911 vs AMV8 - A first review!
Discussion
I apologise for the length of this post, but as car web sites are about sharing our findings & knowledge, I hope this may help some of you who are pondering the baby Aston as a future move!
Now three days into AMV8 ownership, so still early days, but I have now driven it for a good few hours over motorway, B road's etc. So I thought I would pop initial views in here............
1/ Is it worth the extra?
What you appear to be paying for is the bespoke finish of the car, examples would include...... the solid chunk of metal that sits in the amazing side vents, these follow the side crease that runs along the car, the steel mesh grills in the bonnet, the led lights that are your indicators, an amazing shape full of curves & accents that is only possible with hand finishing, the gearlever surround is real metal, as is the handbrake & the heater controls, the dials are milled from aluminium, everything is covered in top quality stitched leather. The car contains several plaques, hand finished & inspected by "name". IT FEELS VERY VERY SPECIAL TO SIT IN & LOOK AT, BOY YOU GET PLEASURE FROM JUST LOOKING AT THE CAR & KNOWING IT IS YOURS! Although I would also note some quirky things, like the electronic hand brake, which is awkward, fiddly & basically a crap idea!
Of course the Porsche is manufactured with more "effective " tolerances, there is no doubt in my mind Pork will be more reliable & more functional! For example the Aston has already shown small chips on the metal kick plates & door handle, being solid metal, it will be easy to sort these, but it shows the car won't have the integrity/durability of the Porker. In fact the Aston will need pampering more! But to be honest, my initial feelings are you want to do just that! I will have to wait on the reliability front, as it is early days. So I feel the bespoke special finish & exclusivity can justify the price difference, if this floats your boat!
2/ The image:
Because the car is perceived as "BRITISH" and it so rare (not many people have seen an AMV8 on the road) with a 007 image, this car turns you into a minor celebrity! Not in a flash way, rather a we are all british & proud to see one of "our" ultimate marques on the road. Of course there is the same look away mentality (that Pork suffers with) from many, but overall there is a FEELGOOD factor that is lacking from Porsche ownership.
I'll give you an example, some one from our village spotted the car arrive the night before, you can't see the house/car from the road, but as I was leaving the next day he appeared at the bottom of the drive, having heard the car start, just to see the Aston. This didn't happen with my 996TT & he is a Porsche owner! Now whilst I certainly don't buy a car to impress others, it is nice for them to share in your pleasure rather than scowl at you!
3/ The driving:
Now much has been written about the Astons relative lack of performance, I have come out of a Turbo, so am used to serious grunt. Clearly it is not as fast. But intial feelings are that it has enough performance, it feels more than fast enough above 4500 revs and the sound is fantastic. I still love Pork, but this car sounds amazing, it certainly adds to the driving/bonding experience! My car has been "uncorked" so sounds great all the time & has a few more horses!
Handling: Up to 7/10th the car is fine, the driving position is vastly better than the 996 911, you can get a comfortable position without the steering wheel fouling your knees & the seats are far more supportive. I had a bad habit of holding onto the steering wheel in the Turbo, not so in the Aston, I can get a near perfect position. What is bad is you can't see the front end, so it is very hard to place in tight spaces, getting into the garage is a nightmare!! The steering is nice & meaty & the wheel chunky to hold, but it doesn't give you the detail of a 911 & there is also the occasional kick back. Push above 7/10th & you notice the car start to pitch & float, it still tracks straight & true, but it is a little unnerving. My feeling is it is virtually the same as a 996 series on standard suspension, but not as good as the 030 sports suspension which I have always championed, also not quite as good as the 997S. You will note that the UK comparison tests had the 997 on the optional sports suspension with ceramic brakes, this is one reason why it won the test. So if you have 996 with 030, or a C4S, TT, GT3 then they are a better drivers car from a suspension/feedback point of view. The standard 997s "just" has the edge! In the Aston 2nd will rev to 75 & 3rd to 103mph, so you only need two gears for most B roads, it does mean at 30mph you really need 1st (47-ish mph) to blast off & at 50-60 you still need 2nd to get lift off. This car thrives on revs & goes through to 7300rpm, but it makes a refreshing change from the Turbo. So the gearing is a bit long & you need to keep it revving to get performance, but that isn't a hardship as it sounds so fantastic. The gearbox is very clunky, but positive. It feels great really interactive, adds to the driving experience, you feel you are "really driving" this car! But as it is heavy it is hard to make very fast changes smoothly & the foot-well is also tighter than Pork, my left foot keeps catching the foot- rest when pressing the loud pedal.
