Complete Newbie jumping in with both feet

[Inatthedeepend]

Hey,

I am just about to buy my very first Aston Martin and have rather fallen in love with the limited edition 2023 V12 Vantage, specifically one I have found in Supernova Red. Aston Martins have always turned my head and I have always said that if ever I get the chance to own a "nice" car, then it will be an Aston. This is quite a big step up for me though as I am upgrading from a 2014 Ford Galaxy, and I have no idea what it really involves owning a performance car.

Where do I start? I have looked at insurance, but Locktons have given me a hard "no" because I have not got 9 months' experience on a performance car, and Adrian Flux would like over £5000 for one year's cover, which seems a little steep. Moneysupermarket or similar have quotes from Admiral and the like for around 2k, but I worry that I really ought to have specialist insurance cover. Thoughts?

What else do I need to consider? Any "things I wish I knew before buying my first sports car" tips you might have will all be gratefully received!

I appreciate that I might come across as a bit clueless. This is the case. However, I am really excited that sometime in the next month or so I will be the proud owner of an absolutely beautiful car. Please help me make the most of it!

Thanks!

[AMRicardo]

If you have a quote for £2k I would bite their arm off personally (without knowing your insurance profile).

What additional cover would you be seeking from a more ‘bespoke’ plan? Most mainstream insurers should be able to accommodate most requests.

There are services such as Zurich Private Client - but expect to pay a significant premium.

[AM-DB9]

Definitely go for the purchase... You might have to bite the bullet on your 1st years coverage cost.
I'm sure the insurance companies have seen far too many 1st time owners of high performance cars play ping pong between the highway guard rails with their new cars.
Luckily, I was able to use my past race car experience (20+ races) in lieu of previously owning a high performance car.
Can't help out with company recommendations as i'm USA based.

One thing that can help when shopping for insurance is if you will be using it as a second car and not a ton of miles per year, also an agreed upon valve.

Edited by AM-DB9 on Tuesday 20th May 06:00

[Dewi 2]

Inatthedeepend said:

I am just about to buy my very first Aston Martin and have rather fallen in love with the limited edition 2023 V12 Vantage, - - -

Where do I start? I have looked at insurance, but Locktons have given me a hard "no" because I have not got 9 months' experience on a performance car, and Adrian Flux would like over £5000 for one year's cover,

The insurance premium for my Aston Martin has crept up in recent years, now approaching £300.

I might be wrong, but it appears from posts on here, that the Vantage 2018 onwards models cost much more to insure than the 2005 to 2018 (VH era) cars. Perhaps the increased amount of electronic tech has something to do with it.

[Blitzuk]

Your insurance quotes are pretty mighty. Just wondering why they are that steep. If that is your lowest option, just weather the storm if you can.

[alscar]

Without knowing any details about you or your driving record bit difficult to give advice but given how much you are “ saving “ on the list price of the car (!) biting the bullet on Insurance is a small price to pay.
That said I would start with talking with another broker - Howdens ( the old A Plan ) are worth a call but make sure you use their Thatcham office.
Locktons are always going to be expensive given their AMOC sponsorship and Flux are not really in that market space.
That all said with the value of the car you don’t really want to scrimp on the insurance policy.

[Sebastian Tombs]

For me, Locktons and Admiral were about the same price. I went with Locktons because of a year's free AMOC membership and the included track day cover, but I should have stuck with Admiral and actually kept a continuous record of no-claims bonus. Would have saved me a fortune in subsequent years after I moved to France. AMOC was crap and I never did a track day.

[RSbandit]

I'm with Admiral and the multicar discount really helps, can't comment on how they are in the case of a claim as luckily have never had to make one. You should also look at Classicline as they specialise in high end stuff, they quoted me in isolation on my 600LT a couple of yrs ago and were pretty competitive but I ended up keeping everything under one roof in the end.

[citizen smith]

RSbandit said:

I'm with Admiral and the multicar discount really helps, can't comment on how they are in the case of a claim as luckily have never had to make one. You should also look at Classicline as they specialise in high end stuff, they quoted me in isolation on my 600LT a couple of yrs ago and were pretty competitive but I ended up keeping everything under one roof in the end.

