V8 Vantage - where to begin....
Discussion
Evening all,
I recognise the irony in the thread title as there are no doubt hundreds of v8v threads on this fine forum! I reckon I’ve trailed through a fair few but am still rather confused.
I have started to ponder the v8v as I feel the Porsche market has gone a little mad (eg. 997.2) and I then went and had a walk around my local dealer (Wilmslow) and realised quite how special these cars are in the flesh - they look bloody gorgeous and have ‘aged’ so well. Add to that a pal of mine has just got one and took me out in it and I really liked it.
The query I have is simple - what’s the one to have (coupe) / or at least a good first Aston option taking account of my budget being pretty flexible c. £40-50k ish - would maybe push to early £50s for a later 4.7 car from a dealer.
The car would be a weekend toy for nice trips to country pubs / weekends away etc.
At my budget I’ve been looking at 4.7 cars and have thus far applied the logic of assuming condition is good just buy as new and low mileage as budget allows. But there does seem to be a fair bit of price fluctuation
I also like the facelift cars from c. 2012 on which have the more aggressive front splitter and I think a different boot lid (looks more pronounced)? But pre facelift cars seem a few grand cheaper and maybe bits can be retrofitted?
The other question is naturally whether to go for the S? My gut tells me this probably isn’t necessary and save the money or get a newer base 4.7. Could owners who have experienced both offer an insight?
I will admit I don’t know how long I’ll keep the car and with that in kind residuals do form prt of my thought process - although i’m not overly concerned.
I have had a chat with the guys at McGurk who were very friendly and happy to show me round a number of cars from across the timeline so as to demonstrate the differences. They also saw the funny side of my confusion and commented that there are a lot of different versions - however stated that in the main, fundamentally there’s not that much between a lot of them.
I’m minded to go manual but will be trying the SS2 for sure as i’m intrigued as to how it feels. I will ensure a long test drove as I hear infuriation can turn to affection over the course of a good run.
I recognise the irony in the thread title as there are no doubt hundreds of v8v threads on this fine forum! I reckon I’ve trailed through a fair few but am still rather confused.
I have started to ponder the v8v as I feel the Porsche market has gone a little mad (eg. 997.2) and I then went and had a walk around my local dealer (Wilmslow) and realised quite how special these cars are in the flesh - they look bloody gorgeous and have ‘aged’ so well. Add to that a pal of mine has just got one and took me out in it and I really liked it.
The query I have is simple - what’s the one to have (coupe) / or at least a good first Aston option taking account of my budget being pretty flexible c. £40-50k ish - would maybe push to early £50s for a later 4.7 car from a dealer.
The car would be a weekend toy for nice trips to country pubs / weekends away etc.
At my budget I’ve been looking at 4.7 cars and have thus far applied the logic of assuming condition is good just buy as new and low mileage as budget allows. But there does seem to be a fair bit of price fluctuation
I also like the facelift cars from c. 2012 on which have the more aggressive front splitter and I think a different boot lid (looks more pronounced)? But pre facelift cars seem a few grand cheaper and maybe bits can be retrofitted?
The other question is naturally whether to go for the S? My gut tells me this probably isn’t necessary and save the money or get a newer base 4.7. Could owners who have experienced both offer an insight?
I will admit I don’t know how long I’ll keep the car and with that in kind residuals do form prt of my thought process - although i’m not overly concerned.
I have had a chat with the guys at McGurk who were very friendly and happy to show me round a number of cars from across the timeline so as to demonstrate the differences. They also saw the funny side of my confusion and commented that there are a lot of different versions - however stated that in the main, fundamentally there’s not that much between a lot of them.
I’m minded to go manual but will be trying the SS2 for sure as i’m intrigued as to how it feels. I will ensure a long test drove as I hear infuriation can turn to affection over the course of a good run.
I’m new to them too. I’ve only had one which I bought in October it’s 2015 V8V Roadster SS2, I came from 997.1 Tip Cab. The Vantage feels more special, but also less forgiving, more of a thoroughbred. Rather less luggage space too.
