Potential V8V owner?
Discussion
At the risk of asking a silly question in a clearly biased forum....
I'm in the fortunate position to have empty garage space and an everyday company car. Having sold my private car I'm at that age where there's some money in the bank and contemplating what I could still up to about £30k into.
Heart says V8V or 911, other half says I need to get 'spec a new porsche' out of my system and look to a new Cayman (on part finance) or at the same sort of price, I'm rather drawn to an Alpine A110. Smaller engine, yes, but bang up to date in every way and class leading in driver enjoyment.
Head says don't be silly, anything new will haemorrhage money on depreciation and with two cars on the drive there's a very good chance whatever I get it probably won't do that many miles - certainly not short runs, most likely periodic road trips.
An older V8V or 911 is far less likely to loose a pile of money, but the compromise will be higher maintenance costs risk and overall, a drive that is 15 years behind contemporary standards.
I love the look of the V8V and understand that mechanically they are fairly bulletproof despite not many doing that many miles. I'm not that bothered about mileage being of the view that a car thats been used is likely to be less problematic than a low mileage one.
Most V8V's of the 06-08 vintage appear to be on many owners - is this typical that people only keep them for a year or two? Why is that?
I'm in Scotland - Perth&Kinross, so any recommendations of good independent's up here for service and maintenance etc?
Interested in others' views really, of which way to jump.
I'm in the fortunate position to have empty garage space and an everyday company car. Having sold my private car I'm at that age where there's some money in the bank and contemplating what I could still up to about £30k into.
Heart says V8V or 911, other half says I need to get 'spec a new porsche' out of my system and look to a new Cayman (on part finance) or at the same sort of price, I'm rather drawn to an Alpine A110. Smaller engine, yes, but bang up to date in every way and class leading in driver enjoyment.
Head says don't be silly, anything new will haemorrhage money on depreciation and with two cars on the drive there's a very good chance whatever I get it probably won't do that many miles - certainly not short runs, most likely periodic road trips.
An older V8V or 911 is far less likely to loose a pile of money, but the compromise will be higher maintenance costs risk and overall, a drive that is 15 years behind contemporary standards.
I love the look of the V8V and understand that mechanically they are fairly bulletproof despite not many doing that many miles. I'm not that bothered about mileage being of the view that a car thats been used is likely to be less problematic than a low mileage one.
Most V8V's of the 06-08 vintage appear to be on many owners - is this typical that people only keep them for a year or two? Why is that?
I'm in Scotland - Perth&Kinross, so any recommendations of good independent's up here for service and maintenance etc?
Interested in others' views really, of which way to jump.
Effectively you are in a similar position to me before I got my 2010 V8V 4.7 roadster, 48k miles, pretty much every option on the list was ticked so it is fully loaded. In the end I upped the budget to get the 4.7 and the roadster but I did find several great 4.3 cars around the £30k mark.
Higher end cars always tend to have a higher number of owners in their first few years - certainly the various Porsches etc I've had all did. I buy on condition, price and history - owners and mileage are less important to me. So far that has worked for me! I tend to think if other folk want to pay the depreciation for me then I'll take it off their hands for a few years that is to my benefit!
Get 'the book' (a quick search on here will explain all) and do some research. So far my ownership experience has been absolutely fine and most of the tales on here seem to be of the cars being pretty robust. There is potential for big bills of course but even that can be offset - eg there is a thread on here about a DB9 needing a new radiator - nearly £1000 from Aston, or £150 from Nissan (and I bet they're the same!). A bit of knowledge and research can save you £thousands - but buying carefully is always the best bet.
Higher end cars always tend to have a higher number of owners in their first few years - certainly the various Porsches etc I've had all did. I buy on condition, price and history - owners and mileage are less important to me. So far that has worked for me! I tend to think if other folk want to pay the depreciation for me then I'll take it off their hands for a few years that is to my benefit!
Get 'the book' (a quick search on here will explain all) and do some research. So far my ownership experience has been absolutely fine and most of the tales on here seem to be of the cars being pretty robust. There is potential for big bills of course but even that can be offset - eg there is a thread on here about a DB9 needing a new radiator - nearly £1000 from Aston, or £150 from Nissan (and I bet they're the same!). A bit of knowledge and research can save you £thousands - but buying carefully is always the best bet.
