into the Aston! If I only had space for one car to do it all (include escort the kids) then it would have to be the Porsche, great daily. But for a "fun toy," the Aston feels in a different league. Pics, or it didn't happen...
soofsayer said:
Congratulations, looks stunning and clearly the one that makes you smile. Forgive me if I am wrong but I didn’t think a carbon roof was available on the vantage?
Says carbon roof on the ad listing - so they may have got it wrong... Either way it's black, not carbon weave. So its either painted over carbon - or wrong on their listing!Great story and write up. I love the fact that you can drive the V12V within the speed limit and still have a big grin on your face. It can also be a complete hooligan as well.
I have never driven a Porsche PDK but have on other cars and it was no where near as characterful as SS3.
Sounds like it all worked out for the best despite the undoubted heartache and stress in between. Enjoy!!!!!
I have never driven a Porsche PDK but have on other cars and it was no where near as characterful as SS3.
Sounds like it all worked out for the best despite the undoubted heartache and stress in between. Enjoy!!!!!
lovely stuff and the car looks stunning in that colour...have had mine over a year and they do possess a certain charisma that a Porsche can only dream about indeed I considered a GT4 when shopping around last year but a nice test drive in the Vantage and there was no decision to make..congrats and enjoy!
Congratulations. Great story!
I used to be the biggest Porsche fan until I bought my V12VSR so I know how you're feeling.
The only Porsche models that float my boat would be the 911 GT3 or Cayman GT4 or the older models my father used to own, 356 Speedster, 911 Carrera 2.7 RS but they're way out of my budget now!
Lovely looking V12VS you've bought there.
For extra fun you could go the secondary decat route or even better get the Performance Pack installed. I did and don't regret it one bit.
Safe driving!
I used to be the biggest Porsche fan until I bought my V12VSR so I know how you're feeling.
The only Porsche models that float my boat would be the 911 GT3 or Cayman GT4 or the older models my father used to own, 356 Speedster, 911 Carrera 2.7 RS but they're way out of my budget now!
Lovely looking V12VS you've bought there.
For extra fun you could go the secondary decat route or even better get the Performance Pack installed. I did and don't regret it one bit.
Safe driving!
Welcome to the Aston fold! That is a beautiful and very special car.
IMO the previous gen Astons are probably the last to capture that increasingly elusive combination of engaging to drive at any speed yet properly fast when wrung out. These are road cars, a fact that you so aptly underscored in your post, but a lesson that has been lost in the horsepower wars and bureaucratic regulations of safety and emissions. Now everything, including Porsches and the newer Astons, is digitized, sanitized, forced induction, instant shifting, insulated - no fun at sane speeds but way too heavy and costly to be fun at track speeds, either.
You've just bought a keeper. Enjoy the last of an era.
IMO the previous gen Astons are probably the last to capture that increasingly elusive combination of engaging to drive at any speed yet properly fast when wrung out. These are road cars, a fact that you so aptly underscored in your post, but a lesson that has been lost in the horsepower wars and bureaucratic regulations of safety and emissions. Now everything, including Porsches and the newer Astons, is digitized, sanitized, forced induction, instant shifting, insulated - no fun at sane speeds but way too heavy and costly to be fun at track speeds, either.
You've just bought a keeper. Enjoy the last of an era.
Josh, congratulations on a tremendous post and an equally fabulous car.
You have, possibly unwittingly, summed up many elements of owning and driving an Aston Martin - particularly in the V12 Vantage guise. I too have driven both the 991GTS and 992C4S, and as utterly impressive as they both were as motor vehicles, the overriding and lasting impression on me was one of disappointment. A lack of emotive noise, soul, theatre, an unwillingness to unstick and the fact that I had to reach license losing speeds to hear anything from the exhaust - all combined to leave me completely cold. I think you summed it up very well, insofar as a 911 is one of the best DDs on the market today combining poise, agility, speed, handling, practicality and looks (questionable?) - but I and many others wouldn't want one as a weekend car. I've certainly had my fair share of shaky moments when I've considered buying one to replace my V12V, but every time I drive a Porsche, I liken it to drinking a vegetable smoothie. You know it's good, but every time you do it you question why you bothered.
Welcome to a wonderful club, you will enjoy the car for a long time to come and your story of how you arrived at this point is magical. And Tungsten is definitely the way ahead.
You have, possibly unwittingly, summed up many elements of owning and driving an Aston Martin - particularly in the V12 Vantage guise. I too have driven both the 991GTS and 992C4S, and as utterly impressive as they both were as motor vehicles, the overriding and lasting impression on me was one of disappointment. A lack of emotive noise, soul, theatre, an unwillingness to unstick and the fact that I had to reach license losing speeds to hear anything from the exhaust - all combined to leave me completely cold. I think you summed it up very well, insofar as a 911 is one of the best DDs on the market today combining poise, agility, speed, handling, practicality and looks (questionable?) - but I and many others wouldn't want one as a weekend car. I've certainly had my fair share of shaky moments when I've considered buying one to replace my V12V, but every time I drive a Porsche, I liken it to drinking a vegetable smoothie. You know it's good, but every time you do it you question why you bothered.
Welcome to a wonderful club, you will enjoy the car for a long time to come and your story of how you arrived at this point is magical. And Tungsten is definitely the way ahead.
Great write up , story and end result - your new choice looks fabulous- congrats.
Whilst you might get the odd niggle with Aston the treatment from dealers in my experience has been vastly superior to Porsche.
I had 3 911’s then a GT3 and also 2 Cayennes over a few years but then trying to get an RS allocation proved impossible. It was the comment of “ buy your wife a new cayenne and we will consider putting you on a list to maybe get an allocation “was the final straw. All Porsche’s sold and replaced by 2 Aston’s plus a RS3 and a Lotus. Might have slightly cut my nose off but very happy !
Whilst you might get the odd niggle with Aston the treatment from dealers in my experience has been vastly superior to Porsche.
I had 3 911’s then a GT3 and also 2 Cayennes over a few years but then trying to get an RS allocation proved impossible. It was the comment of “ buy your wife a new cayenne and we will consider putting you on a list to maybe get an allocation “was the final straw. All Porsche’s sold and replaced by 2 Aston’s plus a RS3 and a Lotus. Might have slightly cut my nose off but very happy !
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