The sport shift was a bugger to master but after nearly a thousand miles I love it above 10mph, below that I still hate it. Don’t like the Bridgestones, nor the satnav screen so that always stays down.
I think just over £50k gets you better value than either higher or lower amounts. ( I really don’t like the 2016 onwards dash). You should get a nice AM dealer car with Timeless warranty for that budget.
The sport shift was a bugger to master but after nearly a thousand miles I love it above 10mph, below that I still hate it. Don’t like the Bridgestones, nor the satnav screen so that always stays down.
I think just over £50k gets you better value than either higher or lower amounts. ( I really don’t like the 2016 onwards dash). You should get a nice AM dealer car with Timeless warranty for that budget.
If you can stretch to an early MY2012.25 car. You get most of the S upgrades without the price premium.
Detailed model info here: https://astonmartins.com/car/v8-vantage-4-7-my2012...
Yes you could get an older car and retro fit later body parts like sills and splitters, but the parts/paint/labour cost are prohibitive, for the relative small price difference between cars its worth hanging out for the later one if that's what you prefer.
If you prefer the original style sills etc then an early 4.7 from 2009 are great VFM.
Buy the Aston Martin bible www.astonmartinreview.co.uk and all the info you wish to research is in there.
Detailed model info here: https://astonmartins.com/car/v8-vantage-4-7-my2012...
Yes you could get an older car and retro fit later body parts like sills and splitters, but the parts/paint/labour cost are prohibitive, for the relative small price difference between cars its worth hanging out for the later one if that's what you prefer.
If you prefer the original style sills etc then an early 4.7 from 2009 are great VFM.
Buy the Aston Martin bible www.astonmartinreview.co.uk and all the info you wish to research is in there.
RichDS said:
The other question is naturally whether to go for the S? My gut tells me this probably isn’t necessary and save the money or get a newer base 4.7. Could owners who have experienced both offer an insight?
When the S came out in (I think) 2010 it was the only V8 which had the extra 10bhp (so what?), the V12V style splitter & diffuser and the bigger 6-pot front brakes. The sports suspension (earlier called Sports pack) is an option on both the S and the standard 4.7 Vantage. However, the 2012.25MY standard Vantage then adopted the 6-pot brakes and revised splitter/diffuser (although these were in black plastic rather than carbon fibre) so that definitely blurred the difference between the two. The later N430 was basically an S with some wacky paint/stripes options (you either like them or you don't) and plastic splitter/diffuser.Big decisions to make:
Manual or Sports shift? Drive both and decide.
Standard suspension or sports suspension? As above but bear in mind that most cars you drive will be on Bridgestones which are not great in any conditions and give a harsh ride. Put Michelins on it to transform this.
Coupe or Roadster?
Standard (Sports seats) or Lightweight (carbon fibre fixed back buckets)? I'm totally biassed but, having owned both, if you drive a car with Lighweights you will never want anything else unless you're completely weird.
Better run for cover now .....................
Enjoy your search
PS Worth considering if you're happy with Sports Shift: https://preowned.astonmartin.com/preowned-cars/177...
V8V Pete said:
When the S came out in (I think) 2010 it was the only V8 which had the extra 10bhp (so what?), the V12V style splitter & diffuser and the bigger 6-pot front brakes. The sports suspension (earlier called Sports pack) is an option on both the S and the standard 4.7 Vantage. However, the 2012.25MY standard Vantage then adopted the 6-pot brakes and revised splitter/diffuser (although these were in black plastic rather than carbon fibre) so that definitely blurred the difference between the two. The later N430 was basically an S with some wacky paint/stripes options (you either like them or you don't) and plastic splitter/diffuser.
Big decisions to make:
Manual or Sports shift? Drive both and decide.
Standard suspension or sports suspension? As above but bear in mind that most cars you drive will be on Bridgestones which are not great in any conditions and give a harsh ride. Put Michelins on it to transform this.
Coupe or Roadster?
Standard (Sports seats) or Lightweight (carbon fibre fixed back buckets)? I'm totally biassed but, having owned both, if you drive a car with Lighweights you will never want anything else unless you're completely weird.
