Owning an Aston Martin DB7?

[argoose]

I am looking into purchasing my dream car? A DB7

However this is the very first step into investigating what it costs in ownership.

I am interested in finding out the yearly budgets for servicing these car and also any other service information that anyone can provide

What do I need to look out for when looking to buy

What is the best spec?

What to walk away from?

Any help much appreciated

[Fidgits]

Apparantly you want the V12 if possible...

[AstonZagato]

Go to the Aston Martin Owners Club website. Register on the forum and go to the Bloxham section. There is a buyer's guide ther with everything that you want. Personally, I'd look for a V12 with sports exhaust and, if your budget stretches, a GT.

[argoose]

Note sure which engine to go for hence asking the question what is a good spec.

Thanks for the information

Edited by argoose on Wednesday 27th June 13:16

[VirginiaUSA]

If you want a later model car, you're looking at a V12 Vantage. If age is less important, your options include the i6. There are some tradeoffs either way. i6 will be less expensive to maintain but also less of a car unless you spend a fair bit of cash on upgrading the engine. But you'll still have an i6. Later V12s are, well, they're V12s! Refined engine and improved interiors, fast but regular service and repairs for things that go clunk, grind, or need replacing will empty your wallet somewhat faster.

[tony m]

your best go for v12 vantage,an annual service at an independent will be around £6-700,then put a sports exhaust and 20" wheels on it

[Hugo Fitch]

Or get an I6 and have the maintenance done at a Jaguar specialist without being robbed blind! it's still a quick car, though I can't deny the sound of the V12 at full chat is simply fantastic.

[steve lyden brow]

Another factor to take into account is depreciation. Although I have seen no great body of opinion on the matter, that which I have tends to suggest that the Vantage is the one to depreciate less. Comments please ?
SLB

[manek]

I've been watching prices for a while (since before I bought my i6 18 months ago) and it seems to me that, since you can now buy a V12 for a smidgen over £35k - just a few k more than I paid for my i6, then it's the V12s that seem to be suffering the most depreciation. But then, I haven't done an exhaustive/scientific study...

On the i6 vs V12 issue, I'd add only this: not only is an i6 cheaper to run and fractionally nicer to look at, it has more of a heritage link to the classic DBs of the 1960s, all of which used a straight-six engine. The i6 is also hardly a slow car... Just a thought.

[VirginiaUSA]

If you go the i6 route, I'd suggest you look for a stick shift. The early auto transmission really need another gear to be fluid.

[manek]

VirginiaUSA said:

If you go the i6 route, I'd suggest you look for a stick shift. The early auto transmission really need another gear to be fluid.

Agree entirely - I sought and found a manual, having tried the auto. Er - and I didn't think I was quite old enough for an auto yet...

I'll get me coat.

[Danny Hoffman]

Totally agree with the manual v auto i6 comments, I drove both and couldn't have lived with the auto. Not been lucky enough to drive a V12 yet, and am a but worried that I may want to trade in my i6 if I do........

[VirginiaUSA]

Having the ECU in the i6 auto remapped will sort out the weakness, noticeably improve performance but drop your city gas mileage. Remap on a standard should show an improvement in performance and better gas mileage. I'm surprised more i6 owners don't take advantage of the modification.

[manek]

To be honest, it was the box I had a problem with. It's s-l-o-o-w to react and takes any sportiness out of the car's character.

[VirginiaUSA]

Yep, absolutely true. A chip remap transforms the auto transmission to the way it should have performed in the first place, especially in Sport mode.

[manek]

One more aspect of this issue that bears consideration is that the engine has so much torque that the temptation to ride the torque wave and hardly bother to change gear at all is very tempting. Which makes a manual (in my opinion anyway) the better bet.