AMV8....simply awesome......a short driving tale!!!
Discussion
Yesterday in simply atrocious conditions the Aston really showed it's metal.
On a well sighted B road, which was badly surfaced streaming with water from torrential rain, with a healthy helping of fenland mud & leaves complete with pools of standing water the car was simply awesome. The standard V8 is a little softer than the equivalent Porker, but this really proved its worth on this bumpy road! The suspension was flexible enough to ensure good traction even in these conditions, the car would pull flat in 2nd & 3rd with not so much as a twitch, Aston have really matched the power output to the chassis very well.
Ahead of me was a "profesional driver" in a modified V8 who knew the road well, this gave me the confidence to push the car harder (but sensibly) than I would have normally done in the wet & I am mighty impressed with the results the car delivered. The best description of the V8's style is it "flows" the weight distribution means the car moves into, through & out of bends all as one, yes there is a "smidgen" more roll than in some performance cars, but learn to trust & lean on the car & it delivers a B road driving rhythmn that is simply fabulous.
The brakes were spot on, shedding speed beautifully as you approach the tight right hander, a firm chunky "interactive" gear change down into 2nd, no understeer, spot on grip that doesn't hide any nasty twitches as you flow through that bend, straighten up feed in the power, hear the V8 come on song, speed really building as the car launches past 4,000 rpm & on to the red line the engine howling behing you (what pillock said the V8 was slow!!!), then again into third & all over again, then onto the brakes again & into the next sweeping open left hander in third, the car balanced, no a better word "poised" on the throttle & smoothly powering onto the next straight! Slowing as conditions got worse the car is still a pleasure to drive, that creamy V8, balance & "flowability" mean it is still fun & engaging at 5/10th's!
In the dry on a track when you are really pushing at 9-10ths the AMV8 isn't as good as something like a 996GT3 (let along the amazing new 997GT3), or even a standard 911 with 030 suspension, as a pure drivers car! BUT out on real roads where the surface is poorer & conditions vary the V8 is 100% the real thing, a real drivers car,once you tune into it's "feel" it's still a car you can take out just for the drive. Yes it also looks great & can do the GT stuff, but respect is due.....
AMV8 sir, in the right mood on the right road you are simply......awesome
!
On a well sighted B road, which was badly surfaced streaming with water from torrential rain, with a healthy helping of fenland mud & leaves complete with pools of standing water the car was simply awesome. The standard V8 is a little softer than the equivalent Porker, but this really proved its worth on this bumpy road! The suspension was flexible enough to ensure good traction even in these conditions, the car would pull flat in 2nd & 3rd with not so much as a twitch, Aston have really matched the power output to the chassis very well.
Ahead of me was a "profesional driver" in a modified V8 who knew the road well, this gave me the confidence to push the car harder (but sensibly) than I would have normally done in the wet & I am mighty impressed with the results the car delivered. The best description of the V8's style is it "flows" the weight distribution means the car moves into, through & out of bends all as one, yes there is a "smidgen" more roll than in some performance cars, but learn to trust & lean on the car & it delivers a B road driving rhythmn that is simply fabulous.
The brakes were spot on, shedding speed beautifully as you approach the tight right hander, a firm chunky "interactive" gear change down into 2nd, no understeer, spot on grip that doesn't hide any nasty twitches as you flow through that bend, straighten up feed in the power, hear the V8 come on song, speed really building as the car launches past 4,000 rpm & on to the red line the engine howling behing you (what pillock said the V8 was slow!!!), then again into third & all over again, then onto the brakes again & into the next sweeping open left hander in third, the car balanced, no a better word "poised" on the throttle & smoothly powering onto the next straight! Slowing as conditions got worse the car is still a pleasure to drive, that creamy V8, balance & "flowability" mean it is still fun & engaging at 5/10th's!
In the dry on a track when you are really pushing at 9-10ths the AMV8 isn't as good as something like a 996GT3 (let along the amazing new 997GT3), or even a standard 911 with 030 suspension, as a pure drivers car! BUT out on real roads where the surface is poorer & conditions vary the V8 is 100% the real thing, a real drivers car,once you tune into it's "feel" it's still a car you can take out just for the drive. Yes it also looks great & can do the GT stuff, but respect is due.....
AMV8 sir, in the right mood on the right road you are simply......awesome
! Edited by Grant3 on Saturday 18th November 18:23
Pugsey said:
Grant3. Observing that drive from the safe vantage point of my shiney new GT3 I was heard to utter 'well held sir, well held!
Of course you were very lucky That the GT3 wasn't properly run in otherwise I would have had to shown those thoroughbred Stuttgart horses what real British beefy brawn can do!!!!