Better run for cover now .....................
Enjoy your search
PS Worth considering if you're happy with Sports Shift: https://preowned.astonmartin.com/preowned-cars/177...
Great summary Pete - OP take this adviceBig decisions to make:
Manual or Sports shift? Drive both and decide.
Standard suspension or sports suspension? As above but bear in mind that most cars you drive will be on Bridgestones which are not great in any conditions and give a harsh ride. Put Michelins on it to transform this.
Coupe or Roadster?
Standard (Sports seats) or Lightweight (carbon fibre fixed back buckets)? I'm totally biassed but, having owned both, if you drive a car with Lighweights you will never want anything else unless you're completely weird.
Better run for cover now .....................
Enjoy your search
PS Worth considering if you're happy with Sports Shift: https://preowned.astonmartin.com/preowned-cars/177...
Graze
one thing to think about is what exactly you will be using the aston for. Because if you are intending to take it for spirited drives, then also factor in about 5k extra budget to just tweak the aston to make it a proper drivers car. that 5k will get you a new set of tyres all round (either michelin pilot sport 4S, or the continental sport contact 6) and installing a lightweight flywheel and clutch. A porsche 997.2 is pretty much perfect right out of the box (from a driving perspective) so factor in that difference. An aston with the above tweaks is equally enjoyable as a 997.2 to drive while also being far more special in the process.
Pete has pretty much nailed this one really, OP take note 
One thing I would say about the newer dash. You say you don't like it, but trust me, after living with both you would realise that the newer offering is far better. I've had three Vantages with the old dash and could never actually work it out. plus the LCD screen is useless, especially in sunlight (maybe not an issue in a coupe). The newer dash I have now is a much better option to actually use.
Either way, you won't regret whichever one you go for, they're great, solid and reliable cars. Enjoy your search and keep us posted.
One thing I would say about the newer dash. You say you don't like it, but trust me, after living with both you would realise that the newer offering is far better. I've had three Vantages with the old dash and could never actually work it out. plus the LCD screen is useless, especially in sunlight (maybe not an issue in a coupe). The newer dash I have now is a much better option to actually use.
Either way, you won't regret whichever one you go for, they're great, solid and reliable cars. Enjoy your search and keep us posted.
Chipping in with a few comments from my perspective.
4.3 or 4.7? 4.7. No contest. I've never driven such a large engine that was so gutless low down as the 4.3 I tried. I never tried another.
Manual or SportShift? Make sure it's a SportShift II - you can tell by having 7 gears. All 4.7s after the 12.5MY had SSII but early 4.7s had SSI - the SSII came in on the 4.7 'S'. I was all set to buy a manual having driven both and deciding the SSI I tried was so horrible it should never have been allowed on the road. But I was intrigued by the idea of paddles as I'm over 6' 3" and, while I could easily master the tricky clutch, it would be tiring in traffic as I had to lift my entire leg . So I read a bit more, got the SportShift Guide pdf and tried a few more. I now have a SportShift II and I wouldn't go back to a manual. Sure, it's flawed, mainly at low speed (crawling and car-park manoeuvring) where, unless you're really gentle with the throttle, you can induce a transmission shunt of monumental proportions that'll make you look like a learner. Also the gearbox will shift down as the speed drops to keep the engine in its operating range. If it does this as you're coming up to say, a roundabout, and you decide you want to go and flatten the throttle just as the gearbox decides to shift down you'll be left with no power, then lots of power. Embarrassing. The answer to all these is drive it on the paddles. Always. And anticipate the downshift by doing it yourself so you're in the right gear. I'm actually looking forward to when my clutch wears out so I can convert it to a twin-plate clutch - I've heard it makes a good car even better. Always always always do the clutch learn.
