V12 Vantage options
V12 Vantage options
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Triple-M

Original Poster:

19 posts

62 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Hi Everyone,

I’ve started searching for an early 6sp manual V12V. Any thoughts on the Carbon Buckets vs Standard Seats?

A roadster would be nice to try, but hard to find I expect! Do they still retain the character of the coupe?

Edited by Triple-M on Tuesday 27th June 06:56

ds666

3,101 posts

202 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
I’ll get the pop corn ….

Minglar

1,706 posts

146 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
ds666 said:
I’ll get the pop corn ….
smile

Indeed. To the OP, it may be worth doing a search on PH as the seat debate has been flogged to death on here over the years. Imho the only solution is to try and get a test drive in both types and see what works for you. Personally I could never get comfortable in the lightweights, and found that they made changing gear somewhat awkward too. But that’s just me and many others love them. Good luck trying to find a V12VR. They are rare cars and don’t come up for sale very often.

BTW your PH profile says you’ve previously owned a V12V…….so one would assume that you may already know the answers?
rolleyes

Best Regards

Minglar

cayman-black

13,251 posts

239 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
ds666 said:
I’ll get the pop corn ….
Here we go.....laugh

idealstandard

735 posts

78 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Triple-M said:
Hi Everyone,

I’ve started searching for an early 6sp manual V12V. Any thoughts on the Carbon Buckets vs Standard Seats?

A roadster would be nice to try, but hard to find I expect! Do they still retain the character of the coupe?

Edited by Triple-M on Tuesday 27th June 06:56
I've got a 2011 model, standard seats. I find it really uncomfortable on long journeys. First world problem I know, but genuinely make me consider whether to trip it to France in July or not

Triple-M

Original Poster:

19 posts

62 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Thanks for the thoughts. Will try both this time!

Anyone tried a roadster?

No need for ‘Popcorn’, just simply seeking enthusiastic opinions before going shopping.

andymadmak

15,356 posts

293 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Depends on how you are built. I am a large bloke so the comfort seats in my V12S work very well for me, 8 hours behind the wheel is not a problem.

geresey

521 posts

146 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Triple-M said:
Hi Everyone,

I’ve started searching for an early 6sp manual V12V. Any thoughts on the Carbon Buckets vs Standard Seats?

A roadster would be nice to try, but hard to find I expect! Do they still retain the character of the coupe?

Edited by Triple-M on Tuesday 27th June 06:56
Yesterday, Aston Bristol posted A pic of a couple of v12 roadsters they have at the moment

DBA086

122 posts

76 months

Wednesday 28th June 2023
quotequote all
I have the carbon buckets in mine and think they’re wonderful - very comfortable on 5-6 hour (sometimes longer) drives; supportive when you press on and they look the business. I think they also suit the character of the car more - whereas I’d want a DBS with the regular seats. At 185cm they also put me in a better position to shift, although I wouldn’t mind if the seats went even lower.

I avoided cars with regular seats for those reason.

The only downside is entry / exit is harder (the bolsters on mine were scuffed when I bought it and with the additional use over the last year would now benefit from a retrim) and it took a while to find a good booster seat for my kids (but halfords makes / sells a narrow one).

I’d also recommend swapping the DBS-style / alloy gear stick for a more conventional one - a conventional shake is more natural to use, new bushings improves the shift, plus the shift is easier in a wider range of temperatures (particularly summer - the metal one can get unbearably hot).

Edited by DBA086 on Wednesday 28th June 10:49

Triple-M

Original Poster:

19 posts

62 months

Wednesday 28th June 2023
quotequote all
geresey said:
Yesterday, Aston Bristol posted A pic of a couple of v12 roadsters they have at the moment
Thanks, those look like the later cars. I expect the experience is very similar, but I'd be after an early 6sp when it comes to it! smile

stevana1630

16 posts

67 months

Wednesday 28th June 2023
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McGurks have a 2010 Manual V12 Vantage with Carbon Seats,

Felonious

392 posts

197 months

Thursday 29th June 2023
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idealstandard said:
I've got a 2011 model, standard seats. I find it really uncomfortable on long journeys. First world problem I know, but genuinely make me consider whether to trip it to France in July or not
I also have the standard seats. More than any other car I have owned, they take a lot of work to find the right position. Now that I finally seem to have found it, they're great. But it took a looong time!

idealstandard

735 posts

78 months

Thursday 29th June 2023
quotequote all
Felonious said:
I also have the standard seats. More than any other car I have owned, they take a lot of work to find the right position. Now that I finally seem to have found it, they're great. But it took a looong time!
Tell me your secret please!

woodsypedia

871 posts

176 months

Friday 30th June 2023
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OP - DM Me smile






Felonious

392 posts

197 months

Friday 30th June 2023
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idealstandard said:
Tell me your secret please!
Trial and error! Lots and lots of error.

Davil

629 posts

49 months

Sunday 2nd July 2023
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Felonious said:
Trial and error! Lots and lots of error.
Getting the right amount of thigh support is key. Really comfortable seats once you get them set right.

V12VQuantum

18 posts

32 months

Sunday 2nd July 2023
quotequote all
As a new-ish owner of a 2009 v12v, I read every post on seats I could last year! And there's a lot.
There's no one size fits all, but if you're erm, quite wide, I'd opt for the normal seats as the lightweight ones can be tight on the shoulders.
However.... per the earlier comment I think the lightweights suit the car more. I'd have bought a different Aston if I wanted a softer cruiser. The buckets hug well and really suit a sports car, in my view.

The issue I found was lack of lumbar support. There are some foam pads inside you can move around (just pull the back cushion off), but they weren't doing it for me on drives over two hours or so. I recently got an upholsterer to make me a new thicker pad for twenty quid, and it works like a charm.

bentley01

1,148 posts

159 months

Sunday 2nd July 2023
quotequote all
woodsypedia said:
OP - DM Me smile



You are going to regret it if you let it go.

Mr Moley

542 posts

213 months

Sunday 2nd July 2023
quotequote all
Triple-M said:
Hi Everyone,

I’ve started searching for an early 6sp manual V12V. Any thoughts on the Carbon Buckets vs Standard Seats?

A roadster would be nice to try, but hard to find I expect! Do they still retain the character of the coupe?

Edited by Triple-M on Tuesday 27th June 06:56
I'm a bit of a lump (6'1/ 15 stone), had the buckets in mine and loved them, super comfortable. Couldn't get on with the comfort seats at all, felt I was sitting too high without much lumbar support, and personally wouldn't buy one with them.

Ultimately we're all different shapes and sizes though, so only one way to find out!

re volante, lovely, but more money. Big hit with the ladeez judging by my test drive!!

Mr Moley

542 posts

213 months

Sunday 2nd July 2023
quotequote all
woodsypedia said:
OP - DM Me smile



That's really lovely cloud9