V8 Replacement - when?

[Giles993]

Hello all,

Anyone know or able to make an educated guess at when the V8 will be replaced?

Thanks,

Giles

[Murph7355]

2015. Maybe. If they're not skint or busy converting Ford Kas into mid-size Astons.

[bogie]

long time ...if it aint broke, just do a limited edition

worked for Porsche for 40 years LOL

seriously, I think the Vantage S may become a default model perhaps, but if it looks n goes that good its not going to be replaced for some time ...just revisions

[cathalm]

Not sure about that, if you read the interview with Bez in this months Car, there is already a full product replacement plan underway. DB9 replacement first ( not called DB10) then Vantage next. I would say maybe 3 years for the Vantage. 1.5 till we see the new 2+2. That said they will be based on lightened versions of the same platform.

Expect the v12 to live on till 2020 but Bez talks about six cylinder or even four cylinder Vantage once F1 has moved to turbos fours.He also mentions the importance our unique power plants so we won't see a Lexus engine or some such.

[shunt]

I work through an agency who currently have 100 peeps on the books at Aston, they must be doing something in there design wise:

http://www.millbank.com/aston-martin

[JohnG1]

cathalm said:

Not sure about that, if you read the interview with Bez in this months Car, there is already a full product replacement plan underway. DB9 replacement first ( not called DB10) then Vantage next. I would say maybe 3 years for the Vantage. 1.5 till we see the new 2+2. That said they will be based on lightened versions of the same platform.

Expect the v12 to live on till 2020 but Bez talks about six cylinder or even four cylinder Vantage once F1 has moved to turbos fours.He also mentions the importance our unique power plants so we won't see a Lexus engine or some such.

The whole point of the VH platform is surely just this - that you can reskin the car and chop and change without having to retool and invest so much in production facilities?

With regard to engines - when does the deal with Ford expire?

As for a 4 cylinder vantage - if it was a screamer - with torque low down the rev range then why not?

[GlynMo]

JohnG1 said:

As for a 4 cylinder vantage - if it was a screamer - with torque low down the rev range then why not?

Two concerns here - the sound, and the car would have to be rather lighter than the current version.

[JohnG1]

GlynMo said:

Two concerns here - the sound, and the car would have to be rather lighter than the current version.

So do we end up with an Aston Martin version of a Honda S2000 - that engine could be a good starting point - but it suffered from a lack of low end grunt. Revved to 8500 (memory might be off) but only really delivered above 5500.

I am sure that the engineers could work out a way to make a 4 cylinder engine sound better...

[GlynMo]

JohnG1 said:

So do we end up with an Aston Martin version of a Honda S2000 - that engine could be a good starting point - but it suffered from a lack of low end grunt. Revved to 8500 (memory might be off) but only really delivered above 5500.

I am sure that the engineers could work out a way to make a 4 cylinder engine sound better...

The only way to get good torque out of a 4 pot would be via turbocharging, so not much chance of an exciting sound. In fact, the only good sounding turbo 4 I can think of off-hand is the Subaru flat 4. 2.5 litre turbo'd flat 4 vantage anyone?

[JohnG1]

Quinny said:

The only 4 cylinder engines I like the sound of, are all fitted to motorbikes

I suppose boxer 4's and V4's sound a bit different though....

Ok, I guess the sound is somehow related to the harmonics of the exhaust gases - which will be based on the firing order. Hence why flat crank and bent crank V8s sound different?

[EpsomJames]

I just can't see a 4 cylinder AM sportscar happening.

6 cylinder forced induction maybe as you can make them sound good and have similar characteristics to a bigger V8/V12 engine while being a lot greener.

Then, when the fuel runs out electric with synthesised V8/V12 engine sounds.

[Giles993]

Thanks for your responses guys. Sounds as though it's a few years off yet so I might be able to get into and out of one in a year or so before prices go off a cliff with the new one coming out.

Giles

[mikey k]

JohnG1 said:

So do we end up with an Aston Martin version of a Honda S2000 - that engine could be a good starting point - but it suffered from a lack of low end grunt. Revved to 8500 (memory might be off) but only really delivered above 5500.

I am sure that the engineers could work out a way to make a 4 cylinder engine sound better...

Ironically I can from an S2000 and am currenty in the Alps with a friend in one. (9k red line BTW)
Low capacity high reving engines just do not give the torque or sound.
I had a super charger on my S2000 it gave more BHP than a 4.7 and less torque.
I could see then "adopting" the newer jag 5.0 & supercharger

[flyingjase]

shunt said:

I work through an agency who currently have 100 peeps on the books at Aston, they must be doing something in there design wise:

http://www.millbank.com/aston-martin

agency website said:

Business Analyst / Project Management Quick Apply | Login & Apply | Add To Job
Cart Salary: £29.00 per hour
Job Type: Contract
Location: Midlands

God knows what they will come up with paying £29 per hour for a BA / PM. The future does not look good.

[Murph7355]

flyingjase said:

God knows what they will come up with paying £29 per hour for a BA / PM. The future does not look good.

Don't worry. They did the Cygnet. All is well

[Murph7355]

4cyl engines can sound very good...at full revs at least. My little old Rover K series sounds great when charging on.

But they have no place in an Aston.

Loads of torque and a screamer 4-pot are mutually exclusive. If they can solve that, they'll never have to worry about development cash again!

I suspect a smaller capacity, turbo'd V8 or similarly forced asp. 6cyl would be the way to go. Not sure where they'd get such an engine from though (haven't they dismissed a couple of the obvious "partner" options - Mercedes. Toyota)...even "better" would be a hybrid or some sort of modular powerplant that would allow them to adapt as fuel needs change (think Jag C-X75). But the dev costs on that simply wouldn't be possible for them I reckon.

Lower weight is an absolute must.

[williamp]

dont forget everyone, Aston does have a rich heritage in small, light cars powered by 4 cylinder engines:




36 years worth in fact. Longer then the 5.3l V8 and the 3.7/ 4 litre i6 engines.

[George H]

mikey k said:

I could see then "adopting" the newer jag 5.0 & supercharger

That would seem quite a logical step for them, but would they de-tune it a bit as not to jump all over their other models - would only be 7bhp down on a V12. Maybe they could lose the supercharger and tune it up a bit in normally aspirated guise.

As long as the noise is there, and the low end grunt then I'm not too fussed how it is powered. Just preferably not a 4 pot engine. I would like to see a return of the straight 6 though.

[GlynMo]

Murph7355 said:

...even "better" would be a hybrid or some sort of modular powerplant that would allow them to adapt as fuel needs change (think Jag C-X75). But the dev costs on that simply wouldn't be possible for them I reckon.

Lower weight is an absolute must.

Please not. There are already enough manufacturers pandering to the green/CO2 brigade by following this technological dead-end. What is needed is an alternative to the infernal combustion engine, not something to stretch petrol a bit further and reduce emissions for highly questionable reasons. Honda seems to be the only manufacturer seriously looking at making something different work. over.

Couldn't agree more about weight though.

[Shmee]

cathalm said:

Not sure about that, if you read the interview with Bez in this months Car, there is already a full product replacement plan underway. DB9 replacement first ( not called DB10) then Vantage next. I would say maybe 3 years for the Vantage. 1.5 till we see the new 2+2. That said they will be based on lightened versions of the same platform.

I wonder when the DBS replacement will exist so to speak; the 'top-of-the-line' car that isn't the One-77.