Comfort or Sports suspension? Now I'm an old fart who quite likes cruising and my days of a bone-jarring ride to get a few less tenths round the twisties are long behind me. I tried 'S' and non-'S' cars and decided I had to have the comfort suspension to take the edge off the ride. As I've written elsewhere on PH I've just junked the 5-year old original Brickstones and fitted a set of Continental ContiSport 6's and if I'd have known just how getting rid of the Bridgestones transformed the ride I'd have bought one of the very nice 'S's I tried. You'll hear people extolling Michelin PilotSport 4S's BUT you can't get the 245/40 ZR19 PS4S from Michelin in Europe that are specified for the later 'S' wheel size that all V8V have after 12.5MY. Hence the Contis
4.3 or 4.7? 4.7. No contest. I've never driven such a large engine that was so gutless low down as the 4.3 I tried. I never tried another.
Manual or SportShift? Make sure it's a SportShift II - you can tell by having 7 gears. All 4.7s after the 12.5MY had SSII but early 4.7s had SSI - the SSII came in on the 4.7 'S'. I was all set to buy a manual having driven both and deciding the SSI I tried was so horrible it should never have been allowed on the road. But I was intrigued by the idea of paddles as I'm over 6' 3" and, while I could easily master the tricky clutch, it would be tiring in traffic as I had to lift my entire leg . So I read a bit more, got the SportShift Guide pdf and tried a few more. I now have a SportShift II and I wouldn't go back to a manual. Sure, it's flawed, mainly at low speed (crawling and car-park manoeuvring) where, unless you're really gentle with the throttle, you can induce a transmission shunt of monumental proportions that'll make you look like a learner. Also the gearbox will shift down as the speed drops to keep the engine in its operating range. If it does this as you're coming up to say, a roundabout, and you decide you want to go and flatten the throttle just as the gearbox decides to shift down you'll be left with no power, then lots of power. Embarrassing. The answer to all these is drive it on the paddles. Always. And anticipate the downshift by doing it yourself so you're in the right gear. I'm actually looking forward to when my clutch wears out so I can convert it to a twin-plate clutch - I've heard it makes a good car even better. Always always always do the clutch learn.
Comfort or Sports suspension? Now I'm an old fart who quite likes cruising and my days of a bone-jarring ride to get a few less tenths round the twisties are long behind me. I tried 'S' and non-'S' cars and decided I had to have the comfort suspension to take the edge off the ride. As I've written elsewhere on PH I've just junked the 5-year old original Brickstones and fitted a set of Continental ContiSport 6's and if I'd have known just how getting rid of the Bridgestones transformed the ride I'd have bought one of the very nice 'S's I tried. You'll hear people extolling Michelin PilotSport 4S's BUT you can't get the 245/40 ZR19 PS4S from Michelin in Europe that are specified for the later 'S' wheel size that all V8V have after 12.5MY. Hence the Contis
Edited by LTP on Monday 7th December 14:32
There’s a lot of comment on here that the first gen of 4.7 cars (2009/2010), coupe, with manual and Sportspack is the pinnacle of V8V.
Classic lines (without flared sills), 4.7 engine, manual, up rated suspension, simple to work on, great to drive.
That’s what I popped for anyway !
You should be able to get one with sensible mileage for just under £40k.
Classic lines (without flared sills), 4.7 engine, manual, up rated suspension, simple to work on, great to drive.
That’s what I popped for anyway !
You should be able to get one with sensible mileage for just under £40k.
Defo don't discount the 4.3. Its a cracking car, feeling very special to own.
They have improved the model with time of course but they are not night and day.
Ive been lucky enough to have 4.3, 4.7 and 6.0 and they are all bloody lovely. Price gets you more the higher you go and don't be tempted to buy one with view to modify in terms of financialy retaining a penny. You mainly make them less saleable.
You are unlikely to regret any purchase other than if you get the wrong gearbox. And that's personal.
They have improved the model with time of course but they are not night and day.
Ive been lucky enough to have 4.3, 4.7 and 6.0 and they are all bloody lovely. Price gets you more the higher you go and don't be tempted to buy one with view to modify in terms of financialy retaining a penny. You mainly make them less saleable.
You are unlikely to regret any purchase other than if you get the wrong gearbox. And that's personal.
Thanks all for the great replies so far - must admit I did think twice before posting as thought I may have been have just been told to use the search function again! Seems Aston Martin owners are a friendly bunch...
