V12V / V12VS - Essential Options

[jimmybell]

Wondering what all your thoughts are on what options are pointless and what are essential from experience?

I've obviously got a copy of the definitive guide but i couldn't seem to find any change in available options on V12VS over V12V, so perhaps there are none? Thus the answer should be the same for both? Clue me in

Currently looking at acquiring either (coupes), probably leaning towards the V12VS but decision pending test drive, and finding a colour i love (diavolo/volcano/one of the deep burnt oranges would be ideal!) and then weighing up what options i *need* vs what is just nice to have.

Is there any way to bluetooth media stream on pre-2015 cars? plugging in seems a tad old fashioned, even my 2012 merc can do it

Thanks!

Edited by jimmybell on Wednesday 19th July 12:18

[Zod]

Bluetooth can be retrofitted, but I haven't bothered. There aren't many options beyond colour and trim.

[jimmybell]

I know my own personal tastes - but not really that of the general aston-loving community. Are there popular colours / interiors that might affect resale?

Dick Lovett in Bristol have a lovely silver example but i'm not sold on the red interior - but perhaps thats just me!

[Zod]

jimmybell said:

I know my own personal tastes - but not really that of the general aston-loving community. Are there popular colours / interiors that might affect resale?

Dick Lovett in Bristol have a lovely silver example but i'm not sold on the red interior - but perhaps thats just me!

I was offered a brand new black V8V Roadster in 2008 with a big discount (fired banker's canceled order), but the red interior - even the dash top made it a non-starter.

[RobDown]

You will probably want lightweight seats - most people, including myself - prefer them over the sports seats and for many its a deal-breaker not having them

I wouldn't worry too much about the stereo. The (far more expensive) B&O is more of a gimmick than a real sound improvement over the Premium set-up

Everything else is neither here nor there and in most cases can be changed retrospectively.

Oh and the biggest choice you potentially have to make is between manual or SSIII (see numerous related threads going on)

[AdamV12V]

Rather depends on the age of the car, but assuming it's a V12V or one of the earlier V12VS then in my opinion the only essential spec items are:

• Lightweight CF seats - Sports seats are big, less comfy (despite the obvious appearing to be true) and the lightweights just add to the whole "hot-rod" driving experience.
• 700W Premium or 1000W B&O Audio - Std 160W is terrible, so don't listen to people who say "who cares - just listen to the exhaust", this is true to some extent but at the end of the day the std 160W audio has no place in a £150k Aston Martin and the Premium / B&O systems are out of this world good!

If its a later V12VS then you should add the following to essential spec items:

• Contemporary or Special Leather - avoid the std Primary leather its cheap feeling and horrible.
• Rear Compartment in Leather - this was originally std spec, but replaced with carpet as std in the last couple of years of production.

Everything else is largely just a matter of personal colour preference / trim / luxury touches (e.g. autodim rear mirrors)

[JaseB]

jimmybell said:

Is there any way to bluetooth media stream on pre-2015 cars? plugging in seems a tad old fashioned, even my 2012 merc can do it

Thanks!

I have a Tune 2 Air WMA1000 Bluetooth dongle thing in my V12V, works a treat but tricky to get hold of now, I was lucky as a friend had a spare.

[chesby]

It's funny most of us V12 Vantage owners consider the Lightweight seats to be essential but the Vantage magazine buying guide reckons they make the car harder to sell and I was told by one of Aston Martin's drivers that at least one of the Dealer Principals refuses to order demonstrators or stock cars with them.

I personally love them and both my missus (a 5' 8" size 12) and myself (a 5' 11" fat bd) find them more comfortable than the sports seats.

[DB9VolanteDriver]

chesby said:

It's funny most of us V12 Vantage owners consider the Lightweight seats to be essential but the Vantage magazine buying guide reckons they make the car harder to sell and I was told by one of Aston Martin's drivers that at least one of the Dealer Principals refuses to order demonstrators or stock cars with them.

I personally love them and both my missus (a 5' 8" size 12) and myself (a 5' 11" fat bd) find them more comfortable than the sports seats.

Comfort issues aside, the LW seats don't look like they belong in such an expensive car. The standard seats look far more luxurious so I can see why dealers would not want to stock them.

[jonby]

largely agree with what's been said

options like glass buttons for instance aren't a big deal

However do watch out in more recent model years for the standard highline console becoming an extra, with lowline being standard - as with lightweight seats and particularly if in combination with a manual shift, it's down to personal preference but would be very expensive I imagine to try retrofitting from one to the other

[JaseB]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

chesby said:

It's funny most of us V12 Vantage owners consider the Lightweight seats to be essential but the Vantage magazine buying guide reckons they make the car harder to sell and I was told by one of Aston Martin's drivers that at least one of the Dealer Principals refuses to order demonstrators or stock cars with them.