The overall ride quality is much better than Pork, especially 030 (let alone x-74!!) so it is much more comfortable, but it does suffer from a really aggravating pitching bobbing movement over lightly bumpy roads. I am starting to get used to this, but initially it is very unpleasant & the biggest flaw (so far) for me, although the other half doesn't notice it & just prefers the comfort offered by the Aston!
Summary: My feeling is I need to adapt to the cars high revving nature, I don’t think it will give me as much ultimate B road buzz as an 030 specified 911, TT or the 997S, but it has so many other compensating factors (the looks, ride, interior, feel-good factor, exhaust note etc) that first impressions are positive. As they say you pays your money you takes your choice. But with second hand prices of AMV8’s getting more reasonable, 55 plates will soon be near to O.P.C.’s well specified 55 plate 997C4S’s, makes you think!
The Mrs has the final say......Her summary is.."better to behold, admire and sit in (loves the ride quality & leather swathed interior), still too fast for her liking, loves the sound & the feel good factor, but... makes her feel more nervous in the corners"!
Now three days into AMV8 ownership, so still early days, but I have now driven it for a good few hours over motorway, B road's etc. So I thought I would pop initial views in here............
1/ Is it worth the extra?
What you appear to be paying for is the bespoke finish of the car, examples would include...... the solid chunk of metal that sits in the amazing side vents, these follow the side crease that runs along the car, the steel mesh grills in the bonnet, the led lights that are your indicators, an amazing shape full of curves & accents that is only possible with hand finishing, the gearlever surround is real metal, as is the handbrake & the heater controls, the dials are milled from aluminium, everything is covered in top quality stitched leather. The car contains several plaques, hand finished & inspected by "name". IT FEELS VERY VERY SPECIAL TO SIT IN & LOOK AT, BOY YOU GET PLEASURE FROM JUST LOOKING AT THE CAR & KNOWING IT IS YOURS! Although I would also note some quirky things, like the electronic hand brake, which is awkward, fiddly & basically a crap idea!
Of course the Porsche is manufactured with more "effective " tolerances, there is no doubt in my mind Pork will be more reliable & more functional! For example the Aston has already shown small chips on the metal kick plates & door handle, being solid metal, it will be easy to sort these, but it shows the car won't have the integrity/durability of the Porker. In fact the Aston will need pampering more! But to be honest, my initial feelings are you want to do just that! I will have to wait on the reliability front, as it is early days. So I feel the bespoke special finish & exclusivity can justify the price difference, if this floats your boat!
2/ The image:
Because the car is perceived as "BRITISH" and it so rare (not many people have seen an AMV8 on the road) with a 007 image, this car turns you into a minor celebrity! Not in a flash way, rather a we are all british & proud to see one of "our" ultimate marques on the road. Of course there is the same look away mentality (that Pork suffers with) from many, but overall there is a FEELGOOD factor that is lacking from Porsche ownership.
I'll give you an example, some one from our village spotted the car arrive the night before, you can't see the house/car from the road, but as I was leaving the next day he appeared at the bottom of the drive, having heard the car start, just to see the Aston. This didn't happen with my 996TT & he is a Porsche owner! Now whilst I certainly don't buy a car to impress others, it is nice for them to share in your pleasure rather than scowl at you!
3/ The driving:
Now much has been written about the Astons relative lack of performance, I have come out of a Turbo, so am used to serious grunt. Clearly it is not as fast. But intial feelings are that it has enough performance, it feels more than fast enough above 4500 revs and the sound is fantastic. I still love Pork, but this car sounds amazing, it certainly adds to the driving/bonding experience! My car has been "uncorked" so sounds great all the time & has a few more horses!
