997GT3 v DB9 purchase dilemma?

[flow99]

An unlikely dilemma, as I have a 997GT3 on order, due to arrive end of July, but always hankered after an Aston. Unfortunately, the AMV8 performance never quite lived up to the expectations, however with a low mileage DB9 available for similar money (£91K) and having had a test drive at the weekend, I now have an unexpected dilemma. Enjoy the pure driving perforamnce of the GT3, but keep meandering back to the overall experience of the DB9.

But, and a big but, I have concerns over the running costs and reliability of the DB9 in comparison to the porker, particulalrly as will use the car regularly, circa 12K miles p/a. Whilst I may receive some biased opinions on the Aston forum, I would probably be hung drawn and quartered by the porsche fraternity for considering an Aston, I would appreciate some comments form anyone with experience of both?

[Paulburrell]

Flow99

Not that this will help you very much but as an owner of a MK1 GT3 I can at least comment about the Porker. I see also that you already have a couple of Porsches, so you know all about their build quality. The new GT3(the 997) is supposed to be far more suited to the road than either of the previous incarnations. However, 12k per annum in any GT3 would IMHO test your patience to the limit, unless of course that mileage was mostly going to be done on track. Ask yourself why you would want the GT3 and if your immediate answer is not principally "to do track days" then I would cancel the GT3. A much better bet would be the new 997 Turbo which is like a rocket ship and far more surefooted on the road.

As for the Aston, there can be no denying that it does look lovely but it is a bit of a posemobile compared to the Porsche. Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your chosen mode of transport.

[Grant3]

Interesting choice & a very nice one to be able to make.

I currently have a 997GT3 & my last car was an AMV8, I have also driven the DB9, all great, but different, cars!

Much depends on what you want from a car!

The GT3 is a very special slice of Pork & the latest model adds daily usability to the model ranges fabulous drivers credentials. Put simply this car performs, handles, involves, interacts & sounds as good as the very best drivers cars out there regardless of price. A Ferrari 430 is no quicker in the real world, nor does it sound any better!
If you have one coming in July & enjoy a drivers car, I would highly recommend you take delivery.
I use mine daily & unlike earlier 996GT3 models it is a comfortable daily road driver, providing you don't specify buckets & cages!!!

The AMV8, offers a different package, it is such an amazing looking car, much more special to behold, the interior also has a more bespoke & upmarket feel. It is a much rarer sight on UK roads & it has a fantastic image, virtually everyone will love you & love car. Owning an AMV8 is a great experience & the fact that it is also a very good drivers car, with a great balance.It is also a slightly better GT than the Porker.

The DB9, is dominated by that lovely V12, silky smooth & you notice the bigger torque output, it pulls better lower down the rev range, but I didn't find it much faster than the AMV* when you really went for it & certainly nowhere near a GT3. Whilst I enjoyed the driving, its bigger size & less wieldy nature, make it far more GT than sports car, ok a very sporting GT as the firmer ride shows & certainly more driver focussed with the sports pack, but the AMV8 was the better car to simply take out for the drive.

I would worry too much about reliability with the Astons, they are well sorted now, most early glitches have been sorted & I found mine fine for a year, with no major problems.

My summary

GT3: The current ultimate drivers car package at anywhere near £100k & now civil enough to use everyday (with sensible spec)

AMV8: A very special desirable ownership package & also great to drive, looks great, sounds great, handles very well...fabulous!

DB9: If you need the rear seats, enjoy an engine with big torque & big character, want more GT focus than drivers adrenalin hit, it is one of the classiest cars at any price.

Edited by Grant3 on Tuesday 29th May 14:26

[flow99]

Thanks for comments, particularly Grant3 on user freindly nature of the 997GT3 as a daily drive.

Logic / gut feeling suggests take delivery of the GT3, (which incidently is comfort spec with PCCB, as predominately to be used on the road), particularly due to current rarirty, then if still desire the DB9, can always change at a later date as there's lots of used ones available, and probably be more around with the Sport upgarde package.

Will disappoint my wife, but will have to make do with some porka skirts and spoilers rather than the david brown tractor, for a while longer!!

[Grant3]

flow99 said:

Will disappoint my wife, but will have to make do with some porka skirts and spoilers rather than the david brown tractor, for a while longer!!

Interestingly my MRS prefered the Aston,
1: For the better looks, she thinks "the GT3 has crashed into Halfords" & come out with a few extra spoilers & wings .
&
2: She finds the GT3 too fast & frightening, "your going to put your foot down, friggen hell"

Edited by Grant3 on Tuesday 29th May 15:11

[flow99]

Grant3 said:

flow99 said:

Will disappoint my wife, but will have to make do with some porka skirts and spoilers rather than the david brown tractor, for a while longer!!

Interestingly my MRS prefered the Aston,
1: For the better looks, she thinks "the GT3 has crashed into Halfords" & come out with a few extra spoilers & wings .
&
2: She finds the GT3 too fast & frightening, "your going to put your foot down, friggen hell"

Edited by Grant3 on Tuesday 29th May 15:11

I thought my wife was okay with the looks of the GT3, but once she was weighing up the style /glamour of the GT3 v DB9, I soon realised that the "boy racer bodykit" wasn't going to cut the mustard quite like the Aston at the next social event on the calender.

