Offroading in a V8V??

[speech]

After months of stalking autotrader.co.uk and used.astonmartin.com I'm close to taking the plunge and upgrading from DB7 to a V8V - just waiting for the right one to come up, hopefully a MY2009.

One thing that concerns me is my parents live on an unmade road, more suited to a Land Rover than an Aston. I manage it ok in the DB7 and a family friend's Bentley Continental GT just about survived a recent visit (although the parking sensors were beeping like crazy), but I was wondering if anyone here had any advice as to whether V8V would be ok? Especially since I notice many of the used V8Vs have the Sport Pack... I fear I'll be leaving bits of bodywork all over the place!

Thanks

[yeti]

I assume that you have an i6 DB7 or you wouldn't be thinking the Vantage is an upgrade Thought of a DB9, the true V12 powered successor?

Vantage is no lower than a DB9 which is no lower than a DB7. I'm sure it'd be fine. With the obvious caveat that I've never been to your folks lane

[steveatesh]

yeti said:

I assume that you have an i6 DB7 or you wouldn't be thinking the Vantage is an upgrade Thought of a DB9, the true V12 powered successor?

Vantage is no lower than a DB9 which is no lower than a DB7. I'm sure it'd be fine. With the obvious caveat that I've never been to your folks lane

OP wants it to visit his parents, therefore probability is he is under 60 - therefore he would in fact be more suited to the Vantage

I'd be more concerned about the springs - its bad enough with all the road humps everywhere you go so whatever you pick, be spring sympathetic!

[speech]

Haha, yes, it is the i6 DB7 - I refer to upgrade because, beautiful as the DB7 is, I prefer the Gaydon era cars, not that I've driven any yet.

I would indeed consider the DB9, I actually think it's the better looking car, but yeah, at my age, the Vantage might suit me better. I will probably test drive both because it's a tough choice for me. In fact, last night I thought it was a bit like choosing between two sisters... the elegant older one or the fun younger one? Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I digress...

Good point about the springs. With that in mind, would the sports pack springs or regular issue springs be more likely to withstand the extra work?

[steveatesh]

speech said:

Good point about the springs. With that in mind, would the sports pack springs or regular issue springs be more likely to withstand the extra work?

I'd be guessing here because I'm not familiar with the Aston Sports Pack, but the physics would say the more a spring "gives" the better it will absorb the rigors of a potholed road. This was brought home to me in my wifes Z4 which has the BMW sports springs and they have not survived basic road humps (broke and needed replacing) but my sons Z4 without the sports springs have been fine up to now.

Not very empirical I know - I guess you pay your money and take your chances. Really, its a good problem to have though isn't it - Aston with or without Sports Pack

[JohnG1]

speech said:

In fact, last night I thought it was a bit like choosing between two sisters... the elegant older one or the fun younger one? Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I digress...

Make like Alan Clark, go for both and the mother...

[Ice27]

Never mind offroading, there are some roads with vicious speed humps I have to avoid!!!
But taking the long way round to get somewhere is hardly a chore in an Aston Martin

[GlynMo]

steveatesh said:

This was brought home to me in my wifes Z4 which has the BMW sports springs and they have not survived basic road humps (broke and needed replacing) but my sons Z4 without the sports springs have been fine up to now.

This could as easily be down to the way the cars are driven over speed bumps. Obviously, I don't know your wife so this is nothing personal, but ladies do tend to 'take less notice' of speed bumps than men!

[V8 Animal]

GlynMo said:

This could as easily be down to the way the cars are driven over speed bumps. Obviously, I don't know your wife so this is nothing personal, but ladies do tend to 'take less notice' of speed bumps than men!

Oh dear

[speech]

Ooh yes, I have to consider speed bumps as well. I do a lot of town driving and there are *lots* of speed bumps. And every now and then I miss one if it isn't marked out properly... nearly went airborne a few weeks ago! Definitely need to avoid the Sport Pack then.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[yeti]

speech said:

Definitely need to avoid the Sport Pack then.