Handling: Up to 7/10th the car is fine, the driving position is vastly better than the 996 911, you can get a comfortable position without the steering wheel fouling your knees & the seats are far more supportive. I had a bad habit of holding onto the steering wheel in the Turbo, not so in the Aston, I can get a near perfect position. What is bad is you can't see the front end, so it is very hard to place in tight spaces, getting into the garage is a nightmare!! The steering is nice & meaty & the wheel chunky to hold, but it doesn't give you the detail of a 911 & there is also the occasional kick back. Push above 7/10th & you notice the car start to pitch & float, it still tracks straight & true, but it is a little unnerving. My feeling is it is virtually the same as a 996 series on standard suspension, but not as good as the 030 sports suspension which I have always championed, also not quite as good as the 997S. You will note that the UK comparison tests had the 997 on the optional sports suspension with ceramic brakes, this is one reason why it won the test. So if you have 996 with 030, or a C4S, TT, GT3 then they are a better drivers car from a suspension/feedback point of view. The standard 997s "just" has the edge! In the Aston 2nd will rev to 75 & 3rd to 103mph, so you only need two gears for most B roads, it does mean at 30mph you really need 1st (47-ish mph) to blast off & at 50-60 you still need 2nd to get lift off. This car thrives on revs & goes through to 7300rpm, but it makes a refreshing change from the Turbo. So the gearing is a bit long & you need to keep it revving to get performance, but that isn't a hardship as it sounds so fantastic. The gearbox is very clunky, but positive. It feels great really interactive, adds to the driving experience, you feel you are "really driving" this car! But as it is heavy it is hard to make very fast changes smoothly & the foot-well is also tighter than Pork, my left foot keeps catching the foot- rest when pressing the loud pedal.
The overall ride quality is much better than Pork, especially 030 (let alone x-74!!) so it is much more comfortable, but it does suffer from a really aggravating pitching bobbing movement over lightly bumpy roads. I am starting to get used to this, but initially it is very unpleasant & the biggest flaw (so far) for me, although the other half doesn't notice it & just prefers the comfort offered by the Aston!
Summary: My feeling is I need to adapt to the cars high revving nature, I don’t think it will give me as much ultimate B road buzz as an 030 specified 911, TT or the 997S, but it has so many other compensating factors (the looks, ride, interior, feel-good factor, exhaust note etc) that first impressions are positive. As they say you pays your money you takes your choice. But with second hand prices of AMV8’s getting more reasonable, 55 plates will soon be near to O.P.C.’s well specified 55 plate 997C4S’s, makes you think!
The Mrs has the final say......Her summary is.."better to behold, admire and sit in (loves the ride quality & leather swathed interior), still too fast for her liking, loves the sound & the feel good factor, but... makes her feel more nervous in the corners"!
Excellent write up - thank you for your time.
It always provokes the question - how many owners are going to ever push the car past 7/10ths to show up any handling ills?
I have friend with a Vanquish that on letting me have a go round the leafy lanes of Buckinghamshire couldn't believe how fast it really was - now I'm no Sterling Moss and wasn't really going for it (and it was an unfamiliar car) but we both came to the conclusion that he had never used the full throttle pedal travel and he'd owned it for 6 months!
It always provokes the question - how many owners are going to ever push the car past 7/10ths to show up any handling ills?
I have friend with a Vanquish that on letting me have a go round the leafy lanes of Buckinghamshire couldn't believe how fast it really was - now I'm no Sterling Moss and wasn't really going for it (and it was an unfamiliar car) but we both came to the conclusion that he had never used the full throttle pedal travel and he'd owned it for 6 months!
Grant, you hit a lot of the points and thoughts I came across during my limited test drive. Esp, the footwell space! The revving nature of the car is not an achiles heal as you point out, it is just different, I will however be very interested to see your MPG as a result of you being addicted to that noise!
To look at, sit in and own, the AMV8 wins hands down and as you point out, it then just becomes a choice over the 997S as to what you are looking for.
Did you have a sports exhaust on the 997S, is it nearly as good as the AMV8?
Got any pics, I need a fix!
G
To look at, sit in and own, the AMV8 wins hands down and as you point out, it then just becomes a choice over the 997S as to what you are looking for.
Did you have a sports exhaust on the 997S, is it nearly as good as the AMV8?
Got any pics, I need a fix!
G
triple7 said:
Grant, you hit a lot of the points and thoughts I came across during my limited test drive. Esp, the footwell space! The revving nature of the car is not an achiles heal as you point out, it is just different, I will however be very interested to see your MPG as a result of you being addicted to that noise!
To look at, sit in and own, the AMV8 wins hands down and as you point out, it then just becomes a choice over the 997S as to what you are looking for.
Did you have a sports exhaust on the 997S, is it nearly as good as the AMV8?
Got any pics, I need a fix!
G
To look at, sit in and own, the AMV8 wins hands down and as you point out, it then just becomes a choice over the 997S as to what you are looking for.
Did you have a sports exhaust on the 997S, is it nearly as good as the AMV8?
Got any pics, I need a fix!
G
No Pics yet, too busy drvibg or cleaning it!
I had a 996TT (not a 997S) this did have a sports exhaust, have also had an extended 24hr+ test drive of the 997S with sports exhaust & owned two other 996 series 911's, so feel well placed to compare the Aston. Although the more I drive it the more I feel it is grunty British staffordshire bull terrier/Bulldog in a sexy over suit rather than sprinty Doberman in a beetle suit!