I have taken from this that (as i thought) the gearbox is the big decision and it would either be SS2 or manual for me. Therefore am I right in thinking if I went older than the 12 facelift I would only be looking at manuals as don’t want first gen SS or am I getting my years confused again?!
I have lined up extended test drives in a SS2 car tomorrow and a manual car on Saturday so that should help!
Interesting point with regard to the pre 12 facelift 4.7 offering a sweet spot. I’m a bit of a tart and do like the more aggressive 12 facelift. McGurk have a nice pre facelift grey car though. Am i correct in assuming they turn out nicely prepped cars with good history or do I give them too much credit?
With regards the dash - please could someone summarise the updates? I certainly wouldn’t be against the newest but is this 2016 on - and therefore out of budget?
I have taken from this that (as i thought) the gearbox is the big decision and it would either be SS2 or manual for me. Therefore am I right in thinking if I went older than the 12 facelift I would only be looking at manuals as don’t want first gen SS or am I getting my years confused again?!
I have lined up extended test drives in a SS2 car tomorrow and a manual car on Saturday so that should help!
Interesting point with regard to the pre 12 facelift 4.7 offering a sweet spot. I’m a bit of a tart and do like the more aggressive 12 facelift. McGurk have a nice pre facelift grey car though. Am i correct in assuming they turn out nicely prepped cars with good history or do I give them too much credit?
With regards the dash - please could someone summarise the updates? I certainly wouldn’t be against the newest but is this 2016 on - and therefore out of budget?
RichDS said:
More questions!
SS2 first appeared on Vantage S in ?2010 and adopted by standard V8V in 2012.25 I think. So you can get SS2 on cars before 2012 but only on a Vantage S. Indeed, when Vantage S first came out it was not available as a manual. Then they did the SP10 which was a special edition S with a manual box option only available in Ceramic Grey (my car). Then manual became an option on all Vantage S after that - don't know exact year ?2013.Dash - first iteration on 4.3 V8V 2005-2008. "DBS dash" adopted by V8V with change to 4.7 (MY2009, first available summer 2008). New dash (similar to Vanquish) from I think MY2015 but it might have been 2016.
My first Vantage was a "sweet spot" 2009 Sportspack car. Lovely, and my wife still prefers the look of it, but my manual Vantage S (with lots of mods) is a better drive (and looks better to me too).
A comment for OP, just in case wanting more information about Pete's reference of 'sweet spot'.
The original Vantage concept was unveiled in 2003, then production began in 2005. Very little external body detail was changed for the production version.
From Model Year 2009 until 2012.25, the original body design continued unaltered, but with the benefit of the higher capacity 4.7 engine. Hence referred to as the sweet spot period. Some owners prefer the original design and some the later design. One V12 Vantage owner, even had his protruding sills changed for the originals, because he felt they emphasised the width of the rear wheel arches.
( Normally AML model years are September to August, but the 2012.25 extra quarter was because those changes were introduced later than usual. )
Edited by Dewi 2 on Monday 7th December 21:47
RichDS said:
I have lined up extended test drives in a SS2 car tomorrow
It can take a while to get “tuned in” to an SSII. At the risk of teaching you to suck eggs, remember it’s an automated manual and not an automatic. At every shift the ECU tells the hydraulics to dip the clutch, the ‘box changes and the ECU lets the clutch out, using the “learning point” as a reference. Drive it on the paddles; when you pull the left paddle for a downshift the ‘box will always change well, including blipping the throttle to match revs if you’re going quickly enough. Where things are not so good is on the upshift, as the gearbox will ask for a reduction in engine power to make the shift and the car can appear to fall into a power hole. To fix this, just lift off the throttle slightly as you change, just as you would on a manual gearbox, then get back on the throttle once the box has shifted. It’s easy, takes a bit of practice but is very satisfying when you get it right.
Then try it in “D” and you’ll see why everyone says not to.
Ref sweet spot. This old lady below was about as close as that being described 2009, full sports pack, 4.7 manual. (except it did have the n430 sills).