V8V, costs me about £2.5k a year excluding fuel / ins / tax / depreciation.
Mine is in absolute mint mechanical condition and a few stone chips on the bonnet / bumper.
As above, new front pads are about £1,100 from AM or drop down to a slightly less track focused version (and eliminate the squeal) and they are about £300.
Find a good, reputable specialist and use them, I used the AM MD network and they were, on the whole, poor and the first visit to the specialist highlighted a number of issues with the car that should have been picked up / addressed considering it was FAMSH / Timeless certified and fresh from AM Wilmslow.
Mine is in absolute mint mechanical condition and a few stone chips on the bonnet / bumper.
As above, new front pads are about £1,100 from AM or drop down to a slightly less track focused version (and eliminate the squeal) and they are about £300.
Find a good, reputable specialist and use them, I used the AM MD network and they were, on the whole, poor and the first visit to the specialist highlighted a number of issues with the car that should have been picked up / addressed considering it was FAMSH / Timeless certified and fresh from AM Wilmslow.
You could definitely go and buy a brand new car on finance for this kind of money. You could also withdraw a 5 figure sum in cash and chuck it on the bonfire, which amounts to the same thing. I had my V8V for two years and it lost £1000 in that time, even with a few thousand on servicing and maintenance it was cheaper than a brand new Ford Fiesta.
I wouldn't worry about a high number of users, it's pretty typical to have a car like this for a short time and move on. I've only ever owned one car for more than 2 years, mostly much less than that, so a 14 year old Aston with 7 owners is not a red flag. I was the 7th owner on my previous car and it was a peach.
I'm sure if you read "The Book" you'll hear all about the things to look for, but the big one is the clutch. It's an expensive item that does wear out, so be aware and pay accordingly.
Finally, if you're trying to decide between a few cars (A110, Cayman, V8V, 911) and can't decide which then don't waste another minute reading reviews, checking specs, or asking for advice on forums. Close this browser tab, go to the Autotrader website, find a local example of each car and go and drive one as soon as possible. Years ago I wasted ages trying to decide if I wanted a Z4 or Boxster, when I finally got round to driving them I barely got to the end of the street in the Z4 and knew I needed to buy the Porsche.
I wouldn't worry about a high number of users, it's pretty typical to have a car like this for a short time and move on. I've only ever owned one car for more than 2 years, mostly much less than that, so a 14 year old Aston with 7 owners is not a red flag. I was the 7th owner on my previous car and it was a peach.
I'm sure if you read "The Book" you'll hear all about the things to look for, but the big one is the clutch. It's an expensive item that does wear out, so be aware and pay accordingly.
Finally, if you're trying to decide between a few cars (A110, Cayman, V8V, 911) and can't decide which then don't waste another minute reading reviews, checking specs, or asking for advice on forums. Close this browser tab, go to the Autotrader website, find a local example of each car and go and drive one as soon as possible. Years ago I wasted ages trying to decide if I wanted a Z4 or Boxster, when I finally got round to driving them I barely got to the end of the street in the Z4 and knew I needed to buy the Porsche.
Edited by murphyaj on Thursday 3rd October 10:46
Don't worry about multiple owners as you tend to find a lot of sports cars are owned a year or two then moved on for something else, buy on condition.
911 and Vantage are very different drives, check both out.
I'm just about to put my V8 Vantage S Roadster on the market and I've just renewed the warranty to hopefully make it more attractive in a buyers market, you should get a good deal. Good luck with your search.
911 and Vantage are very different drives, check both out.
I'm just about to put my V8 Vantage S Roadster on the market and I've just renewed the warranty to hopefully make it more attractive in a buyers market, you should get a good deal. Good luck with your search.
Welcome MB,
Yes, we admit to a bias here, but in addition to the reassuring comments already made, I would suggest, if you have not already done so, visit the dealers to drive both a Porsche and a Vantage. Which one gives you more sense of occasion, because as a ‘weekend‘ car, I expect that is what you are looking for ?
