Paramount now lists the supercharger kit on their website in the Vantage section. It appears to be ready! I have an email out to the to get price, etc, but the prelim info confirms the 500 hp from a swin-screw Eaton supercharger that jaymoney mentioned in the other thread. Here we go..if this is ready I may order it this week!

 

From what Gordon at Paramount has told me, it's a 4-5 hr install for a tech experienced with Astons. The twin screw will be very efficient and provide power straight across the power band. From what he has said, their ECU tuning with the SC kit will be additive. I am having GT4 skirts installed on my car as we speak. After that, my chips are going to paramount and the SC over the summer. If you get there before me, please post info on the modification. Also, from the other threads, I wonder if the added power will necesitate better rubber than the stocks. Anyway, best of luck and I look forward to hearing about the conversion and getting my own.

 

That's good news...I didn't expect that the ECU tuning would be additive. I just got an email back from them and it looks like the kit is going to come in at 9995 British Pounds, or just under $15K.

Wheels/tires will definitely be a must to get the power down. Stock rear wheels are probably only good for 285s...the car will fit 11" width wheels in the rear as shown with the V12 Vantage, so I'd expect it's possible to get 305s back there....probably the way to go.

I'm also looking at doing some suspension work...probably just the springs, though. I think the stock ones are too firm initially, which is making my car feel too stiff and jittery on these rough Florida roads, and I think there are some progressive springs out there that should help.

 

You and I are thinking along the same path. I was thinking of upgrading wheels and springs as well. Have you given thought to 19" vs. 20". The V12 has 19x9 and 19x11 and looks very good. I have a feeling that it is probably a good idea to get the performance upgrades done first, then see how the car handles and get an idea of how the weight of the SC affects the car. I have a roadster, so I am already 175lbs heavier. I have a quicksilver exhaust which trims 40lbs and am hoping to gain more reduction with lighter wheels. What are your thoughts?

 

I think 19's are the way to go...20's are too much...and like you I was planning on going with 19x9 F and 19x11 R, not just because it's the same size as the V12, but because it makes the most sense and seems to be the widest sizes that will fit comfortably. I'm not a huge fan of the V12 wheel design and they would be very difficult to get anyway, so I'll probably go with HRE P40's. I still think the stock wheel designs (non-V12) are the best overall but of the aftermarket options, the HRE monoblok series looks the best to me and is a lightweight forged wheel.

The weight of the SC kit should be pretty minimal, since it will be basically swapping the intake manifold for the SC...not a lot of additional hardware...additional pulleys, new injectors, etc, won't add much. There's no mention of a charge or intercooler, but I don't have all the details on the kit yet. I'm waiting for a dyno and a picture of the install to make sure it looks very clean and OEM and then I'm going to finalize my order...hopefully this week, as long as everything looks good. Sounds like delivery is going to start in May.

 

HRE P40's are the way to go. My car is the one in the thread with the GT4 side skirts by MAcarbon. I'm not in love with the V12 wheel design either. I used them as an example because I think the power and weight of a V8 SC will be about the same as the V12. Also, when you look at the aftermarket wheel options, there is a great difference in the widths and ratios. My feeling is that no one has done as much research and work on the Vantage as Aston. So if they are creating a car with 510HP and the extra torque, the probably came to the decision to go with 19x9 & 19x11 for good reason. Are you going to send your ECU to Paramount? If you read the thread by rmrmd, he was able to gain 30 additional HP from programming. Paramount advertises 35HP. I know we're talking about crazy numbers (545HP?) all said and done, but I love everthing about this car except for the lack of power at the low end. I don't see myself wanting another car for some time if I land the performance in that territory

 

Yeah we're definitely on the same page on this, which is good.

As for the software, I'm still on the fence. I'm trying to decide if it's worthwhile to do now since I'm committing to the supercharger kit. The SC will have its own software, so even if they're saying it's additive, I'm not sure it will be worth it. The question is probably if the software helps with low-end grunt to offset possible parasitic drag from the SC at low rpms.

Another issue worth discussing is the clutch. I know rmrmd went with a custom aftermarket clutch, but I'm thinking of trying to grab one from the V12 parts bin if possible. If not, I'll opt for the revised clutch for the 2009 model. I'm also thinking of grabbing the lightweight flywheel from the 2009 to help the car spool up a bit faster. Should be a pretty simple swap out.

 

I have sportsshift. I wonder what my options are.

 

Probably just a gearbox ECU reprogram is all you need...Paramount has one. The gearbox seems capable of handling the extra power...ESX used a sportshift convertible for their demo car and it has been able to handle the 545 hp.

 

great thread.
looking forward to see a before and after dyno

 

Tahoe,
Any news? Have you gotten the Dyno from Paramount? My car is still at the bodyshop. For anyone thinking of adding the GT4 side skirts, they require quite a bit of prep and be sure to order the weather seals as well because they do not come with the skirts. Having said that,without paint, they look awesome on my car. I expect to get my car back next week and will then send my chips to Paramount. I expect to land at around 440HP with the chip, quicksilver and K&N filters.

 

No news yet. I guess the kit isn't quite finished...they said they would forward me a dyno and a picture of the installed kit once they have it completed.

It's looking like mid-May at the earliest.

 

jaymoney - just a suggestion but when getting the "chips" done see if they are reprogramming throttle response too. The best example I can give is drive a E46 M3 (previous style w/ 6 cylinder) or a newer Cayman S (3.4 Ltr) - there is simply more punch or better yet a "qiucker throttle response" as you press the throttle down. I have yet to drive a new Vantage "chip" program that matches either of these 2 cars. The 2009 was a bit better but not still not there. Explanation I was given was AM gives us a 1:1 peddle to throttle response ... others increase the ratio ... "you do not get more power" well maybe not but other 2 examples sure accelerate faster !

 

Thanks Mike, I'll make that coversation when I talk to Gordon next week. Last we spoke, he told me that the power is felt more at the bottom of the range. I didn't speak to him about throttle. It will be interesting to see what he has to say. When I had my 997 with the sports-chrono, I noticed a significant difference after my ECU was reprogrammed.