V12 Vantage Manual to Vanquish mk2

[andy_ran]

Hi all

I currently have a V12 Vantage manual which i have had for 3 years now, I love it but have a real love of a Vanquish, so I am considering at some point moving over to a nice 8 speed Vanquish.

Has anyone else made this move, Any buyers remorse? Or was it a move you where happy with?

Thanks all

[LooneyTunes]

I’m in the fortunate position of running one of each (both S variants, the Vanquish is a volante).

In spite of the engine, they’re quite different cars in the way they drive. The Vantage feels much smaller than then Vanquish and, out of the two, is what I choose when I fancy a drive up in the hills without going too extreme. It really is a wonderful car with great driver involvement. The Vanquish tends to get used for longer cruises, weekends away, and the such like but drive it on the paddles (which I almost always do) and it’s surprisingly involving and agile. The Vanquish also seems to carry much more than the Vantage, which I find has a very awkward boot.

Sure, you’ll get people argue that the Vanquish isn’t hardcore enough (even in S), doesn’t provide enough luxury, or doesn’t have enough tech but these people miss the point. In the middle ground between Ferrari and Bentley the Vanquish is very hard to beat. The absence of tech is a good thing as the design’s is ageing well. Get a later one with CarPlay and you’ve easily got satnav future proofing sorted via Google/waze/etc.

Owned the Vanquish for a couple of years before I added the Vantage about 18 months ago so a decent amount of time with each. If I had to sell one of them, there is no doubt that it’d be the Vantage that went. It’s possible that I might feel differently if the Vanquish was not a Volante, but it is and they’re rather special cars.

[DAVIDOXE]

I have gone from V8 to V12 manual Vantages to Vanquish Volante following that a brief spell with a Superleggerra now back to a Vanquish Volante which in my opinion is the best of the bunch. The V12 Vantage was an amazing car but my only regret in selling it is that it probably went up 20k in value after i sold it, seems a patern with me and cars.
As has been said try and get a later car with AMi III which does support car play.

[andy_ran]

None of you are helping 🤣

The idea of a Volante is right up the list too

Shall start having a more serious look. There is a possibility to add it and keep the Vantage for a while too

[AMVSVNick]

LooneyTunes said:

Sure, you’ll get people argue that the Vanquish isn’t hardcore enough (even in S), doesn’t provide enough luxury, or doesn’t have enough tech but these people miss the point. In the middle ground between Ferrari and Bentley the Vanquish is very hard to beat. The absence of tech is a good thing as the design’s is ageing well. Get a later one with CarPlay and you’ve easily got satnav future proofing sorted via Google/waze/etc.

Owned the Vanquish for a couple of years before I added the Vantage about 18 months ago so a decent amount of time with each. If I had to sell one of them, there is no doubt that it’d be the Vantage that went. It’s possible that I might feel differently if the Vanquish was not a Volante, but it is and they’re rather special cars.

This is absolutely spot on.

I was fortunate enough to add a "going into the hills" car this summer too. However if I could only have one the GT would go as in reality the Vanquish is more than enough for our lovely UK roads

[nickv12]

If the slightly wider Vanquish body isn't an issue for you (only really a thing for tighter country lanes), then the only other things I can recommend are not Vanquish specific as such; the B&O audio and the Carplay-enabled infotainment on later cars.

B&O systems seems to have been standard on Vanquishes (never seen one advertised without the rising tweeters). Having lived with the standard 2014 system (250W?), "Premium" 700W and now the B&O (all in Vantages), I can say without a shadow of doubt the B&O is a huge improvement!

I previously read the Premium is just as good as the B&O and that the £5k option simply wasn't worth it. Well, I tried all setting on the Premium and never thought it a significant improvement over the standard audio. But the B&O is night and day different to my cotton ears. The clarity is amazing. And as it's rated at 1,000W, you never feel you're faintly taxing it. The theatre of the rising tweaters always makes me smile too.

Carplay was only available from 2017 on all VH-gen cars, IIRC. It wasn't on my 2016 Vantage for sure. But even after a week of using it in the 2018 Vantage, it's a vast improvement. I no longer have my iPhone clinging to a cheap holder on the air vents - it can be tucked away under the armrest. And Google Maps (or Waze, etc.) is always going to be better than any manufacturer system and up-to-date.

