Been done to death I know but....

[X15 JEB]

I know this topic has been done to death but...

I'm currently a 997 Carrera owner which is a car that I love. Had a bit of a mishap (neighbour hit the car) so it will be in the bodyshop getting resprayed for a week. Insurance company were a diamond and sorted out an AMV8 as a replacement through Prestige Car Hire (couldn't believe it when they told me...).

Anyways, had the car for two days and like a lot of people here, I think I'm falling for it big time...!! Actually sneaked down to the office garage at lunchtime just to take a look at it.. Never did that with my Porsche..! The soundtrack and feeling of exclusivity are very addictive.

I had a cheeky phone conversation with my local Aston dealer who were very helpful (and honest..). Despite the price differential, they reckon they can get me in a AMV8 for exactly the same monthly payments as my Porsche (bigger balloon but that's 4 years away..) so actually seriously starting to think about it.

However, I only run one car and so I have the usual major worries.. I know my Porsche is engineered like a tank and will give me 3-4 years of hassle free motoring. All the press about unreliability, heart stopping service bills, huge depreciation etc are very worrying. I would really appreciate a truly honest AMV8 owner's experience, focusing on the negatives (what's gone wrong, how much, niggles, concerns, etc). The positives I think we all know and are obvious but if I do this I really want to have my eyes open. Any opinions from previous Porsche owners would be very welcome.

PS: Is it just me or do a lot of AMV8 owners seem to have moved over from Porsche.. Guess that speaks volumes in itself.

[augkuo]

I've had my car for about a month now and no major problems. I think the main complaints are
that the GPS system isn't totally accurate (got lost once with it), a little brake squeal and
a notchy transmission (got to really push it into "R". Other than that, the early problems of
battery drain and general quality issues seemed to have been solved with models that reached the
US. Just be sure that you don't get one of the first cars out of the factory that are floating on
the used market now.

Augie

[grant3]

Hi, see my 996tt to AMV8 below & a more indepth 911 vs AMV8 on AMOC, hope it is of use, early days for me. I wouldn't particularly avoid an early car (unless it was one of the very first 05/05) because most of the issues have now been sorted & there is some good negotiating to be done on late 05 early 06 cars! Ok I have only had mine for a week, but it has been fine so far (I've said it now!!).
Be warned these cars get under your skin, it is an occasion every time you see it, drive it or sit in it, but ultimately it isn't as good to drive as the 997S, but the other factors more than compensate.

[g55dxb]

I've had my V8 for five months now and covered 7,800km and so far no significant problems. Had a minor problem with the driver's side windshield wiper, occasional squeaky brakes, and i think I've blown one of my rear speakers.

[sadlerj]

I have had mine for 5 months and 7500 miles and I am finding it as easy to live with as my 996 3.6 C2. All sorts of types of motoring, long boring English motorway drives, long exciting French motorway drives, around town, a and b roads, everything it seems to take in it's stride with no worries at all. Personally if I am spending near this kind of money I want a car that is special and not common. Where I live and work there are literally similar numbers of 911's as there are TT's etc, so I would not want to spend £70,000 on a car that you see so regularly...(saying that I saw a Vantage in nearly the same colour as mine about 2 miles from my house yesterday...gutted). Even if she were to let me down, I would forgive her. Small things you notice make Aston ownership more and more special, I was staying at a hotel the other day and the Valets parked my Aston, they moved a SL55 AMG that was parked next to a Mac SLR, so that they could get the visual impact of an Aston and a Macca parked next to each other.

The only real down side I can say is the fuel consumption, under similar driving conditions my 996 did 25mpg and the Aston about 17, so she costs me about £10 more per tank/miles, and I reckon that is a small price to pay for all the other plus points. Saying all this I still have a large soft spot for a 997 C2S.

[X15 JEB]

Thanks sadler.

Think I'm getting more serious about getting one...

To get a really balanced view I had a chat with the prestige hire company that have supplied my loan car. They run a fleet of every imaginable high-end car and have 3 AMV8s.

My car is an early version and has done over 12k miles. Given its a hire car I can imagine its been driven extremely hard (I am..!!) and generally used and abused. Outside/in the car genuinely looks like new.

The hire car guys said that apart from a faulty battery, they haven't spent a penny on the car. Only one of their AMV8s (all similar mileage) has had to go in for repairs and this was due to a broken boot release switch (warranty). Apparently their worst performing cars are their Ferrari F430s that require constant repairs/tweaking and cost a fortune to run.

Its really positive to hear such an independent view and to know that not all Astons fall apart in 3 months. All the other things (slight squeaks, temperamental mirrors, etc) I can live with and put down to the 'Aston Experience'...

There's a similar thread in the Porsche forum that I've contributed to but can't help sharing my best moment in the car... Pulled up at a set of lights, a Jag pulled up next to me driven by a real British 'Old Boy'. Lowered his window and simply said "Beautiful, congratulations.." and drove off. Had a smile on my face for the rest of the day...