DB9 GT to Vanquish s - is it a good idea
Discussion
once you do you have the answer BlackWidow13 said:
Aventador 700 said:
The Vanquish S is one of the worst cars i’ve ever owned, std. Vanquish is a better car imo. and cheaper.
Those are two statements which would benefit from some further, detailed exposition. A bit harsh on The Vanquish S to say its the worst car ive owned tbh (owned 100s of sports cars & many super GTs as we’ve loved touring Europe the last 30 years) but versus its competition its not good.
you spend a lot of time in these cars when the time arrises and my main gripe is the excessive noise the S produces beyond 2.5k or 3k is quite frankly nasty until it reaches 6k and you have no choice in the matter, it is not a good sound and the db level with the actual noise is ridiculous for a gt and i like to hear my cars (had tubi / capristo 4200 & 355 and have fi on my Aventador) not to mention the start up! you stay in nice hotels etc when touring and quite frankly its obnoxious on start up, i’m more thoughtful of others, maybe thats my problem.. i believe this can be mapped out though?
I’m not a badge person so i think the Aston Martin thing is lost on me so maybe owning this marque helps others see more value in it, but for me it doesnt handle very well, rides well, seats were comfy, loved the old style interior (which many dont like) the gearbox was much better vs the 6sp, S styling (subjective) add ons were tacky and made it very slope sensitive with the front splitter, much more so than other low cars because of the overhang nature of the vanquish, well built and reliable in my term though.
I think the std. Vanquish removes what i’ve described as being its Achilles heal, for me and is far cheaper to boot, i’d imagine £80k for the last std Vanquish with the 8sp (not totaly sure that was possible?) is great thing if you want to move on from the DB9 as dynamically it is better and more inline with the DB9s nature.
All a very personal opinion though, i get that.
Sometimes with Astons less is more. They are beautiful cars and do not need lipstick, a fartbox or wings. It does ot need to be attention-seeking in its demeanor, because people like them anyway, no need to (literally and figuratively) turn up the volume.
Yes, for track use, but there might be car better suited for that.
And "S" versiones exist because of the eternal upsell and because other manufacturers are doing it too.
I am not too sure about both the first gen (which looked like an early concept study of a DB9) and 2nd gen (with its "shopping cart handle" spoiler) Vanquish. Yes, James Bond, but he also drive a DBS, which is also not overly tasteful with all the fussy details.
DB9 GT is wonderful. And never meant to be a "sports car" (short, mid-engine, lightweight) anyway. And the Vanquish S is only 2,6% lighter, so the overall difference in dynamics might be less noticeable on the road (4.2 vs. 3.9 for 0-60, that 0.3 seconds might rarely be of relevance on British or elsewhere roads). That might even be more so the case for a convertible.
But if you cannot sleep because you own a certain model and you know there is one that somehow sits "above" yours, then go for it.
Yes, for track use, but there might be car better suited for that.
And "S" versiones exist because of the eternal upsell and because other manufacturers are doing it too.
I am not too sure about both the first gen (which looked like an early concept study of a DB9) and 2nd gen (with its "shopping cart handle" spoiler) Vanquish. Yes, James Bond, but he also drive a DBS, which is also not overly tasteful with all the fussy details.
DB9 GT is wonderful. And never meant to be a "sports car" (short, mid-engine, lightweight) anyway. And the Vanquish S is only 2,6% lighter, so the overall difference in dynamics might be less noticeable on the road (4.2 vs. 3.9 for 0-60, that 0.3 seconds might rarely be of relevance on British or elsewhere roads). That might even be more so the case for a convertible.
But if you cannot sleep because you own a certain model and you know there is one that somehow sits "above" yours, then go for it.
Edited by Exoticlover on Tuesday 2nd August 07:57
Edited by Exoticlover on Tuesday 2nd August 07:59
Exoticlover said:
Sometimes with Astons less is more. They are beautiful cars and do not need lipstick, a fartbox or wings. It does ot need to be attention-seeking in its demeanor, because people like them anyway, no need to (literally and figuratively) turn up the volume.
Yes, for track use, but there might be car better suited for that.
And "S" versiones exist because of the eternal upsell and because other manufacturers are doing it too.
I’m not sure I entirely agree with that when it comes to the Vanquish S, and think that it’s also quite spec dependent. Yes, for track use, but there might be car better suited for that.
And "S" versiones exist because of the eternal upsell and because other manufacturers are doing it too.
Sweet spot for me was the Vanquish S with reserved paint, no two tone highlights, and traditional grille. In quiet mode it’s still discreet enough (although a quiet start option would occasionally be handy) but the sharper, slightly more aggressive, edge (both visual and acoustic) of the S is unexpected to many and I feel adds an interesting dimension. Would I feel different if I were a decade or two older? Perhaps.
There are some really nice ones out there, but some of the GT8/12 push a bit beyond what I’d be comfortable driving, so would agree that it is sometimes possible to go further than each of us might like.
BlackWidow13 said:
Aventador 700 said:
<snip>
Thanks for that, and for taking the time to set it out. I’m thinking about the S vs non-S choice (coupe) so that’s all useful stuff. 
I find that cruising in the S (volante) with the wind deflector and windows up at French motorway speeds (130 kph) is below 2k rpm and there is no noticeable drone - making for a very pleasant and economical ride - relatively speaking....
...of course once off the motorway, the engine noise comes into its own when you want it too!!
...of course once off the motorway, the engine noise comes into its own when you want it too!!
