Vantage SPORTSPACK - Worth having ??
Discussion
Hi all.
I'm considering fitting the current Sportspack option to my MY07 Coupe.
Appreciate there have been a number of threads on this but am looking for some current feedback...
My only real concern is the number of negative articles in the auto press ; "ride is unremittingly firm" or "harsh on British roads" or "only worth having if your a trackday regular" etc etc.
Any views on the following specifics ;
)
Ultimately I just wanna know IS IT WORTH IT !?
Cheers, and a Happy New Year to you all.
I'm considering fitting the current Sportspack option to my MY07 Coupe.
Appreciate there have been a number of threads on this but am looking for some current feedback...
My only real concern is the number of negative articles in the auto press ; "ride is unremittingly firm" or "harsh on British roads" or "only worth having if your a trackday regular" etc etc.
Any views on the following specifics ;
- Does the Sportspack option differ from the revisions used on the N400? Eg, the latter also used revised top-mounts and featured a stiffer anti-roll bar.
- Is there a significant weight saving on the lightweight wheels vs my standard 7-soke alloys?
- is the ride height lowered?
)Ultimately I just wanna know IS IT WORTH IT !?
Cheers, and a Happy New Year to you all.
I think it depends on what you use your car for, what roads you like to drive, and what you are used to/what other sportscars youve driven, with regard to ride quality
For me personally, mine is a daily driver, and tourer ...the standard setup is more than firm enough for my useage of the car and even performed adequate on a couple of trackdays
the sports suspension car I drove was more of the same, im sure it would lower my lap times (if I was bothered) but become slightly less comfy on the avg road ..particularly the bumpy British B road
so I havnt bothered, and I doubt I will ...I will stick to another car for trackdays like my old Elise, or maybe a Caterham
For me personally, mine is a daily driver, and tourer ...the standard setup is more than firm enough for my useage of the car and even performed adequate on a couple of trackdays
the sports suspension car I drove was more of the same, im sure it would lower my lap times (if I was bothered) but become slightly less comfy on the avg road ..particularly the bumpy British B road
so I havnt bothered, and I doubt I will ...I will stick to another car for trackdays like my old Elise, or maybe a Caterham
I've had 2 V8Vs without Sportspack and the current one with. I certainly don't think the ride with is 'unremittingly firm', in fact I'm very pleased with the way it soaks up rough surfaces. Whether it's worth retro-fitting, only you can answer. Have you thought of booking a test drive of a Sportspack fitted car at a dealer - drive there in your car, then you have a back-to-back comparison.
I had an N400 for 16 months and never felt that the ride was harsh. I now have a V12V and I am certain that the N400 wasn't a harsh ride. It is a firm but compliant ride that gives great control without worrying about every hole in the road. I found a GT3 much less understanding on UK roads of the need for driver comfort. If you enjoy driving a sports car you need a degree of firmness but the N400 (or I assume the sports pack) design never ventures into dental damage mode. Enjoy the drive.
FWIIW, I have just moved from a 4.3L MY2007 V8V without SP to a spankin' new 4.7L MY2010 with SP.
The difference is huge to me. Just getting out of my little village with the car is completely fresh.
Before, I used to take the speed humps at 5mph. The car would wobble and you never knew how close you were to skuffing the underside.
With the MY2010 w/SP, you can hit the bumps at 20mph and the control is sudden and precise. Very confortable, almost as if the bump was not there.
Now if your going to ask me about control and feedback at +70mph or +150mph or whatever...I simply cannot tell. However, I'm pretty sure it is a HUGE advance on the regular stock springs and dampeners etc..
I was cycnical - paying a lot extra for cooler wheels but when you get down to it, you get a lot more than extra cool wheels. It takes out all the bad bits you dont need in a car like that and does nothing to reduce the comfort of the driver.
Go for it!
G
The difference is huge to me. Just getting out of my little village with the car is completely fresh.
Before, I used to take the speed humps at 5mph. The car would wobble and you never knew how close you were to skuffing the underside.
With the MY2010 w/SP, you can hit the bumps at 20mph and the control is sudden and precise. Very confortable, almost as if the bump was not there.
Now if your going to ask me about control and feedback at +70mph or +150mph or whatever...I simply cannot tell. However, I'm pretty sure it is a HUGE advance on the regular stock springs and dampeners etc..
I was cycnical - paying a lot extra for cooler wheels but when you get down to it, you get a lot more than extra cool wheels. It takes out all the bad bits you dont need in a car like that and does nothing to reduce the comfort of the driver.
Go for it!
G
There have been many POSITIVE reviews of the Sports Pack in the press also 
I have the Sports Pack on my 2009 V8V, and I love it. I was a little worried at first since I live in the NY area, and the roads are terrible. I think the ride of the SP car is extremely well judged. It is firm, certainly, but not in any way harsh. I think the damping is superb -- it is very well controlled,, but there is no impact harshness. Importantly, I find the highway/motorway ride to be excellent -- firm, again, but certainly not jiggly. If you're happy with your current suspension, I can't say whether the upgrade is worth the expense, but I think it's a great suspension.
I believe the SP is the same as the N400 setup. At least, I have read in the press that it is.
I have the Sports Pack on my 2009 V8V, and I love it. I was a little worried at first since I live in the NY area, and the roads are terrible. I think the ride of the SP car is extremely well judged. It is firm, certainly, but not in any way harsh. I think the damping is superb -- it is very well controlled,, but there is no impact harshness. Importantly, I find the highway/motorway ride to be excellent -- firm, again, but certainly not jiggly. If you're happy with your current suspension, I can't say whether the upgrade is worth the expense, but I think it's a great suspension.