Classicline didn't want to know about adding my other half to my TVR Insurance, due to her not having experience performance rear wheel drive vehicle, although she has had a clean driving licence for some 35 years.

[geresey]

citizen smith said:

RSbandit said:

I'm with Admiral and the multicar discount really helps, can't comment on how they are in the case of a claim as luckily have never had to make one. You should also look at Classicline as they specialise in high end stuff, they quoted me in isolation on my 600LT a couple of yrs ago and were pretty competitive but I ended up keeping everything under one roof in the end.

Classicline didn't want to know about adding my other half to my TVR Insurance, due to her not having experience performance rear wheel drive vehicle, although she has had a clean driving licence for some 35 years.

My wife now has 5 years of that “experience”, despite never having sat in the drivers seat! Always been cheaper to have her on it as well. Started with Admiral then theirs went up a bit and now with Saga (over 60) but mine is an 09 Vantage. We had to claim with Admiral for a mini - written off - and they paid a very fair market value for it based on ads at the time, after I pushed back on original offer. However my wife’s policy still increased after that despite no fault (probably a standard thing I guess)

[Simpo Two]

Other than congratulating the OP on his ambition, and now the ability to get into the top league, two things come to mind:

1) Running costs can be ferocious compared to 'normal' cars, but that said, don't just give your wallet to a dealer, options do exist; ask here if stuck. We like hauling people up the ownership ladder

2) The amount of bhp and torque going through rear wheels can very easily bite you, especially on wet/greasy roads. In a Ford Galaxy the limiting factor is the car, but with an Aston (or similar) it's you, and you can very easily exceed your ability to keep the thing going where you wanted - embarrassing at best and expensive at worst. Seen those YouTube videos? Yep that could be you...

Take the red one for a test drive and let us know what you think!

[Jon39]

Simpo Two said:

2) The amount of bhp and torque going through rear wheels can very easily bite you, especially on wet/greasy roads. In a Ford Galaxy the limiting factor is the car, but with an Aston (or similar) it's you, and you can very easily exceed your ability to keep the thing going where you wanted - embarrassing at best and expensive at worst. Seen those YouTube videos? Yep that could be you...

OP. - You should be perfectly able to avoid ending up in a (soft) hedge or (hard) wall.
Keep the electronic safety devices switched on.
Until you have more experience (tutored skid pan sessions can be helpful, the second steering correction is the crucial one), always apply gentle and gradual inputs to throttle, brake and steering.
Accelerate and brake when the car is going in a straight line.
Keep an eye on your speed, because it is easy to be going much faster than is intended, or appropriate for the road and weather conditions.

In an Aston Martin there is no need to go fast, it is special being behind the wheel at any speed.
Obviously do not follow the car ahead too closely. With power you don't need to be close and you might avoid getting stone chips.

If you are ever unlucky and realise that you have lost control of your car, instantly apply maximum brakes to lock all four wheels.
That technique will ensure that the car continues in a straight line until it stops. When people don't know about that, the car will regain grip at some point and then instantly lurch into a random different direction. Watch racing drivers to see this in action. Need to think about these matters long before they are required.

After time, you will gain the experience to be perfectly safe in a fast car.

[SuperCarrera]

Admiral are good. I'm on my 3rd Aston with them over 13 years. No other insurer has come close on price and on the two occasions I was involved in an accident they were very easy to deal with and didn't push back.

Welcome to the club.

[Simpo Two]

SuperCarrera said:

Admiral are good. I'm on my 3rd Aston with them over 13 years

The problem is that he hasn't had a 'performance car' before. It was a question I was specifically asked (I use PBIS https://www.peterbestinsurance.co.uk/ ) I suspect most of us have worked our way up via TVRs or similar to be able to claim the experience.

Joining a club might help. AMOC? Or perhaps others more suitable?

[Aml21s]

Inatthedeepend said:

Hey,

I am just about to buy my very first Aston Martin and have rather fallen in love with the limited edition 2023 V12 Vantage, specifically one I have found in Supernova Red. Aston Martins have always turned my head and I have always said that if ever I get the chance to own a "nice" car, then it will be an Aston. This is quite a big step up for me though as I am upgrading from a 2014 Ford Galaxy, and I have no idea what it really involves owning a performance car.