Grant, great write up and very helpful. Have to agree with 99% of your comments.
I'm currently running an AMV8 for a week whilst my 997 is getting resprayed (a very nice treat from my insurance company). Have to admit that I seem to be falling for the Aston in a big way.. very tempted.
As for feeling like a celebrity, I cannot drive along any street in London without people stopping, tourists taking photos, etc. Genuinely feel like James Bond..!! My loan car is light silver (I'm sure Aston have fancy name for it) with blue leather and I think it looks amazing. Best moment was a Jag that pulled up at the lights next to me, a true British 'old boy' lowered his window and simply said "Beautiful, congratulations.." and drove off... Had a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
As for the sound....words just can't do it justice. Problem is that it comes in so high in the rev range that you spend half your time either flat out or cruising about in a low gear just to hear it.. won't do any favours for the fuel economy.
Fully agree that my 997 is better engineered and more of a true drivers car. However, as an overall driving experience the Aston wins hands down. Annoyances include flimsy plastic buttons, the key/remote are straight from a Ford Mondeo and the sat nav is straight out of a Volvo S60 (must do better..)..
Have been seriously considering trading the 997 for the AMV8. Obviously concerned about all the negative press about reliability, etc. However, just to provide a balanced view - my car is a loan car provided by a prestige hire car company. It's a very early model and has done over 12k miles. Given its a hire car I can imagine its been driven extremely hard (I am..!) and generally treated badly. Had an honest chat with the hire guys and apart from replacing a faulty battery they've not spent a penny on the car. Looks like new inside/out. Just shows that not all Astons fall apart immediately...
They're planning on getting rid of it at 15k so I might pitch a cheeky offer.
I'm currently running an AMV8 for a week whilst my 997 is getting resprayed (a very nice treat from my insurance company). Have to admit that I seem to be falling for the Aston in a big way.. very tempted.
As for feeling like a celebrity, I cannot drive along any street in London without people stopping, tourists taking photos, etc. Genuinely feel like James Bond..!! My loan car is light silver (I'm sure Aston have fancy name for it) with blue leather and I think it looks amazing. Best moment was a Jag that pulled up at the lights next to me, a true British 'old boy' lowered his window and simply said "Beautiful, congratulations.." and drove off... Had a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
As for the sound....words just can't do it justice. Problem is that it comes in so high in the rev range that you spend half your time either flat out or cruising about in a low gear just to hear it.. won't do any favours for the fuel economy.
Fully agree that my 997 is better engineered and more of a true drivers car. However, as an overall driving experience the Aston wins hands down. Annoyances include flimsy plastic buttons, the key/remote are straight from a Ford Mondeo and the sat nav is straight out of a Volvo S60 (must do better..)..
Have been seriously considering trading the 997 for the AMV8. Obviously concerned about all the negative press about reliability, etc. However, just to provide a balanced view - my car is a loan car provided by a prestige hire car company. It's a very early model and has done over 12k miles. Given its a hire car I can imagine its been driven extremely hard (I am..!) and generally treated badly. Had an honest chat with the hire guys and apart from replacing a faulty battery they've not spent a penny on the car. Looks like new inside/out. Just shows that not all Astons fall apart immediately...
They're planning on getting rid of it at 15k so I might pitch a cheeky offer.
X15 JEB said:
As for the sound....words just can't do it justice. Problem is that it comes in so high in the rev range that you spend half your time either flat out or cruising about in a low gear just to hear it.. won't do any favours for the fuel economy.
There is an easy solution to this. If you pull fuse 22 it opens the valves constantly and noise is amazing all the time. It doesnt effect the mpg this way as you dont have to floor it to hear it
.Bund,
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
X15 JEB said:
Bund,
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
Here you go.... it's a very common occurance now
Fuse 22 Instuctions
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 12th July 08:42
garyhun said:
X15 JEB said:
Bund,
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
Sounds very interesting - haven't heard about this before. Is this genuine?
Being a total novice to AMs and given its a hire car, I don't even know where the fuses are.. any hints? Also, do I completely remove the fuse? I will obviously have to replace before giving the car back but this sounds very interesting.
Any more details much appreciated.
Here you go.... it's a very common occurance now
Fuse 22 Instuctions
Edited by garyhun on Wednesday 12th July 08:42
Good man. Appreciate the help. Will test on the way home tonight and see if I can scare a few pedestrians along the way..!
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