[sadlerj]

I find my wife and most other peoples wives love the Aston. The only reason I am 'allowed' to keep it now the family has grown is the fact that the wife loves it soo much, she would have made me chop a pork in for a sensible family 4x4 (like an RS4).

Even tho the performance 'does not live up to expectations' I still manage to scare the living cr@p out of most passengers...

Edited by sadlerj on Tuesday 29th May 15:35

Edited by sadlerj on Tuesday 29th May 15:37

[GetCarter]

The 911 and Aston are so different, IMHO you really just need to isolate what you want from your car. If you want to go ballistic, the Porker is the only way to go.

Personally, I've done *pant wettingly quick* and now really enjoy just *bloody fast* in a car which is a real joy to own and drive. Also, chucking the Vantage about is SO much more fun than the Porsche ever was (996 turbo X50)... yet, of course, I'd be left behind by any 997.

A nice dilemma you have.

[AstonZagato]

Wise words of advice (and I can scarcely believe that I have seen the GT3 and DB9 discussed in the same breath). Sounds like you need to scratch that GT3 itch for a bit at least. I have a DB9 and have had a 911 and 360 in the past. I wouldn't want to back to either (though I might add one or both to the DB9). The DB9s (I'm on my second) have been wonderful. I am possibly going to trade up to a DBS but I'm not really sure I want to (for the price to change, I could add a used 360).

[sadlerj]

GetCarter said:

I'd be left behind by any 997.

Sure that would depend on who was driving!

Dear GT3 owners, have you seen the latest Evo Mag, the new R8 is much quiker than ALL 997 iterations round Bedford West Circuit, so if it is laptimes you are after then there is a new daddy on the block!

[flow99]

AstonZagato said:

Sounds like you need to scratch that GT3 itch for a bit at least.

Probably a correct assesment, need to have some fun in a GT3 for a couple of years, before moving onto an Aston. Having waited a long time for one, best get out there and enjoy it first, and avoid the 'what if' scenarios!

Thanks

[Pugsey]

As Grant did I went from AMV8 to 997GT3. Now going back in to AMV8 Roadster for summer. His summary is spot on. Scratch the GT3 itch or you'll always regret it. Also if you change your mind after a few months you'll loose little - or even no - money on the GT3. Do it the other way round and you'll loose a bundle on the DB9. Oh, and BTW, as long as your reasonably competent you CAN chuck the GT3 around just as you can an AMV8! Huge fun, whereas the DB9 starts feeling a bit big and (whisper it) 'mature' for those sorts of fun and games.

Edited by Pugsey on Tuesday 29th May 17:59

[AstonZagato]

The DB9 does not react well to being thrown around. However, drive it smoothly (at immature speeds) and the limits are IMMENSE (it is no co-incidence that the factory based the Le Mans car on the DB9).

Put the SDP pack on a DB9 and it moves up another level (perhaps should be standard but that is another discussion...)

[Pugsey]

AstonZagato said:

However, drive it smoothly (at immature speeds))

'Immature' speeds - I like that!

Edited by Pugsey on Tuesday 29th May 21:42

[flow99]

Thanks guys for the reassurance to stick with the GT3, although hardly a difficulty!

Also, from all accounts, best to wait until there's a few more DB9's with 'Sport pack' on the market to consider, having suffered the initial depreciation.

[jus]

Be sure to come back and let us have your impressions! I also had to make the call between an AMV8 and the GT3, and went with the AMV8 -- although I would still like to add a GT3 to the fleet sometime in the future, but definitely without sacrificing the Aston!

[flow99]

jus said:

Be sure to come back and let us have your impressions! I also had to make the call between an AMV8 and the GT3, and went with the AMV8 -- although I would still like to add a GT3 to the fleet sometime in the future, but definitely without sacrificing the Aston!

Interesting, as I originally had both AMV8 and GT3 on order, and cancelled the AMV8, as didn't feel it was much better to drive than my existing 996. Maybe the test drive in the AMV8, which was in damp conditions, was too brief to make a conclusive decision.

[jus]

The AM is one of those cars that is much more than the sum of its parts. It's hard to explain but several of us have attempted to write it down before... either way I don't think you can make a losing decision though!

[sadlerj]

flow99 said:

which was in damp conditions.

Mine is huuuge amount of fun in the damp, in the dry there is too much grip for big fun, but in the damp she is a real laugh! I find my V8 much better and more fun to drive than my old 996, maybe you need another try of the v8, one that has been well run in and has the new gearbox oil..But saying this if when I was getting my V8 the 997GT3 was around and I had the opportunity to choose, then I would have had a really really hard time...I'd like to think I would go for the Aston...but not really sure!

Edited by sadlerj on Wednesday 30th May 09:03

[flow99]

sadlerj said:

flow99 said:

which was in damp conditions.

Mine is huuuge amount of fun in the damp, in the dry there is too much grip for big fun, but in the damp she is a real laugh! I find my V8 much better and more fun to drive than my old 996, maybe you need another try of the v8, one that has been well run in and has the new gearbox oil..But saying this if when I was getting my V8 the 997GT3 was around and I had the opportunity to choose, then I would have had a really really hard time...I'd like to think I would go for the Aston...but not really sure!

Edited by sadlerj on Wednesday 30th May 09:03

Maybe another try of the AMV8 is in order, and without the dealer sat next to me keeping things calm in the wet!