N 400

Author
Discussion

rockerc

Original Poster:

4 posts

166 months

Sunday 26th December 2010
quotequote all
Hi Guys,

Can you give me your thoughts on the N400 as opposed to the standard V8V.
I have never owned an AM before and this will be my first purchase.
I am in the market for something around the 60-70k mark

Thanks
Colin

mikey k

13,014 posts

222 months

Sunday 26th December 2010
quotequote all
Have a good read through this!

http://www.amoc.org/component/option,com_wrapper/I...

ETA bugger you need to be registered to see it.

Have a look for "N400 vs Vantage 4.7" in the Gaydon/V8 Vantage section

Edited by mikey k on Sunday 26th December 19:02

rockerc

Original Poster:

4 posts

166 months

Sunday 26th December 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for that Mikey. as soon as i get my cofirmation email from AMOC i will read it.
Much appreciated. Thankyou
C

UH-Matt

2,172 posts

246 months

Sunday 26th December 2010
quotequote all
I personally like them, but feel if you can stretch another £5k you could probably get into a 4.7 which will be a newer car and a better engine.

If a 4.3 is where its going to be, then N400 for sure, but if you are up at the £70k mark anyway, then you should be able to get into the 4.7 engined cars.

Murph7355

38,697 posts

262 months

Sunday 26th December 2010
quotequote all
Not worth a huge premium over a std 4.3.

A 4.7 will likely be a better choice generally so not worth as much as these.

And they have the 'Ring stitched into the armrest...

PK1990

91 posts

251 months

Monday 27th December 2010
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I bought one in October after a long search - 09 plate, 3k miles.

Very nice, however I now wish I'd have held out for an N420 - prices have come down alarmingly, I guess due to time of year. I paid £70k, and attempted to trade it 4 weeks later for an N420 with an £80k sticker with a different dealer. I was offered £50k for my car...

Sportshift is great on the move, but clumsy in Central London, regardless of setting - although I understand this is upgraded in 4.7 models.

Plus with a 4.7, you get a proper key fob - the Volvo set-up up 4.3 cars is truly woeful, although hopefully a PH entrepreneur will provide a solution soon biggrin

And as mentioned, you do get to avoid the 'ring embroidery on armrest.... though not too sure about N420 in headrests either wink

ariel

423 posts

264 months

Monday 27th December 2010
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I find the N400 to be a cracking car, well I would wouldn't I. Having tried various V8Vs before I made the plunge I find the N400 suits me to a T. I wouldn't consider a car without the sports suspension now and there is just enough power to keep me happy. Coupled with a Quicksilver exhaust so the noise is just lovely and I like that being an N400, it has all the desirable options included. A european trip last summer showed just what an acclomplished car the N400 is and dealt with all kinds of roads with verve and aplomb. OK I keep being tempted by the V12 but who isn't?

Murph7355

38,697 posts

262 months

Monday 27th December 2010
quotequote all
PK1990 said:
...I paid £70k, and attempted to trade it 4 weeks later for an N420 with an £80k sticker with a different dealer. I was offered £50k for my car...
If you try and trade out of *any* car after such a short period of time (especially via dealers), you will get your trousers taken down. Though tbh, and IMO, 70k for any 4.3 car is strong money.

ariel said:
...A european trip last summer showed just what an acclomplished car the N400 is and dealt with all kinds of roads with verve and aplomb. ...
I reckon, with familiarity and experience, any V8V will feel this way on a long tour.

Too many people make their minds up after too short a time with a car, and spend too much time worrying about what magazines say (who spend even less time with cars, and haven't dropped their own money on them).

When you spend a lot of time with a car, especially in a concentrated time like on a road trip, you really get to appreciate all the little things about it that, in the final summation, always end up far outweighing 0.2sec to 60 or 3mph on top speed.

