Vantage Roadster - first impressions
Discussion
Moved this over from my Bovee thread... It's a 2010 (2011 spec) Vantage Roadster manual.
I drove my R231 SL500 up for part-ex and then drove the Vantage out of McGurk's and back down the M40.
I found the heater to be weak, the clutch to be awkward, wind with the hood down terrible, the seating position uncomfortable, the brakes slightly juddery, the radio crap, cabin storage lacking, cup holder unusable, engine torque unimpressive. I got to Oxford services for something to eat and sat there thinking why have I just traded in one of the best (and fastest) cars I have ever owned for a fancy badge on wheels.
Then I got back into it and everything, and I mean everything, just clicked. I started using the gears and having fun. Got the seat and steering position spot on. Realised what I was mistaking for vibration and judder was feedback and feel. The Premium HiFi is astonishing with a CD playing. The heater is fine, turn it right up and angle the vents differently. The cup holder is still crap. Meh. Finish your drink.
By the time I pulled off the motorway onto the dual carriageways I was taking sharp bends faster than I would have dreamed off in the SL, or my DB9 for that matter. Next day driving to work, I was pulling past 6krpm, 20-30mph quicker than I ever drove the SL. It's a Sports Pack car and feels so completely planted that confidence levels go through the roof (or not in a Roadster).
So all in all, I couldn't be happier. And I realised what a wallowy barge the SL was. Brutally fast and outrageous torque with that twin turbo 4.7 but without sounding too 'dab of oppo' it was not a rewarding car to drive and so I couldn't love it. This one is and I already do.
I drove my R231 SL500 up for part-ex and then drove the Vantage out of McGurk's and back down the M40.
I found the heater to be weak, the clutch to be awkward, wind with the hood down terrible, the seating position uncomfortable, the brakes slightly juddery, the radio crap, cabin storage lacking, cup holder unusable, engine torque unimpressive. I got to Oxford services for something to eat and sat there thinking why have I just traded in one of the best (and fastest) cars I have ever owned for a fancy badge on wheels.
Then I got back into it and everything, and I mean everything, just clicked. I started using the gears and having fun. Got the seat and steering position spot on. Realised what I was mistaking for vibration and judder was feedback and feel. The Premium HiFi is astonishing with a CD playing. The heater is fine, turn it right up and angle the vents differently. The cup holder is still crap. Meh. Finish your drink.
By the time I pulled off the motorway onto the dual carriageways I was taking sharp bends faster than I would have dreamed off in the SL, or my DB9 for that matter. Next day driving to work, I was pulling past 6krpm, 20-30mph quicker than I ever drove the SL. It's a Sports Pack car and feels so completely planted that confidence levels go through the roof (or not in a Roadster).
So all in all, I couldn't be happier. And I realised what a wallowy barge the SL was. Brutally fast and outrageous torque with that twin turbo 4.7 but without sounding too 'dab of oppo' it was not a rewarding car to drive and so I couldn't love it. This one is and I already do.
Very nice indeed yeti and you’ve done well to track down a manual example. It must be very different to your previous SL but no doubt in a good way. Imho this era Vantage has aged rather well. I think they still look really good today and mine still turns heads. It’s not difficult to understand why owners are somewhat reluctant to trade in for the latest version. Enjoy your car and hopefully the weather will be kind to you for the next few months too. Very well done.
BRM.
BRM.
I kind of had the same experience with mine on the way home from collecting it. Busy A roads from the dealer to the motorway then sitting on the motorway back to Glasgow from Staffordshire.
The road noise was annoying me, I couldn't get the seat quite right, and I was a bit underwhelmed but after stopping at Tebay Services, taking my jumper off and spending a bit of time adjusting things before setting off again I was much happier.
The next day when I got it onto roads I knew locally I was amazed by it. I hadn't driven it for a couple of weeks until last night and then I fell in love with it all over again.
The road noise was annoying me, I couldn't get the seat quite right, and I was a bit underwhelmed but after stopping at Tebay Services, taking my jumper off and spending a bit of time adjusting things before setting off again I was much happier.
The next day when I got it onto roads I knew locally I was amazed by it. I hadn't driven it for a couple of weeks until last night and then I fell in love with it all over again.