One aspect to be careful about is the gearbox operation choice, Manual or Automated Manual. We can help later with that.
biggles330d said:
Most V8V's of the 06-08 vintage appear to be on many owners - is this typical that people only keep them for a year or two? Why is that?
I'm in Scotland - Perth & Kinross, so any recommendations of good independent's up here for service and maintenance etc?
Interested in others' views really, of which way to jump.
The A110 looks very impressive. Never driven one but I'd be tempted to try it. Bang up to date as well.I'm in Scotland - Perth & Kinross, so any recommendations of good independent's up here for service and maintenance etc?
Interested in others' views really, of which way to jump.
V8V is just old school. All depends what you like most!
I've had my MY2009 V8V (manual) for just over two years and put 10k miles on it. Still on original clutch, now at 30k miles.
I guess some people are maybe scared they will get stiffed with the cost of a replacement clutch (£2-3K) so move the car on before it happens?
I'll take the hit if it comes.
Martin's Aston Services in Cumbernauld is my favoured indie. Peter Martin may also help you source a suitable car.
I have a 2006 vantage and have used an excellent Independent. Circa £1,000 a year all in. Nothing has failed in 13 years bar a battery & Ford fuel pump. Expensive items are rear lights, but there are fixes.
I got mine wrapped a year ago and dechromed, really brings it up to date.
Add Apple CarPlay for about £1200 from Aston installations and you have a refresh of a classic design.
Good luck!
In terms of Scottish Indy’s I hear good things about https://www.martinsastonservices.co.uk
I got mine wrapped a year ago and dechromed, really brings it up to date.
Add Apple CarPlay for about £1200 from Aston installations and you have a refresh of a classic design.
Good luck!
In terms of Scottish Indy’s I hear good things about https://www.martinsastonservices.co.uk
Wrap dechrome was about £1,500. I’m down in Bath & had it done near Bristol, bound to be some good local firms.
I’m away from home until Saturday but will send some photos when I get home.
Here’s a photo from Aston installations site. It uses the existing screen and a button in the ashtray to navigate. Works well. https://astoninstallations.com/wp-content/uploads/...
I’m away from home until Saturday but will send some photos when I get home.
Here’s a photo from Aston installations site. It uses the existing screen and a button in the ashtray to navigate. Works well. https://astoninstallations.com/wp-content/uploads/...
I hear these stories of running cars like this for £1k a year and wonder where I go wrong! I haven't had a £1k year since I ran mainstream cars. Even with a Boxster I had a £4.4k service (at an indie!) when it needed an air con compressor, new brakes and a clutch all at once.
I would say mine has averaged around £2.5k PA and I haven't had anything major needed. Last year I needed to replace a warped radiator that McGerks dealt with. Add to that a service and it was about a £2.8k bill. This year I had a standard service but also needed discs and pads all round, so another £2.5k service - not really anything going wrong, just consumables. Tyres will probably need replacing early next year so straight into that years budget...a "standard" service on top will bring the spend near to the annual average. Just not sure how those who even only need to replace consumables can do this for £1k PA.
I would say mine has averaged around £2.5k PA and I haven't had anything major needed. Last year I needed to replace a warped radiator that McGerks dealt with. Add to that a service and it was about a £2.8k bill. This year I had a standard service but also needed discs and pads all round, so another £2.5k service - not really anything going wrong, just consumables. Tyres will probably need replacing early next year so straight into that years budget...a "standard" service on top will bring the spend near to the annual average. Just not sure how those who even only need to replace consumables can do this for £1k PA.
OP - what a simple Q! Easy... test drive all the cars on your list and buy a V8 Vantage anyway. Because... do you really need that explained? 
Renault. Porsche. All worthy.
Aston Martin. That’s an emotion.
Scrape £15k more together (you’d lose that in new car depreciation very quickly, so you already found the source to the £££) and get yourself a 2012.25 MY example from a main dealer. The most important mechanics are at their best and you’re effectively getting an S spec mechanically minus 10bhp. 1 year of comprehensive AM for peace of mind in your first year.
Really consider the automated manual fully by trying one properly. The later SSII ‘box is brilliant and I much prefer it to the manual I owned (bad gearstick ergonomics IMHO).