I would bet money that the point to point difference between any V8V, on *real* roads (with day to day traffic and other considerations) is practically zero. And even on empty roads or a track, it would be so small that a difference in driver skill could easily overcome it.


mikey k

13,014 posts

222 months

Monday 27th December 2010
quotequote all
rockerc said:
Thanks for that Mikey. as soon as i get my cofirmation email from AMOC i will read it.
Much appreciated. Thankyou
C
You don't need membership just to register.
BTW I went through this in April.
I bought a 4.7 roadster with the sports pack
IMHO all the good bits from the N400 plus the benefit of the 4.7 and later interior

355f

516 posts

254 months

Tuesday 28th December 2010
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Murph7355 said:
PK1990 said:
...I paid £70k, and attempted to trade it 4 weeks later for an N420 with an £80k sticker with a different dealer. I was offered £50k for my car...
If you try and trade out of *any* car after such a short period of time (especially via dealers), you will get your trousers taken down. Though tbh, and IMO, 70k for any 4.3 car is strong money.

ariel said:
...A european trip last summer showed just what an acclomplished car the N400 is and dealt with all kinds of roads with verve and aplomb. ...
I reckon, with familiarity and experience, any V8V will feel this way on a long tour.

Too many people make their minds up after too short a time with a car, and spend too much time worrying about what magazines say (who spend even less time with cars, and haven't dropped their own money on them).

When you spend a lot of time with a car, especially in a concentrated time like on a road trip, you really get to appreciate all the little things about it that, in the final summation, always end up far outweighing 0.2sec to 60 or 3mph on top speed.

I would bet money that the point to point difference between any V8V, on *real* roads (with day to day traffic and other considerations) is practically zero. And even on empty roads or a track, it would be so small that a difference in driver skill could easily overcome it.

But murph, if there is legitimacy in your argument about real world driving why bother to change a 355 for a 458 for example- the argument doesnt wash IMO

When I purchased mine, the last of the 4.3 cars , I really wanted to love it but having come from a succession of 'proper outright' sports cars i was dissapointed in two things.

The awful 'laggy' throttle- whats that all about- press the acceperator quickly and 5 seconds later it revs.
The more concerning thing is the suspension of early 4.3 cars- and this was confirmed by my dealer- successive upgrades meant that even when the drop top first came out the suspension was much improved over the 4.3 coupe! that must be a first, the coupe that is not the drivers car! it feels somehow unresolved at the rear with a turn in thats just not right the engine pack solves the throttle problem and the suspension pack transforms the car into a different league. The mechanics in my dealership only enjoy driving the sports pack cars- I wonder why?



Edited by 355f on Tuesday 28th December 09:51

Murph7355

38,697 posts

262 months

Tuesday 28th December 2010
quotequote all
A 355 and a 458 are worlds apart in terms of the less "Top Trumps" aspects of a car, let alone the stats. Worth 150k+ more? Who knows. In absolute terms, unlikely. But it's irrelevant as it's a totally different car. The N400 is a modified V8V.

Is the engine pack you mention the factory upgrade? Does it really cure the throttle? If so, it'd be worth it for that alone, but I've not read any reports that notes it does...?

Others have mentioned the suspension foibles before, but I can honestly say I've not noticed especially. Secondary damping on *some* surfaces under some circumstances could be better. But it's rare I've noticed it.

It's not a Caterham. But then very few cars are that capable on the handling front.

Is an N400 worth the premiums being suggested on this thread? IMO, no.



355f

516 posts

254 months

Tuesday 28th December 2010
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
A 355 and a 458 are worlds apart in terms of the less "Top Trumps" aspects of a car, let alone the stats. Worth 150k+ more? Who knows. In absolute terms, unlikely. But it's irrelevant as it's a totally different car. The N400 is a modified V8V.

Is the engine pack you mention the factory upgrade? Does it really cure the throttle? If so, it'd be worth it for that alone, but I've not read any reports that notes it does...?

Others have mentioned the suspension foibles before, but I can honestly say I've not noticed especially. Secondary damping on *some* surfaces under some circumstances could be better. But it's rare I've noticed it.

It's not a Caterham. But then very few cars are that capable on the handling front.

Is an N400 worth the premiums being suggested on this thread? IMO, no.
Yes the factory engine upgrade removes that nasty throttle damping and goves it more urge throughut the range- ok its no 4.7 but at the time i did mine a 4.7 was 24K more!

Sir Snaz

571 posts

192 months

Wednesday 29th December 2010
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Hey RockerC ......I am currently selling an N400 for a friend of mine who has just decamped to the mid east ......drop me a PM and ill shoot you the details

snaz