New Vantage Model Details

[jonby]

Ha ! Got you going ? Not exactly exciting I'm afraid but according to Am this is the biggest overhaul of the Vantage since 2008. Much ado abou tnothing if you ask me.............

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/...

The S has slightly firmer suspension, very marginally more power, slightly different cabin finsihes but apart from that, what's the difference now ?

[George H]

I guess the only reason anyone would buy one over an S is the option of a manual gearbox. Still can't quite see the point.

[yeti]

George H said:

Still can't quite see the point.

To be honest, they have to do >something< and the very new ones are a long way off. Probably more people that we know change their car every year, this enables them to continue doing it and get something new! Could have done a bit more to the bodywork though, at least reprofiled the composite stuff; bumpers/sills etc

Looks like you can now get a Vantage S spec roadster with a manual box then. Interesting and great news that AM continue to make manuals - shame the Virage has no option

[DB9 Ian P]

Hope Aston have a big stand at Geneva cos they look to be showing quite a few new cars. As far as I can se there will be the production ready Zagato, the DBS II, the 'new' Vantage, possibly a one-77 and where does that leave the V12V Roadster????

[George H]

When was it announced they're showing the gen2 DBS at Geneva?

[jonby]

George H said:

I guess the only reason anyone would buy one over an S is the option of a manual gearbox. Still can't quite see the point.

And the cost saving !

[jonby]

DB9 Ian P said:

Hope Aston have a big stand at Geneva cos they look to be showing quite a few new cars. As far as I can se there will be the production ready Zagato, the DBS II, the 'new' Vantage, possibly a one-77 and where does that leave the V12V Roadster????

Don't think they will hsow a ONE 77 when firstly they have all sold out, secondly it's old news and thirdly, it will overshadow the Zag

DBS II is I suspect, not going to be ready to show by then

My pure guess is: Zag,then I'm guessing one regular Vantage and one S, showing off one as a coupe & the other as a roadster. Then a DBS & a Virage to show off the full range, again one as coupe & one as roadster plus the obligatory Cygnet

Finally no need to show a V12 coupe when they are almost finished but possibly the V12 roadster. Although even that I'm starting to doubt - will they really show that at the same time

[mikey k]

That's pissed me off
What is the point of an S now? other than a few interior details and 10 BHP?
That just smacks of laziness raiding the parts bins again

[SFO]

looks like the price of a V8V has dropped about £8k, from £93k to £85k?

[silverspeed]

Not sure they have got this correct. Surely they needed to seperate the Vantage and Vantage S not bring them closer together? I would have stripped the Vantage of some standard items and bought the price down to a new entry level say £79k. Why would you pay all the extra for an S now unless they are going to do some significant upgrades to that ( Carbon brakes?). We also need more info on new models or potential punters could loose interest !!

[silverspeed]

George H said:

When was it announced they're showing the gen2 DBS at Geneva?

When I was at Gaydon pre Christmas Dr Bez told us that customers may be able to start speccing cars in January. I assumed he meant 2012 !!

[jonby]

mikey k said:

That's pissed me off
What is the point of an S now? other than a few interior details and 10 BHP?
That just smacks of laziness raiding the parts bins again

My sentiments exactly ! regular vantage with 7 spd gearbox is 90k (85 + 5). vantage s comes as standard with that box - 100k

so 10k more for an S when the only difference is minor cosmetic, maybe the odd extra (sat nav ?) and 10 bhp IF you can get high enough octane fuel

won't help our residuals on the S for px value if we want to change to a V12 roadster ........

[DB9 Ian P]

jonby said:

Don't think they will hsow a ONE 77 when firstly they have all sold out, secondly it's old news and thirdly, it will overshadow the Zag

DBS II is I suspect, not going to be ready to show by then

My pure guess is: Zag,then I'm guessing one regular Vantage and one S, showing off one as a coupe & the other as a roadster. Then a DBS & a Virage to show off the full range, again one as coupe & one as roadster plus the obligatory Cygnet

Finally no need to show a V12 coupe when they are almost finished but possibly the V12 roadster. Although even that I'm starting to doubt - will they really show that at the same time

Just thought they might show the 0ne-77 as next week in Autocar there is a 16 page Aston special featuring the One-77 and the V12 Zagato. It looks like they have not been given a chance to drive it because they say they 'ride shotgun in the 700bhp, £1.2m supercar'. Still if you have sold them all I guess it does not matter what the motoring press say.