Costs me around £3.5k a year minus petrol and tyres for AM warranty (depends on your view if it’s needed), insurance, road tax and MD service. Deduct £1600 if you don’t care to extend your warranty.
Just do it!
Renault. Porsche. All worthy.
Aston Martin. That’s an emotion.
Scrape £15k more together (you’d lose that in new car depreciation very quickly, so you already found the source to the £££) and get yourself a 2012.25 MY example from a main dealer. The most important mechanics are at their best and you’re effectively getting an S spec mechanically minus 10bhp. 1 year of comprehensive AM for peace of mind in your first year.
Really consider the automated manual fully by trying one properly. The later SSII ‘box is brilliant and I much prefer it to the manual I owned (bad gearstick ergonomics IMHO).
Costs me around £3.5k a year minus petrol and tyres for AM warranty (depends on your view if it’s needed), insurance, road tax and MD service. Deduct £1600 if you don’t care to extend your warranty.
Just do it!
Manners79 said:
Jon39 said:
One aspect to be careful about is the gearbox operation choice, Manual or Manual.
not this again. Depends on if you know how to drive a Sport-Shift, I drove both and went for the best specced car I could find and it happened to be a SS which for me was a bonus Good luck with the search 
PS; I agree with the above posts, buy it and own it otherwise you're just renting.Edited by macdeb on Thursday 3rd October 17:25
Thanks everyone, all such sound opinion. I agree, much of it will be an emotional purchase!
I'm in no desperate hurry so a case of keeping my eyes open for something nice. I'd a hankering for an N400 for no particular reason than it was a bit different (my dailies are an i3s and Discovery 4 van, say no more) and I quite like the clear rear lights and 5 spoke wheels.
In a sea of silver and black, something more interesting would be great - Ghillie Green with tan interior would be amazing but unlikely to ever appear.
I liked the apple car play link. At the age I'm looking at the nav will be a joke compared to the iDrive in the i3s or 330d before it, but the car play image looked pretty slick use of an installed screen.
The specialist in Cumbernauld isn't that far from me, I'll pop in and have a chat.
Thanks all.
I'm in no desperate hurry so a case of keeping my eyes open for something nice. I'd a hankering for an N400 for no particular reason than it was a bit different (my dailies are an i3s and Discovery 4 van, say no more) and I quite like the clear rear lights and 5 spoke wheels.
In a sea of silver and black, something more interesting would be great - Ghillie Green with tan interior would be amazing but unlikely to ever appear.
I liked the apple car play link. At the age I'm looking at the nav will be a joke compared to the iDrive in the i3s or 330d before it, but the car play image looked pretty slick use of an installed screen.
The specialist in Cumbernauld isn't that far from me, I'll pop in and have a chat.
Thanks all.
biggles330d said:
Interested in others' views really, of which way to jump.
Unsurprisingly, I'm a V8V owner (since March). The 911 is a fine car and a car I wanted since a young age as it was regarded by the motoring press as the only "practical" supercar. In reality my hero had feet of clay; I have heard horror stories about intermediate shaft bearings, I could not drive early examples as the cabin could not accommodate my height/leg length and when I drove a more modern one that I could fit in I found the noise from the back unacceptable on a motorway run, whereas the Vantage can cruise quietly and I fit in fine.I'm going to potentially incur wrath here, but if you want Germanic build quality, every car like peas in a pod and can put up with the car, the 911 is probably a better bet - "hand built" has advantages and disadvantages, particularly as Aston Martin hasn't had the capital to invest in precision production equipment. However, I love my Vantage and it is a very special place to spend time (the advantages of hand built), but you have to accept it is an analogue car in a digital age - the fundamental design dates back to about 2003, although there have been updates.
In my case I found the 4.3 too lacking in low-down torque so went for the newest 4.7 I could find and I selected the "Marmite" SportShift II because why not? and I love it (but you have to learn to drive around its crawl-speed idiosyncrasies and lean that the "D" button stands for "don't press this, ever". I also avoided the "S" versions as I found the sports suspension just too "10 tenths" for some of the poor country roads round where I live, the extra 10 bhp is irrelevant in real world driving imho, and the torque curve is even "peakier" than the standard Vantage, which is already pretty "peaky" for nearly 5 litres.