Congrats Yeti 
if you haven't got the OE wind deflector fitted, it is worth tracking one down. My 2012 Vantage Roadster didn't have one but current 2016 car came with it, once I got used to the view looking through it in rear view mirror I have left it as it makes a good difference.
if you haven't got the OE wind deflector fitted, it is worth tracking one down. My 2012 Vantage Roadster didn't have one but current 2016 car came with it, once I got used to the view looking through it in rear view mirror I have left it as it makes a good difference.
Edited by bogie on Friday 1st May 14:20
I have got the wind deflector yes; popped it out and stashed it this morning, great for long distances but no need when pottering around town and the lanes. Enjoyed windows down, as open air as it gets!
Today was all about introducing it to the garage where it’ll be living… god it was tight through the door but once in, easy enough to get out of it.
The hope is that I’ll use it less as it’s ina rental unit a few hundred yards away from me!
Today was all about introducing it to the garage where it’ll be living… god it was tight through the door but once in, easy enough to get out of it.
The hope is that I’ll use it less as it’s ina rental unit a few hundred yards away from me!
dhallworth said:
I kind of had the same experience with mine on the way home from collecting it. Busy A roads from the dealer to the motorway then sitting on the motorway back to Glasgow from Staffordshire.
The road noise was annoying me, I couldn't get the seat quite right, and I was a bit underwhelmed but after stopping at Tebay Services, taking my jumper off and spending a bit of time adjusting things before setting off again I was much happier.
The next day when I got it onto roads I knew locally I was amazed by it. I hadn't driven it for a couple of weeks until last night and then I fell in love with it all over again.
Not just me then! Driving around today I felt like I’d owned it for years, it fits like a glove. The road noise was annoying me, I couldn't get the seat quite right, and I was a bit underwhelmed but after stopping at Tebay Services, taking my jumper off and spending a bit of time adjusting things before setting off again I was much happier.
The next day when I got it onto roads I knew locally I was amazed by it. I hadn't driven it for a couple of weeks until last night and then I fell in love with it all over again.
The only thing I can’t nail is starting it with the glass key every time… sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn’t. Need to establish if I’m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
yeti said:
Beautiful.
Glad that your initial impressions have been overcome.
2011 model year presumably means that you have cats in the manifolds.
If not, then the easy exhaust sound enhancenent is a possibility, although I get the impression, that indies do not want to do that job any more.
Enjoy your car.
yeti said:
The only thing I can t nail is starting it with the glass key every time sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn t. Need to establish if I m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
With both my 2015 V12S and my later GT8 I always just pushed / push the key in all the way from the get go. Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
I seem to recall this was in the handbook.
Whether the 2011 model had anything different I know not.
yeti said:
Not just me then! Driving around today I felt like I d owned it for years, it fits like a glove.
The only thing I can t nail is starting it with the glass key every time sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn t. Need to establish if I m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
I think you have to go from still sticking out straight through to start position in one go. It'll do it's dance and startup checks and then fire. You're probably juuust getting it into the starting zone when you push it to flush and if you do that, you need to back out to sticking out before you get another chance to start again. It's a pretty annoying 'feature' if you stall it, which does happen a bit with a lightweight flywheel...or at least with me! The only thing I can t nail is starting it with the glass key every time sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn t. Need to establish if I m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
yeti said:
Not just me then! Driving around today I felt like I d owned it for years, it fits like a glove.
The only thing I can t nail is starting it with the glass key every time sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn t. Need to establish if I m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
In the 7 years I've owned my SSII V8V I don't bother with all the "white light; red light; Beauty, Power, Soul" faff - unless I'm showing it off to someone who doesn't know these cars. My start routine is: The only thing I can t nail is starting it with the glass key every time sometimes it goes red, sometimes it doesn t. Need to establish if I m the problem.
Push in to holding position, still sticking out.
Seat belt etc
Push in until flush. Wait for system check to be done and push clutch in during that.
Button either goes red (will start) or stays white. Is there a particular moment in the sequence where the clutch needs to be pushed in?
- foot on footbrake (for manual cars this will be the clutch)
- slam glass key all the way to "Position 3" and hold it in, waiting for the car's electronics to catch up, the checks to happen and the car to crank
- finger off the glass key when the engine fires
- while "clutch learn" takes place fasten seatbelt and power out the mirrors.