[jonby]

DB9 Ian P said:

Just thought they might show the 0ne-77 as next week in Autocar there is a 16 page Aston special featuring the One-77 and the V12 Zagato. It looks like they have not been given a chance to drive it because they say they 'ride shotgun in the 700bhp, £1.2m supercar'. Still if you have sold them all I guess it does not matter what the motoring press say.

I'm not saying you're wrong as I haven't got a clue. But it has been shown a lot in the alst few yrs, as you say they are all sold, I don't think any journo will get to drive a factory car and there is plenty else for them to show

Still think there may be a surprise too (no idea what), expecially as the Geneva show is unlikely to actually sell any Zags -Am have been quite good at surprises the last few yrs but this 'new' vantage is a real damp squib

[mikey k]

jonby said:

mikey k said:

That's pissed me off
What is the point of an S now? other than a few interior details and 10 BHP?
That just smacks of laziness raiding the parts bins again

My sentiments exactly ! regular vantage with 7 spd gearbox is 90k (85 + 5). vantage s comes as standard with that box - 100k

so 10k more for an S when the only difference is minor cosmetic, maybe the odd extra (sat nav ?) and 10 bhp IF you can get high enough octane fuel

won't help our residuals on the S for px value if we want to change to a V12 roadster ........

There are alot of options standard on the S that are not on the standard "revised" car (splitters, sills, alloys, Sat nav, sports exhaust, blue tooth, cruise, ASM2, clear rears, suspension etc) I'm presuming if you option up a standard car to S spec it will actually cost more than buying and S?
but still what is the point of an S when you can build one 99% the same from the options list
The only differences I can find that a bespoke are the interior, different final drive & the intake valves
(mind you they did exactly the same with the N420)

That 16M is looking closer and closer.

[Pie n Chips]

mikey k said:

That 16M is looking closer and closer.

[cayman-black]

If you like the 16M, no AM roadster comes close.

[George H]

cayman-black said:

If you like the 16M, no AM roadster comes close.

Complete different class of car though - super sports vs sporty GT. It depends what you want from the car if it comes close or not. If it's just performance then the Ferrari wins hands down, but imagine having to live with the image of a modern Ferrari. Not something I would want personally, although I can see why some people would.

They're also priced way differently, will be closer to the V12VR when that comes out which will make for an interesting comparison.

[Vantagefan]

I'm finding it harder to support the brand when they seem to burn their customers at every chance.

Buy a DBS and they'll produce the Virage - cheaper and very near to as good.
Buy a V12V at a strictly limited 1000 cars and they'll expunge any mention of the limitation for the sake of additional sales.
Buy a Vantage S and they'll make the standard Vantage almost identical, better in fact if you're looking for a manual.

They'll grab a Toyota IQ and change nothing but aesthetics, charge twice the price and call it a Cygnet
They'll grab a V12V and change nothing but the aesthetics, charge twice the price and call it a Zagato

At least when Porsche do a tiny model refresh they don't just take parts from a higher level product so that you cannot physically tell the difference between the two from the outside.

It just makes me sad.

[mikey k]

George H said:

cayman-black said:

If you like the 16M, no AM roadster comes close.

Complete different class of car though - super sports vs sporty GT. It depends what you want from the car if it comes close or not. If it's just performance then the Ferrari wins hands down, but imagine having to live with the image of a modern Ferrari. Not something I would want personally, although I can see why some people would.

They're also priced way differently, will be closer to the V12VR when that comes out which will make for an interesting comparison.

I came from a mental 420 BHP Honda S2000 to a 4.7 SP roadster as a tester. That needed to be a lot more focussed for my taste so I bought an S because there was no V12V roadster on the horizion. That soon changed 3 months in to ownership
The S is alot better but I've already got the measure of it and would like "a bit more"
I'll see how the V12VR compares to a 16M and make a decision from there.