My car was a 3.5-year-old one-owner, low mileage car, so they do exist, but with cars like this you often find that they are a toy and may be swapped every year as the owner/leaser sequentially tries a Vantage, a 911, an R8, and so on, so you can have quite a few owners for the age/mileage compared with more standard saloons. I went for a main dealer and a "Timeless" car for the security, but I could have found a lot more car for the money if I'd gone non-franchise or even private - you pays your money and takes your chance.
Oh, one other thing: the Vantage is simply the prettiest car on 4 wheels and it still makes me smile every time I look at it and realise it's mine. You can't say that about a 911.
Firstly... Don't bother with a 4 pot Cayman - you'll regret it!
I picked up my 2013 vantage s a month ago, and after 30 odd cars, it's honestly the best car I've ever bought. Had a few Porsches Inc a 996 turbo, but this thing just gets under your skin from the moment you push the key in.
The other thing is the reaction from others ... People stop me to talk about that car. I'm totally serious. Young and old just love it.
One thing... Go find one...start the engine and your ears will get the credit card out by themselves
I picked up my 2013 vantage s a month ago, and after 30 odd cars, it's honestly the best car I've ever bought. Had a few Porsches Inc a 996 turbo, but this thing just gets under your skin from the moment you push the key in.
The other thing is the reaction from others ... People stop me to talk about that car. I'm totally serious. Young and old just love it.
One thing... Go find one...start the engine and your ears will get the credit card out by themselves
Shnozz said:
I hear these stories of running cars like this for £1k a year and wonder where I go wrong! I haven't had a £1k year since I ran mainstream cars. Even with a Boxster I had a £4.4k service (at an indie!) when it needed an air con compressor, new brakes and a clutch all at once.
I would say mine has averaged around £2.5k PA and I haven't had anything major needed. Last year I needed to replace a warped radiator that McGerks dealt with. Add to that a service and it was about a £2.8k bill. This year I had a standard service but also needed discs and pads all round, so another £2.5k service - not really anything going wrong, just consumables. Tyres will probably need replacing early next year so straight into that years budget...a "standard" service on top will bring the spend near to the annual average. Just not sure how those who even only need to replace consumables can do this for £1k PA.
It probably comes down to mileage, short ownership term, what people choose to include as "running cost", some people not fixing every little thing, and possibly people rounding up or down in their heads. Some people might get a big bill every few years and count it as a "one off" without adjusting their average.I would say mine has averaged around £2.5k PA and I haven't had anything major needed. Last year I needed to replace a warped radiator that McGerks dealt with. Add to that a service and it was about a £2.8k bill. This year I had a standard service but also needed discs and pads all round, so another £2.5k service - not really anything going wrong, just consumables. Tyres will probably need replacing early next year so straight into that years budget...a "standard" service on top will bring the spend near to the annual average. Just not sure how those who even only need to replace consumables can do this for £1k PA.
I'm on my 4th continuous year of Aston ownership, 2 years with a V8V and two with a DB9 Volante. I only do about 2000 miles a year, most of which aren't pushing hard, so the tyres can comfortably last 3+ years. I had to change the rears on the Vantage, but the fronts were fine. So far on the DB9 the tyres it came on are in good condition, I might need to replace them next year if I don't sell it first (I'm trying to justify an upgrade). So that's 2 tyres in 4 years so far. Similar story with the brakes, front disks required on both cars but rears are fine, so 4 discs in 4 years. Service is about £650 - £700 from an indy, with bits and bobs usually adding a few hundred on (tighten handbrake cable, change rear diff oil, etc).
Biggest annual service bill in that time was £1750, but that included 5 hours labour tracking down a faulty electrical connector behind the dash causing a fuse to constantly short out. Over 4 years I've probably averaged about £1200 not including brakes and tyres, £1500 ish including them. If I'd gone to a main dealer you could add on at least £300 a year. If I did 8000 miles a year it would be a very different story.
I don't count fuel, insurance or tax, because that's just the cost of running any car, not an Aston specifically. And besides, the insurance is pretty cheap, about £450 from Aviva as part of a multicar policy.
Edited by murphyaj on Friday 4th October 10:16
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