I don't like big phones anyway, so the smaller rising screen is perfect for me. It doesn't dominate the cabin but is high resolution and provides enough space for a clear map, music controls, etc.

At least you can get Carplay retrospectively fitted by your AM dealer (££££££) or there's a specialist.

Have fun deciding!

[andy_ran]

AMVSVNick said:

This is absolutely spot on.

I was fortunate enough to add a "going into the hills" car this summer too. However if I could only have one the GT would go as in reality the Vanquish is more than enough for our lovely UK roads

Your Vanquish is stunning, that would do nicely - I do think it's the best looking modern car. Followed closely by V12V and DB9 DBS

[LooneyTunes]

andy_ran said:

Your Vanquish is stunning, that would do nicely - I do think it's the best looking modern car. Followed closely by V12V and DB9 DBS

And, as that’s an S, possibly the best sounding too…

[RSbandit]

Seriously considering one of these as my next car think the Vanquish is a beauty better looking than even the current DBS SL. Had a V12VS a couple of yrs back but traded it in (also at the bottom of the mkt!) to scratch the Mclaren itch, now dynamics wise the Mclaren is quite a way ahead but the Vantage had so much character and was v reliable and great to own. Im feeling really drawn back to an Aston and for me the Vanquish has that x factor above even a V12 Vantage. Would want an 8 speed car and not sure if I'd go for a Volante or Coupe , Aston Works have quite a few to choose from in particular a stunning dark blue Volante priced at £108k no idea where these were 12 months ago as wasnt considering them then. I like the occasional trackday so on that front it might not be ideal but I drove the Vantage around the ring a few times and it was a v willing partner the V12 really likes to be pushed. Beautiful Volante above by the way looks the absolute nuts.

[nickv12]

RSbandit said:

Had a V12VS a couple of yrs back but traded it in (also at the bottom of the mkt!) to scratch the Mclaren itch, now dynamics wise the Mclaren is quite a way ahead but the Vantage had so much character and was v reliable and great to own. Im feeling really drawn back to an Aston...

Yeah... it was the same here. I decamped to the Porsche clan, but it was cold and bleak out there

I think the Vanquishes are much better value than the V12 Vantages as their base spec was so high. Still prefer the Vantage shape, but we're talking about liking a Monet vs a Picasso...

[AMVSVNick]

andy_ran said:

Your Vanquish is stunning, that would do nicely - I do think it's the best looking modern car. Followed closely by V12V and DB9 DBS

Thank you. The cream interior sealed the deal for me.

[cayman-black]

I think the Vanquish S is a beautiful car but its more GT than the V12Vantage and the fact that the V12V has a manual box makes it just that bit more engaging. Love both though so its a hard decision and one thats crossed my mind more than once.

[RSbandit]

nickv12 said:

Yeah... it was the same here. I decamped to the Porsche clan, but it was cold and bleak out there

I think the Vanquishes are much better value than the V12 Vantages as their base spec was so high. Still prefer the Vantage shape, but we're talking about liking a Monet vs a Picasso...

Indeed the full carbon body is quite unique...Porsches have never appealed to me the Mclaren has actually been a great experience to own as it attracts so much positive attention from random people but the reliability has been a negative.

[andy_ran]

RSbandit said:

Seriously considering one of these as my next car think the Vanquish is a beauty better looking than even the current DBS SL. Had a V12VS a couple of yrs back but traded it in (also at the bottom of the mkt!) to scratch the Mclaren itch, now dynamics wise the Mclaren is quite a way ahead but the Vantage had so much character and was v reliable and great to own. Im feeling really drawn back to an Aston and for me the Vanquish has that x factor above even a V12 Vantage. Would want an 8 speed car and not sure if I'd go for a Volante or Coupe , Aston Works have quite a few to choose from in particular a stunning dark blue Volante priced at £108k no idea where these were 12 months ago as wasnt considering them then. I like the occasional trackday so on that front it might not be ideal but I drove the Vantage around the ring a few times and it was a v willing partner the V12 really likes to be pushed. Beautiful Volante above by the way looks the absolute nuts.