If I was doing it again for that sort of budget I would get the latest main dealer non s with the vanquish dash in a colour to suit. Or a sweet spot car and save the balance.
If I was doing it again for that sort of budget I would get the latest main dealer non s with the vanquish dash in a colour to suit. Or a sweet spot car and save the balance.
CB07 said:
Ref sweet spot. This old lady below was about as close as that being described 2009, full sports pack, 4.7 manual. (except it did have the n430 sills).
If I was doing it again for that sort of budget I would get the latest main dealer non s with the vanquish dash in a colour to suit. Or a sweet spot car and save the balance.
If I was doing it again for that sort of budget I would get the latest main dealer non s with the vanquish dash in a colour to suit. Or a sweet spot car and save the balance.
The owner of the beautiful car parked beside yours, originally placed an order for a new 4.3 Vantage, when the Concept was unveiled in 2003.
All of those customers had to wait over 2 years, before deliveries began. During that time there was a change of mind. The Vantage order was cancelled and the DB was purchased instead.
With hindsight, what a financial masterstroke!
Well done Richard.
RichDS said:
Thanks all for the great replies so far - must admit I did think twice before posting as thought I may have been have just been told to use the search function again! Seems Aston Martin owners are a friendly bunch...
I have taken from this that (as i thought) the gearbox is the big decision and it would either be SS2 or manual for me. Therefore am I right in thinking if I went older than the 12 facelift I would only be looking at manuals as don’t want first gen SS or am I getting my years confused again?!
I have lined up extended test drives in a SS2 car tomorrow and a manual car on Saturday so that should help!
Interesting point with regard to the pre 12 facelift 4.7 offering a sweet spot. I’m a bit of a tart and do like the more aggressive 12 facelift. McGurk have a nice pre facelift grey car though. Am i correct in assuming they turn out nicely prepped cars with good history or do I give them too much credit?
With regards the dash - please could someone summarise the updates? I certainly wouldn’t be against the newest but is this 2016 on - and therefore out of budget?
I have recently bought an N430. The later dash came on 65 plate cars I think. It looks miles better and is just much more modern and the bluetooth connection in my 16 plate car works perfectly for streaming spotify. The map still looks crap but the non map screen is actually quite good and doesnt offend with up to date looking fonts and infoI have taken from this that (as i thought) the gearbox is the big decision and it would either be SS2 or manual for me. Therefore am I right in thinking if I went older than the 12 facelift I would only be looking at manuals as don’t want first gen SS or am I getting my years confused again?!
I have lined up extended test drives in a SS2 car tomorrow and a manual car on Saturday so that should help!
Interesting point with regard to the pre 12 facelift 4.7 offering a sweet spot. I’m a bit of a tart and do like the more aggressive 12 facelift. McGurk have a nice pre facelift grey car though. Am i correct in assuming they turn out nicely prepped cars with good history or do I give them too much credit?
With regards the dash - please could someone summarise the updates? I certainly wouldn’t be against the newest but is this 2016 on - and therefore out of budget?
AM Warranty is a question and lots have a strong view as to its value, but bear in mind its c £1300 so if buying from a main dealer thats worth something. I concluded these are quite robust and bought unwarrantied
Re residuals all experience tells me manual will do better. Look at things like Ferrari 550 and 575. These Astons are analogue cars of a type which aren't being made any more: n/a V8, hydraulic steering, passive suspension, and imho manual fits with that. The clutch is really not that heavy. I agree re the comparison with Porsches. All I know is ok, lets agree the V8V is a less good car (debatable on looks, sound) but for what I paid for a 16k miles 16 plate a comparable 911 would have been at least £15k more.
I would have liked bucket seats but they are quite rare
other things I learned: they don't come with locking wheel nuts as standard. Agree with comments on Bridgestones so don't worry too much if they are on with marginal tread - good chance to get some money off and swap to Conti. Service is annual and the car should have a nice leather bound owners manual with built in service book. Oh yes - they dont like badly charged batteries but you can plug a ctek or similar into the boot mounted cig lighter style socket
Jon39 said:
The owner of the beautiful car parked beside yours..
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