Your son in law is not entirely wrong but as we car enthusiasts know a new to you car and the hunt etc are all part of the game.
Logic is only something we can only pretend to adhere too.
All the above cars are awesome in there own way. I suspect the S badge will always hold its price differential.
I don't have the benefit of trying the Vanquish in any guise but I'm pretty sure, beast though it is, it's not a sports car. So trading some GT credentials for something to take it in that direction may not be that important and is defo a be trade off.
So long story short change your car if you enjoy changing and life off too short not to enjoy but your current car is........ Awesome.
Logic is only something we can only pretend to adhere too.
All the above cars are awesome in there own way. I suspect the S badge will always hold its price differential.
I don't have the benefit of trying the Vanquish in any guise but I'm pretty sure, beast though it is, it's not a sports car. So trading some GT credentials for something to take it in that direction may not be that important and is defo a be trade off.
So long story short change your car if you enjoy changing and life off too short not to enjoy but your current car is........ Awesome.
GG33 said:
Longer term, the Vanquish will always be worth more and may even appreciate, whereas the DB9 will depreciate.. (That may not matter to you) Bearing in mind we dont know what impact the ICE ban will have :-(
Sounds like a DB9GT is a car for rich people who can afford to stomach the depreciation then.andyduncan said:
I find that cruising in the S (volante) with the wind deflector and windows up at French motorway speeds (130 kph) is below 2k rpm and there is no noticeable drone - making for a very pleasant and economical ride - relatively speaking....
...of course once off the motorway, the engine noise comes into its own when you want it too!!
Agreed as the Coupe is same...of course once off the motorway, the engine noise comes into its own when you want it too!!
I'm not long back from a 2000 mile french trip in an S and its one of the quietest cars you are ever likely to get so not sure what the earlier poster was on about. You can do some serious speed before the sound comes up noticeably.
I do agree about start up, its loud, you can't quieten it down it's just loud on start up but beyond that it's glorious and probably the best super gt made.
In terms if handling it can leave a DB9 behind but only on track mode when it comes alive. I find it's too soft so can be ponderous if really pushing in normal mode despite rhe beefier anti roll bars etc. Sport helps but isn't enough if using all the 600 ponies. Sport mode is ok if using say 2/3rds throttle so naybe upto 400 ponies but Track mode ties things down nicely and j think this emphasises the difference between the DB9 and Vanq S. The Vanq S can do everything the DB9 does but can then raise rhe game considerably IF you want it too.
The claimed dash to 60 is 3.4 in the Vanq S and not 3.9 as mentioned above and I believe a number of mags pretty much matched this when launched.
If the OP has an itch and is seriously considering the swap then they absolutely MUST sort a test drive and then they will know if its too much / Sporty or doesnt offer enough over the DB9
What the Vanq S isn't, is a DB9 with bit more oomph it's completely different although I personally would class the DB9 in the GT class and the Vanq S in the Super GT class.
It's only louder when you want it to be (apart from start up) and feels a little more taut everywhere without ever being harsh.
It's still not a proper sports car, a Mclaren or similar will run rings around it courtesy of being a few hundred kilos lighter but you can hold your own
If you have access to Asto. Mag from spring 2017 they compare the Vanq S with a DB11 and I think its a very fair run down of both the cars.
I accept the DB11 isn't a DB9 GT but it does serve to highlight the differing nature's of a GT and a Super GT. Your preference is only known by yourself and I wouldn't disagree with any of the comments made in it good bad or indifferent as they do largely reflect my own experiences.
Worth a read if you can find it
I accept the DB11 isn't a DB9 GT but it does serve to highlight the differing nature's of a GT and a Super GT. Your preference is only known by yourself and I wouldn't disagree with any of the comments made in it good bad or indifferent as they do largely reflect my own experiences.
Worth a read if you can find it
Longy00000 said:
You can do some serious speed before the sound comes up noticeably.
I do agree about start up, its loud, you can't quieten it down it's just loud on start up but beyond that it's glorious and probably the best super gt made.
Maybe something was wrong with mine?I do agree about start up, its loud, you can't quieten it down it's just loud on start up but beyond that it's glorious and probably the best super gt made.
In ‘quiet’ mode, anything beyond 3k rpm resulted in valves fully open and not the nicest noise for a V12 can make until 4.5-5k where it then started to sound nice but crazy loud vs other better tuned V12 noise.
The only difference the Sport button made to the noise, was all the above commenced at 2.5k rpm instead of 3k
What this meant with cruising on motorways (for me) was ‘having’ to stay below 3k for a peaceful journey, granted, below this it was a lovely cruiser (as i said, suspension, seats & gearbox were lovely)
But i often (in europe) go above 3k rpm on motorways for short bursts past people so and it felt like a barrier as it didnt sound good, country A or B road driving it became even more of a thing tbh as you dont want that kind of noise on a flowing sunset drive.
The transition between open and closed was also so sudden it was like the car suddenly barking, just very poorly judged by Aston imo, drive other V12s and you’ll understand it more and how poorly judged and matched the system is, I have a V12, V10 and 2 x V8s all with std. valved systems and they are all much much better engineered to give a far more pleasing and useable nature.
Like insaid, maybe mine was faulty? or others here the same? I do find that Aston Martin fans can be quite blinkered to the flaws of their car sometimes, maybe its some of that? if these are normal characteristics of the car…
Everyone i took out in the car (as i was interested in their reaction) said the same, whats wrong with it? car people as well as ‘normal’ folks
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