V8 Vantage to DB9 Manual with Sports Pack

[sadlerj]

I have been having a dilemma for a year or so now with how to use my Aston more now my children are of an age where they only need booster seats I don't need a buggy nappies etc etc to be karted around. I love my V8 Vantage, it is my perfect car (apart from a V12 Vantage that is) for my type of driving (lots of chucking the car round country lanes, occasional trackday, taking to posh events, and big euro drives). But my children are having far to many arguments about who goes with daddy and the wife is often left out. I have my eye on a DB9 Manual with a Sportspack and plan a test drive next week, but am wondering if anyone else has done a similar move and if a DB9 Manual with Sportspack will be good enough for my favorite parts of driving, chucking it around on b-roads, or occasional trackday (although the trackdays now will be less as I have a share in a Caterham)

I know the rear seats are a joke but my kids are of the size where they will fit for a couple of years, and when they grow out then I'll get the V12 Vantage..

[michael gould]

sadlerj said:

I have been having a dilemma for a year or so now with how to use my Aston more now my children are of an age where they only need booster seats I don't need a buggy nappies etc etc to be karted around. I love my V8 Vantage, it is my perfect car (apart from a V12 Vantage that is) for my type of driving (lots of chucking the car round country lanes, occasional trackday, taking to posh events, and big euro drives). But my children are having far to many arguments about who goes with daddy and the wife is often left out. I have my eye on a DB9 Manual with a Sportspack and plan a test drive next week, but am wondering if anyone else has done a similar move and if a DB9 Manual with Sportspack will be good enough for my favorite parts of driving, chucking it around on b-roads, or occasional trackday (although the trackdays now will be less as I have a share in a Caterham)

I know the rear seats are a joke but my kids are of the size where they will fit for a couple of years, and when they grow out then I'll get the V12 Vantage..

well at least if you move to a DB9 you get a decent engine.....i'm sure all those lucky Vantage V12 owners would agree

[t0s]

Perhaps, but from all I hear you'd have to get a 2010 to achieve the handling refinement that the DB9 eventually benefitted from on the all the development work done on the V8V.

[sadlerj]

I see that old can of worms is open...I like V8's personally, I guess the key to that is the noise, at Le Mans I prefer the Corvettes (and Lord Dysons V8V) over the DBR9's. The one thing I was not impressed with in the V12V (apart from the stupid gear nob) was the up front mass and lazy nature of the V12. But I am willing to sacrifice this for my children, but am concerned about sacrificing pin sharp handling...which is what I am asking.