We took a new dbs on a test drive last weekend. I was mighty impressed with how it drove, and how bonkers fast it was, but, and its a big but, I don't like the dash and the merc influences inside

The dealer had just sold a stunning vanquish and it got me thinking lol

[AMVSVNick]

RSbandit said:

nickv12 said:

Yeah... it was the same here. I decamped to the Porsche clan, but it was cold and bleak out there

I think the Vanquishes are much better value than the V12 Vantages as their base spec was so high. Still prefer the Vantage shape, but we're talking about liking a Monet vs a Picasso...

Indeed the full carbon body is quite unique...Porsches have never appealed to me the Mclaren has actually been a great experience to own as it attracts so much positive attention from random people but the reliability has been a negative.

Had a few porkers many years ago. Needed to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say it's got under my skin. Would still go before the Vanquish though.

[nickv12]

RSbandit said:

Indeed the full carbon body is quite unique...Porsches have never appealed to me the Mclaren has actually been a great experience to own as it attracts so much positive attention from random people but the reliability has been a negative.

I did think about a McL on and off. They dropped in value like crazy which made them look like a bargain (which they probably are). The stories of reliability issues stopped me (as well as the noise… a guy up the road chopped his V12S Vantage for a 570 and it’s not even close to the audio excitement).

But I still massively respect McL. I also read the usual tripe about AM reliability before I bought one and confirmed it was tripe. So I keep an open mind about McL stories.

[nickv12]

AMVSVNick said:

Had a few porkers many years ago. Needed to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say it's got under my skin. Would still go before the Vanquish though.

No denying they are brilliantly set up road cars. I would have a very hard time keeping up with my old 3.4 Boxster S in the corners. The limits were so high. Looked great, but never understood the joy others got from the flat 6. I always think it sounded like a bag of spanners when started and idling. Sounded better near the red line, but not as special as I hoped for.

The club and dealers were both ice cold.

However, it did teach me the benefit of changing from Pirelli P-Zero rubber to Michelin PS4S. The difference was sooo clear. Pity I only made the change 3 weeks before selling it. Had to wait 3 months for the tyres to arrive after ordering. Doh! But the next tyres in the Vantage will be PS4S’ in a heartbeat.

[andy_ran]

I have to say I had a 997 Turbo manual that I had lighty tweaked including a decent exhaust and it was a phenomenonal car.. but it was too good it wasn't fun

[AMVSVNick]

nickv12 said:

No denying they are brilliantly set up road cars. I would have a very hard time keeping up with my old 3.4 Boxster S in the corners. The limits were so high. Looked great, but never understood the joy others got from the flat 6. I always think it sounded like a bag of spanners when started and idling. Sounded better near the red line, but not as special as I hoped for.

The club and dealers were both ice cold.

However, it did teach me the benefit of changing from Pirelli P-Zero rubber to Michelin PS4S. The difference was sooo clear. Pity I only made the change 3 weeks before selling it. Had to wait 3 months for the tyres to arrive after ordering. Doh! But the next tyres in the Vantage will be PS4S’ in a heartbeat.

Don't do the club thing but totally agree on all other points.

I simply view it as an incredibly capable tool for hooning in. nothing else.

Back on topic, OP you need a Vanquish in your life, soon

[RSbandit]

nickv12 said:

I did think about a McL on and off. They dropped in value like crazy which made them look like a bargain (which they probably are). The stories of reliability issues stopped me (as well as the noise… a guy up the road chopped his V12S Vantage for a 570 and it’s not even close to the audio excitement).

But I still massively respect McL. I also read the usual tripe about AM reliability before I bought one and confirmed it was tripe. So I keep an open mind about McL stories.

It's interesting on the noise front ...having had a Vantage that V12 sounds like nothing else between say 2-4k so rich and layered really special the Mcl can't compare ...however I actually think the 570S sounds pretty good above 6k as it has a motorsport derived engine that really wails as you approach the redline. You have to have a warranty with a McLaren tho but it is pretty bombproof from my experience. In an ideal world I'd keep the 570S for track days and have a Vanquish Volante for high days and holidays...But I think the wife would divorce me if I added another sports car!