I personally love them and both my missus (a 5' 8" size 12) and myself (a 5' 11" fat bd) find them more comfortable than the sports seats.

Comfort issues aside, the LW seats don't look like they belong in such an expensive car. The standard seats look far more luxurious so I can see why dealers would not want to stock them.

Interesting again, as a personal view I think they suit the GT3-esque sporty nature of the car with all the exposed CF...

But then I am biased cos that's what I have in my car!

[chesby]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

chesby said:

It's funny most of us V12 Vantage owners consider the Lightweight seats to be essential but the Vantage magazine buying guide reckons they make the car harder to sell and I was told by one of Aston Martin's drivers that at least one of the Dealer Principals refuses to order demonstrators or stock cars with them.

I personally love them and both my missus (a 5' 8" size 12) and myself (a 5' 11" fat bd) find them more comfortable than the sports seats.

Comfort issues aside, the LW seats don't look like they belong in such an expensive car. The standard seats look far more luxurious so I can see why dealers would not want to stock them.

I don't think they look out of place in my car. They don't look as comfortable as the sports seats though.

[AdamV12V]

jimmybell said:

Is there any way to bluetooth media stream on pre-2015 cars? plugging in seems a tad old fashioned, even my 2012 merc can do it

You probably should be aware that the sound quality of Bluetooth streaming is cr@p and I would avoid it like the plague for this reason alone. The Premium and B&O systems are exceptionally good and really do benefit from good quality source files and are very capable of showing up the limited dynamic range of poor source files. The USB interface supports upto 320kbps and listening to files at this quality is noticeably nicer experience than lower file quality.

If you haven't tried it and just live with the std default offering of 128kbps to 192kbps then I would suggest you rip a CD to 320kbps and put it in the car on a memory stick along with the poorer quality version and prepared to be blown away at the difference.

If you can't tell the difference, then save your money and just buy the std 160W stereo (oh and go get your ears syringed!)

[AdamV12V]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

Comfort issues aside, the LW seats don't look like they belong in such an expensive car. The standard seats look far more luxurious so I can see why dealers would not want to stock them.

That's your personal opinion and one I would personally be 100% the other way round. I think the sports seats look pants and the CF buckets look the part in a hardcore V12 Vantage (S).

The reason dealers prefer to stock them is the same reason they tend to stock black and grey cars with just std options - its playing it safe and trying to appeal to Mr Average, who is of course both the most likely person to walk through the door and a statistically a very boring person

[jonby]

The question of how luxurious they look is partly down to how they are trimmed - the alcantara trimmed lightweights, whilst generally looking great IMO, arguably don't look as luxurious as when trimmed in leather

Then if you go Q, even more so

A lot is surely down to how it fits in with the overall look of the car, some of which have more overtly sporty/hardcore themes than others

But there is no question the comfort factor is down to perception/assumption. Whenever my multi marque owning friends get in my car for the first time, one of the first things they comment on is how comfortable the seats are - there is an assumption, understandably, that one piece CF seats will be too firm and very tight to fit in

[V8V Pete]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

Comfort issues aside, the LW seats don't look like they belong in such an expensive car. The standard seats look far more luxurious so I can see why dealers would not want to stock them.

WTF?! You are truly on another planet. Sorry, what I meant to say is I suppose it's all down to personal taste but in an Aston which is tending towards the Sports Car end of the range (as opposed to the Pipe & Slippers end) they not only work far better but also look far better IMHO.

[RobDown]

As some have said, I do think it depends on the car. But my view is that the lightweights suit the Vantage (and are more comfortable)

I can see why in a GT car like the DB9/Rapide the sports seats might feel more appropriate as they look more luxurious (albeit the lightweights in the AMR Rapide look fantastic and give more rear legroom!).

[jimmybell]

Sounds like there's some value in getting some seat time in both the lightweights and the chunkier sports seats. Might not be able to drive in the lightweights but should be able to at least sit in them after driving in the sports ones.


I should say my bluetooth audio in C63 is actually pretty good - much better than what i had in BMW land. May also be being improved by the top end H&K system tho.

Dealers have suggested to me that greys/silvers are the favourite exterior colours (presumably everyone wants to be understated and pretend to be james bond) - is this really the case?

[Zod]

I needed airbag deactivation for child seats when I got mine, but at 6'2" with a broad back and shoulders, I find the sports seats comfortable and very supportive. I don't mind the lightweights (and had similar seats in my M3 CSL), but I think I'd struggle with them on trans-European drives.

[jonby]

Zod said:

I think I'd struggle with them on trans-European drives.

I thought that might be the case but in fact, never been an issue