This is far and away the worst piece of advice ever given, on any forum, car or otherwise, ever, in the history of the internet. Before fora were invented, this would have been the worst piece of advice ever given in any form of pamplet, almanac or other limited run publication.

Sports pack is a fantastic thing. The springs are slightly stiffer yes, but that's one of many changes that tune the car to dream-like handling, turning it from a smooth sqaushy GT to a much more sporting GT. You get a different steering rack, very nice lightweight forged wheels (with sexy titanium nuts) and underbody stiffening.

If you get the chance of a Sports Pack equipped car, go for it immediately. My car (DB9 Volante - can't use SPorts Pack) has been lowered an inch, and stiffenend with H&R springs way beyond what sports pack gives. I live in the middle of London on a speed-bump equipped road and have no problems. Just do your braking before you get there and coast over them, never brake on the bump or just before as it dips the nose!

Spings are designed to go over bumps. That's what they're for, it's why they have an innate springiness. Go slowly down the lane, pick your lines to avoid the worst holes and you'll be fine.

[speech]

Well, I'll see what comes up in terms of cars available. But the way I drive I don't always notice the speed bumps well ahead of time unless there's one of those big arrows on 'em! And road surfaces around London are so poorly maintained I don't know if stiffer suspension is a good idea. Most of my driving is either in town or on motorways so not sure I'd get the best out of Sports Pack settings.

I will prob have to test drive with and without to see which suits me best.

[michael gould]

I'm pretty sure the DB9 is lower than an DB7 i6......personally I think you will have problems in a V8V or a DB9......good luck

[George H]

Would you be driving down that road often? Would it not just be easier to take another car when visiting your parents?

[mikey k]

speech said:

Ooh yes, I have to consider speed bumps as well. I do a lot of town driving and there are *lots* of speed bumps. And every now and then I miss one if it isn't marked out properly... nearly went airborne a few weeks ago! Definitely need to avoid the Sport Pack then.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

The Sport pack does not lower it, the clearance is the same. It is slight stiffer that is all. Vantage S is stiffer again but no lower.
Only the V12V is lower.
I never had a problem in my Sport Pack car even on REALLY bad roads in the depths of Wales (the ones with ruts either side of the grass central reservation mowed by sheep )

The limiting factors are clearance of the front lip/aero disrupters and coilover travel.
What ID did many moons ago when I had a similar issue was test drvie a car locally and try it on the "road"

[Antarctic Mat]

Just get them to visit you, easy!

HTH.

[rpgk]

I can't comment on actual measurements and will trust comments made on this thread that V8 and DB9 are the same height - however having owned both, MY V8 used to get in and out of driveway without problem but the DB9, if not approached at right angle would scrape bottom of front bumper on both entrance and exit of driveway - wold suggest it is definitely worth test driving both up and down road to see which is best to avoid those heart stopping crunches every now and again!

[peterr96]

Where I live in Bent, the roads are pretty bad both in terms of holes and just generally "choppy" road surfaces which would rival sea states in a force 5.

We also have a drive which used to be pretty badly rutted (although is much better now).

Our V8V (non sportpack) is fine on the roads and in fact our Alfa Sportwagon which is more softly sprung is far more prone to grinding than the V8V on both drive and roads.
We also have friends with a drive I suspect a bit like your parents, very rutted with holes.
Providing you pick your line intelligently a V8V will be fine. By that I mean drive on top of ridges rather than spanning them and don't do 30mph along it.

Sharp speed bumps are your biggest enemy as they can leave the car "beached" between the wheels. I've never found a hole combination that does that.

As Yeti sort of points out, the harder the car is sprung, the less prone the car is to compressing into the springs. That inevitably means the ride height is better maintained.
You might ironically find sportpack better than non-sportpack unless in the process the ride height is reduced , in which case I'd have thought sportpack would be worse.

My 2p

[moreflaps]

yeti said:

(with sexy titanium nuts) .

Calm down, they are not genitals.

Cheers

[mikey k]

moreflaps said:

yeti said:

(with sexy titanium nuts) .

Calm down, they are not genitals.

Cheers

Good job to with him having 20 of them