Where do I start? I have looked at insurance, but Locktons have given me a hard "no" because I have not got 9 months' experience on a performance car, and Adrian Flux would like over £5000 for one year's cover, which seems a little steep. Moneysupermarket or similar have quotes from Admiral and the like for around 2k, but I worry that I really ought to have specialist insurance cover. Thoughts?

What else do I need to consider? Any "things I wish I knew before buying my first sports car" tips you might have will all be gratefully received!

I appreciate that I might come across as a bit clueless. This is the case. However, I am really excited that sometime in the next month or so I will be the proud owner of an absolutely beautiful car. Please help me make the most of it!

Thanks!

myself i was in France in 2016 when i bought it, (now in spain) when i called some company, the only one wanted like 4500 euros too, then i got an insurance by speaking to the sales person he said if you buy the car i got you an insurance for 2500e,and its what i did, i bought it right away at 96k due to the affordable insurance now since last 4 years i drove 4000kms only, but i drove 35k kms before and i am paying 1k per year for a small coverage you know.
it was a 2013 i bought in 2016, and in 9 years nothing has broken, its only rear tires oil and brakes i dont regret i love it but at 4500e per year i wont have done it.

Edited by Aml21s on Wednesday 21st May 18:54

Edited by Aml21s on Thursday 22 May 21:54

[Inatthedeepend]

Thanks for all the replies. As I'm new here I'm not allowed to reply to this thread at times that might be convenient to me, so sorry for the delay.

I've had a few more quotes from specialist brokers, both in the 5k+ bracket. However, as I have just insured my other two cars with Admiral, they will be happy to add the Aston for around £850, which feels like a good deal.

I've looked at GAP insurance but no one will look at a car valued over 150k, so I am just going to have to trust Admiral to do the right thing in the event the worst should happen. Their "market value" for the car is within 1% or so of what I am going to pay for it, so that gives me a bit of a warmer feeling about it.

Not crashing is a great way not to test that, so thanks for the advice in that regard. I am very aware of my lack of sports car experience, despite driving for over 25 years, so will definitely be cautious, and a fair-weather driver (if there is such a thing in the UK).

I have been for a 10 minute test-drive already, and can confirm the car has a little more poke that my Galaxy. I came away grinning from ear to ear, so I class that as a success. That also means that I feel no desire to push the car anywhere near its (my!) limits. However, it looks like there is some good choice for advanced driving courses. Do any of you have any experience with these? I want one to primarily teach me how to be a better driver, but it would also be nice to safely drive faster than Miss Daisy's chauffeur from time to time.

[n12maser]

CAT driver training at Millbrook testing track is great, I did it a number of years ago. Thread with more point of views here:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Inatthedeepend]

One more thing. I am buying from an AM dealer. Is there any merit in getting an independent inspection of the car? I know it will get a many-point inspection from the dealer before going out the door. Is this enough? If not, any tips on professional help? Dealership is in Walton upon Thames.

[RichB]

As some will know, Pistonheads grew out of a TVR chat forum 25 years ago. At the time there were scare stories of people going the wrong way up motorway slip roads or coming out of roundabouts arse first. The only necessary piece of advice is that the accelerator peddle is not a two-way switch, there are positions between on and off where the car will drive perfectly normally.

[Simpo Two]

RichB said:

As some will know, Pistonheads grew out of a TVR chat forum 25 years ago. At the time there were scare stories of people going the wrong way up motorway slip roads or coming out of roundabouts arse first. The only necessary piece of advice is that the accelerator peddle is not a two-way switch, there are positions between on and off where the car will drive perfectly normally.

Good summary. Don't meddle with the peddle

Inatthedeepend said:

One more thing. I am buying from an AM dealer. Is there any merit in getting an independent inspection of the car? I know it will get a many-point inspection from the dealer before going out the door. Is this enough? If not, any tips on professional help? Dealership is in Walton upon Thames.

HWM - I've only bought number plates from them but they seem to have a good reputation and if that's correct then I wouldn't bother with extra inspections.