I believe the SP is the same as the N400 setup. At least, I have read in the press that it is.
Ain't the web a marvel?
3am in Blighty yet advice on my post from a nocturnal(?) "Guycord", joined later by New York...(Thanks Speedraser!)
Anyway, I guess my main concern is that the "Sportspack" - in it's current guise - was primarily designed for the 4.7 Vantage and not a MY07 4.3 Coupe.
The 4.7 coupe inherited (as standard) "uprated components and stiffer springs already fitted to the Roadster" - EVO 120.
In other words the Sportspack upgrades (even _stiffer_ springs and retuned dampers) are being added to a seemingly better platform...
If i do go for it, then presumably I'm adding something on to a "weaker" one ??
Should I be sourcing these initial upgrades first before adding the Sportspack !??
3am in Blighty yet advice on my post from a nocturnal(?) "Guycord", joined later by New York...(Thanks Speedraser!)
Anyway, I guess my main concern is that the "Sportspack" - in it's current guise - was primarily designed for the 4.7 Vantage and not a MY07 4.3 Coupe.
The 4.7 coupe inherited (as standard) "uprated components and stiffer springs already fitted to the Roadster" - EVO 120.
In other words the Sportspack upgrades (even _stiffer_ springs and retuned dampers) are being added to a seemingly better platform...
If i do go for it, then presumably I'm adding something on to a "weaker" one ??
Should I be sourcing these initial upgrades first before adding the Sportspack !??
Yeah it would, but I'm already halfway thru upgrading my 4.3...
Just had to quench my insatiable thirst for a V8V in Spring '09 - and secured one for just over £50k (when the few 2nd hand 4.7's were mid £70's).
I knew that by Spring '10 I might regret not holding out!!
Having already spent £7k on performance upgrades I feel like I can't really quit halfway through!
Plus of course i've "bonded" with the beauty now.
Just had to quench my insatiable thirst for a V8V in Spring '09 - and secured one for just over £50k (when the few 2nd hand 4.7's were mid £70's).
I knew that by Spring '10 I might regret not holding out!!
Having already spent £7k on performance upgrades I feel like I can't really quit halfway through!
Plus of course i've "bonded" with the beauty now.
SLINC said:
Having already spent £7k on performance upgrades I feel like I can't really quit halfway through!
SLINC, what have you had done so far? £7k is 'almost' half of what you could spend on upgrades for your Vantage though not quite. 
I'm with you on the 'bonding' front and possibly even more so as I bought mine from new and followed it through the production line. Go for the Sportspack, you won't be disappointed, and if you haven't done so already then go for the power upgrade. N400 sills change the stance of the car completely and whilst being cosmetic, imho, finish it off perfectly. Other latest options include the carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser and I believe my car to be one of the very first, if not the first, to have these added. On collection it was like picking up a new car and has somewhat softened, though not removed, the itch to move up to a DBS.
Hi Steve B !
Well upgrades so far ;
Planned ;
It's the last part i'm confused about.
No-one seems to know whether or not the Sportspack includes the items that differentiated the standard 4.7 from the standard 4.3
I guess it'll be a call to the dealer - but I'm not always convinced I get the "full" answer..
Hence trying the PH forum first!
Well upgrades so far ;
- AM Power Pack
- Milltek sports cats and exhaust (fabulous)
- ECU remap
Planned ;
- N400 style sills (agree with you - look gorgeous)
- 5 Spoke lightweight alloys (almost a pre-requisite to complement the sills alone)
- Stiffer springs, Bilstein dampers and (hopefully)any other suspension tweaks that'd take it close to the 4.7 spec.
It's the last part i'm confused about.
No-one seems to know whether or not the Sportspack includes the items that differentiated the standard 4.7 from the standard 4.3
I guess it'll be a call to the dealer - but I'm not always convinced I get the "full" answer..
Hence trying the PH forum first!
After having switched from a 4.3 coupe to a 4.7 coupe with sportspack I would say that it pack is definitely worth having. The ride is very acceptable in comparison with the previous model being compliant and well controlled. For me its excactly what the original suspension set-up should have been, sporty rather than GT.
My understanding of the 4.7 is that the standard suspension set-up is slightly softer than the 4.3 with the sportpack being firmer.
I also investigated upgrading my 4.3 and was led to believe that the changes would convert my car to the same specifications as the 4.7. The standard 4.7 differs from the 4.3 but upgraded with the sportspack they are the same.
My decison was to put the cost of upgrading into the new car and get the benefits of the 4.7 motor and other upgrades. Fortunately I made the change back in October of 2008 when there were some rather good deals going around.
Put simply the 4.7 is like a completely different car, if you can afford it go for it! Thats no slight on the 4.3 either, two years of great motoring with it.
Tim
My understanding of the 4.7 is that the standard suspension set-up is slightly softer than the 4.3 with the sportpack being firmer.
I also investigated upgrading my 4.3 and was led to believe that the changes would convert my car to the same specifications as the 4.7. The standard 4.7 differs from the 4.3 but upgraded with the sportspack they are the same.
My decison was to put the cost of upgrading into the new car and get the benefits of the 4.7 motor and other upgrades. Fortunately I made the change back in October of 2008 when there were some rather good deals going around.
Put simply the 4.7 is like a completely different car, if you can afford it go for it! Thats no slight on the 4.3 either, two years of great motoring with it.
Tim
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