Pah....... we Aston owners laugh
in the face of 997GT3's. (Until they are run in that is & their owners will use more than 4.5k, then we respectfully come over all Mr Bond-ish, after all an Aston is class & it is certainly not sophisticated to cane ones motor.... so we let you overtake
!!!!)
mikial said:
mine steps out under hard 2nd and 3rd gear acceleration which means to me there`s more crap on the roads in Suffolk ! 
Although looking at that positively, it could simply mean that yours has more British beef (imported from Germany & paid for by an American!!!) under its hood!
Grant3 said:
mikial said:
mine steps out under hard 2nd and 3rd gear acceleration which means to me there`s more crap on the roads in Suffolk !
Although looking at that positively, it could simply mean that yours has more British beef (imported from Germany & paid for by an American!!!) under its hood!
Beef gets better with age of course
Grant3 said:
Ahead of me was a "profesional driver" in a modified V8 who knew the road well, this gave me the confidence to push the car harder (but sensibly)
So this was the pro-drive test polot, in one of their cars? How loud was it with the race Cats?
The Aston is fantastic in these conditions, very very grippy and adjustable...but the wifes Impreza is truely amaisin, this is our first winter with it and the worse the conditions the better the car.
Edited by sadlerj on Monday 20th November 09:20
sadlerj said:
Grant3 said:
Ahead of me was a "profesional driver" in a modified V8 who knew the road well, this gave me the confidence to push the car harder (but sensibly)
So this was the pro-drive test pilot, in one of their cars? How loud was it with the race Cats?
The Aston is fantastic in these conditions, very very grippy and adjustable...but the wifes Impreza is truely amaisin, this is our first winter with it and the worse the conditions the better the car.
Edited by sadlerj on Monday 20th November 09:20
Right car James wrong driver, it was a talented "journo," I must confess he could certainly drive!
The car was mean moody & definitely ..loud (if you want it to be!).
I know what you mean about the Impreza, but like my last car, a 996TT, they tend to grip...grip.. & then......woooooh! I must confess I like the rear balance & flow of the AMV8, but there is no doubt which would be faster in this weather, nice combination of cars to enjoy!
Ahh, you are so right. Of course I am slightly jealous of the romantic notion and some of the really good journos can be truly inspirational in their writing.
I was actually referring to a 3rd party comment made to me following some tuition I took at a certain well known, long, German, public toll road this summer. My (famous) tutor had just spent some time teaching some journos the finer points of a circuit that they had all driven many times and apparently knew well. He was quite forthright in his opinion of their driving abilities (apparently mine and my mate's laptimes pulled their pants down. So, since he is qualified and I am just an oik, I absolve myself from my unfounded and malicious comments and pass the buck entirely to him!
However I will chuckle everytime I read one particular journalist's expositions on his own driving abilities.
M
I was actually referring to a 3rd party comment made to me following some tuition I took at a certain well known, long, German, public toll road this summer. My (famous) tutor had just spent some time teaching some journos the finer points of a circuit that they had all driven many times and apparently knew well. He was quite forthright in his opinion of their driving abilities (apparently mine and my mate's laptimes pulled their pants down. So, since he is qualified and I am just an oik, I absolve myself from my unfounded and malicious comments and pass the buck entirely to him!
However I will chuckle everytime I read one particular journalist's expositions on his own driving abilities.
M
Beej said:
Ahh, you are so right. Of course I am slightly jealous of the romantic notion and some of the really good journos can be truly inspirational in their writing.
I was actually referring to a 3rd party comment made to me following some tuition I took at a certain well known, long, German, public toll road this summer. My (famous) tutor had just spent some time teaching some journos the finer points of a circuit that they had all driven many times and apparently knew well. He was quite forthright in his opinion of their driving abilities (apparently mine and my mate's laptimes pulled their pants down. So, since he is qualified and I am just an oik, I absolve myself from my unfounded and malicious comments and pass the buck entirely to him!
However I will chuckle everytime I read one particular journalist's expositions on his own driving abilities.
M
In my experience the ones that witter on about their own driving abilities or worse build each other up in their mag. to be 'hands' (whatever that is) are the ones that are usually crap. I know a few who are proven, ace drivers and they are very modest about their abilities. I was actually referring to a 3rd party comment made to me following some tuition I took at a certain well known, long, German, public toll road this summer. My (famous) tutor had just spent some time teaching some journos the finer points of a circuit that they had all driven many times and apparently knew well. He was quite forthright in his opinion of their driving abilities (apparently mine and my mate's laptimes pulled their pants down. So, since he is qualified and I am just an oik, I absolve myself from my unfounded and malicious comments and pass the buck entirely to him!
However I will chuckle everytime I read one particular journalist's expositions on his own driving abilities.
M
A well known weekly recently did a car v. bike feature and after their top road tester had set a time their news editor had a go and was 20 secs. slower - 20 secs. for heavens sake. I know he's involved with news more than supercar tests but how can I take anything he writes seriously. I was amazed that they published it frankly.
Edited by Pugsey on Thursday 23 November 15:49
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