- pull back right paddle to engage 1st and move off (releasing handbrake as appropriate)
Congrats, and glad you're enjoying it! About the start procedure, for my MY2009 manual: Push key to flush position, wait for "Beauty" in the "Power Beauty Soul" sequence silliness, then step on the clutch. Works every time. If it finishes "Soul" then it's too late to get the red glow (it stays white) and I have to start over.
Speedraser said:
Congrats, and glad you're enjoying it! About the start procedure, for my MY2009 manual: Push key to flush position, wait for "Beauty" in the "Power Beauty Soul" sequence silliness, then step on the clutch. Works every time. If it finishes "Soul" then it's too late to get the red glow (it stays white) and I have to start over.
Mines a:PURE
ASTON
MARTIN
Car but I suspect you’re right; push in on the second word. It’s caught me out quite embarrassingly already not being able to start my own car.
At least I know I can go straight to start if I’m a hurry and not go through the system check. I feel like I should though…
yeti said:
At least I know I can go straight to start if I m a hurry and not go through the system check. I feel like I should though
The car will do the system checks no matter what you do to start it - the rest is just theatre. When I push my key straight through to "Position 3" in one action, nothing happens for, maybe, a couple of seconds while it does its checks and decides it's OK to crank.Speedraser said:
Congrats, and glad you're enjoying it! About the start procedure, for my MY2009 manual: Push key to flush position, wait for "Beauty" in the "Power Beauty Soul" sequence silliness, then step on the clutch. Works every time. If it finishes "Soul" then it's too late to get the red glow (it stays white) and I have to start over.
Mines a:PURE
ASTON
MARTIN
Car but I suspect you’re right; push in on the second word. It’s caught me out quite embarrassingly already not being able to start my own car.
At least I know I can go straight to start if I’m a hurry and not go through the system check. I feel like I should though…
LTP said:
The car will do the system checks no matter what you do to start it - the rest is just theatre. When I push my key straight through to "Position 3" in one action, nothing happens for, maybe, a couple of seconds while it does its checks and decides it's OK to crank.
That explains why mine sometimes feels like there is a slight delay before starting, and other times it feels like it’s quicker to fire up. It just depends how excitable I am pushing the key in, lol.Thanks,
John
First proper drive around the Surrey Hills at dusk last night... Roof off, heater on full whack, no music needed.
It absolutely flies, and ride quality is superb over some pretty poor road surfaces. I am only comparing to my SL on like for like roads, but that was a switchable damper car rather than ABC (Active Body Control) and I believe the R231 SL set-up always feels lacking without ABC (It was so unreliable on the previous generations that once it became optional, hardly anyone ticked the box). I was forced to drive it in Comfort mode as the Sport was too hard.
Not once did the Vantage creak, thump, squeak or crash over those roads and despite me wincing at the sudden appearance of potholes, it glided over them. Can really feel the shorter wheelbase now and fun was had climbing the zig zags at Box Hill. If I had switchable dampers, I wouldn't have touched the setting at any point, even pootling home. So it's right where I want it.
Plenty of poke although it's harder to access without the twin turbos I've become accustomed to; but I'm revving past the peak torque zone at 5500ish and through to 6500ish now. I would like a slug more torque low down for when I'm lazy-driving and faster throttle response to help rev-match downchanges. I know there are options.
It absolutely flies, and ride quality is superb over some pretty poor road surfaces. I am only comparing to my SL on like for like roads, but that was a switchable damper car rather than ABC (Active Body Control) and I believe the R231 SL set-up always feels lacking without ABC (It was so unreliable on the previous generations that once it became optional, hardly anyone ticked the box). I was forced to drive it in Comfort mode as the Sport was too hard.
Not once did the Vantage creak, thump, squeak or crash over those roads and despite me wincing at the sudden appearance of potholes, it glided over them. Can really feel the shorter wheelbase now and fun was had climbing the zig zags at Box Hill. If I had switchable dampers, I wouldn't have touched the setting at any point, even pootling home. So it's right where I want it.
Plenty of poke although it's harder to access without the twin turbos I've become accustomed to; but I'm revving past the peak torque zone at 5500ish and through to 6500ish now. I would like a slug more torque low down for when I'm lazy-driving and faster throttle response to help rev-match downchanges. I know there are options.
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff