I'm have a couple of friends that have gallardos of various years who drive them pretty hard it seems as like the car loves it >Previous to my 08 ss vantage I had a 06 M5 that also loved to be driven hard and never had any issues with the thing.Why does it seem like this old tech mustang motor in our vantage cant take to A. power adders or B. NA mods . Without all this drama (ie ss cant take it ) Its the same manufacturer as ferrari and lambo .They holdup in those cars but when a mag tests the vantage but the clutch dies on the vantage!!!!!!!! that my friends is a bunch of bull**** . Lets get some better prices and good fixes for this car that never fully reached its potential in order to not hurt the feelings of the DB9 crowd !!!! Gallardo following is growing because they take to mods better and for less money than Murcies. Example you can change the clutch in a gallardo without a lift and in the vantage its almost open heart surgery ! BTW I know WHY the vantage takes longer to swap a clutch so don't get smart ****ers!!lol!!

 

Um...ok. Interesting grammar, but from that I'm going to take it that you feel that the Vantage can't be modded as well as the Gallardo.

I think the problem is more that there isn't much of an aftermarket for this car, rather than that the car itself doesn't take to mods. In other words, not as many parts are available as are available for other cars, especially Porsche. That's the price of exclusivity. Fewer cars on the road to mod means fewer turners are going to invest the time and money. However, the car does respond pretty well to mods...chip, intake, and cats supposedly net close to 70hp, which isn't bad. And with time things seem to be getting better...more parts are coming.

By the way, it wasn't the clutch that broke on the Vantage tested by Motor Trend, it was the gear lever. That still doesn't excuse it, of course. You're right there are some durability questions still, but they're getting better.. The clutch does appear to be a weak point, even though it supposedly is stronger than the one used on the DB9. I also think that some lightweight parts like a flywheel and wheels would make a big difference on this car.

Where in NV are you? North or South?

 

Don't sweat guys, our range is getting more and more complete by the day. Uprated clutch and lightweight flywheel kit are on the way - clutch life is poor on the Vantage but we'll soon be offering an option that should solve that and give better performance as well. If there are any other products you guys would like to see let us know as we are always happy to look to our customers for direction on new product development.

 

Should have known the crew down in Florida was on the case !! sorry for doubting you guys! I didn't think RSC was really into Aston as much they are.
You guys are the single reason I'm keeping my vantage. I had originally wanted a 04 challenge stradale but at the time I could not find the right one. So I took a chance on the Aston once I found out they were putting the sport shift in it. But once I started driving it I felt like my foot and the computer were at odds as to who is in command because of the crawl feature in the gearbox. It seems to me that is one of the reasons the car does not launch harder than it does. (ie, my M5 use to launch pretty good with smg) So thats why I never pulled the trigger on the paramount tcm reflash. I want somebody to make it engage just like a lambo Bmw or ferrari. I don't care that it isnt buttery smooth. I loved my M5 shifting hard and the whole lot! I don't give a **** that a hard shift in the middle of a corner might upset the chasis its not a freakin RACECAR. I'm no asking for a damn miracle trans.I bought it with the sportshift KNOWING it wasn't perfect but it is definitely not up to its full potential. If rowing a manual was better then why doesn't Formula one use it ! or any other HIGH level motorsport? Because they have sequentials! Again better than rowing a boat. Thanks my 2 cents

 

From all the posts I've read and searches, I don't see where the clutch in the Vantage is a durablity problem. If it is not many are complaining? Anyone have any facts that would support the bad durablity premise?

 

I've heard of clutches being replaced at 7-10k miles. Seems like it's not holding up too well over time in some cases. It also seems to be very easy to burn the clutch, especially in reverse. I believe they updated the clutch and flywheel with a lighter and more durable part for 2009.

 

We talk to a *lot* of AM dealers all over the world. There are definitely some cars that are ruining a clutch in 7-8K. Which is low by any standards. That said there are also some cars with 20K+ which are still on the original clutch. Depends a lot on driving style but let's put it this way - I stopped off at every Aston dealer on the West Coast in the RSC Vantage C and let them all touch/feel/drive it. Pretty much without fail one of the first questions the techs asked was - is this the original clutch or have you uprated it. They all said the clutch life didn't appear to be great so that's my primary source of info.

A lot does depend on driving style, if you frequently launch the car in 1st rather than slipping the clutch gently and accelerating hard once engaged you will easily halve the life of the clutch. For some drivers they won't need/want/be interested in an uprated unit but it certainly seems like there's a call for it. A big part of it is that easily 3/4 of the cost of having a clutch done is the labor, and if the option is there to install a better performing and longer lasting unit along with a lightweight flywheel, and it doesn't cost much more than the original unit then it's false economy to stick with the original.... plus you end up with a cool mod which is always a bonus!

 

Are you guys talking about the manual transmission cars or the sportshift cars? I would think with the sport shift and the computer shifting the clutch it would last longer? I know my car never smells like anything is burning but I don't drive like a nut case. Do the down shift blurbs hurt the clutch? I would be happy with 20K miles out of my sportshift clutch and then go for a upgrade.

 

From what I can gather it is both the manual and SS cars - there's more scope for the manual driver to burn a clutch up through aggressive driving but then the SS cars will slip the clutch more under normal conditions which generates more wear on the clutch and the face of the flywheel. Funnily enough, we believe (although I don't have the R&D to confirm it) that the SS cars which have done our TCU upgrade will actually theoretically have lower clutch wear than on the standard map because there is a shorter period of slipping for each gear change. This may not turn out to be the case in practise though since you'll probably drive the car harder once you've had it done and negate any improvements in wear - same way that NA power upgrades often improve fuel economy but then you love driving the car more so you spank it like you stole it and never realise the MPG benefits!

In terms of blipping the throttle on downshifts(rev-matching), either with a manual or SS this in theory improves the longevity of not just the clutch components but the engine as well. Think about the rotational force of the engine going in one direction and then suddenly dropping a gear and the forces that go through the drivetrain in the opposite direction as the clutch slips and the engine is wound up to match the lower gear. All of that opposing torque is running through every moving component of the drivetrain - diff, gearbox, clutch, flywheel, thrust bearings, crankshaft & main bearings, big ends, little ends pistons etc. The smoother you can drive the less wear you cause on all of the components in the car, and using the gears to slow the car down is counter-productive. As Jackie Stewart once told me(gratuitous name drop) the brakes are there to slow the car down so why use the engine to brake? Apart from anything else it helps you achieve a nice smooth transition from braking to cornering and get on the power sooner so carry on doing it as much as possible!

 

Thanks
I don't use the comfort button because I am sure that slips the clutch more then anything.

 

Stuart,

I've been thinking about one recently and what are your objective thoughts on them in terms of build quality, reliability and bang for buck? I have a range rover sport currently and the reliability is not that great. Lots of little things wrong here and there but nothing major so far. Any thoughts on this since you've been around so many? I'm mainly considering a 07 vantage. Thanks!

Edwin

 

Stuart is right about the reverse issue. I think AM geared it for freeway speeds in reverse. Trying to go slow in reverse usually ends up with the smell of clutch. That could be why some are needing replaced so soon.

Anyone have any experience with replacing one? Did the dealer cover it under warranty or do they consider it a wear item?

 

Clutch would be a wear item.

 

Edwin - I know you did not ask me but this is a forum so my2cents - we get this comparison question a lot - esp. w/ Vantage pulling in P-car customers. I was (and still am) a long time P-car owner - last one was as you can guess a 996 TT w/ lots of TechArt mods (true 550 HP), previous to that was a Series 1 GT3. The HP is not comparible to the TT but the AM build is just as different as the HP. I have tracked all my cars at Sebring (and others) for comparison - taken the Vantage out several times. My 2007 Vantage has been as reliable as any P-car I have owned, yes now have many mods too. Heck everyone had a Seal Grey P-car - something like 5 S. Grey TTs at last event! You will not see this with an AM. It all really boils down to what you want or do with of your car - if you are a track junky I would suggest sticking w/ Porsche - just so many more companies that offer after market stuff. If you are a daily driver - no issues. You want exclusive - AM is it - more like "what is it ... I really like it". And one final note ... holding value ... they all drop ... look at what you can get a 2003/4 996 TT for now .... and when the next 99? hits the show room .... watch the new 997 drop like a rock too. About 40k AM cars have been built ... ever. Porsche makes 100k cars a year. Don't get me wrong I still love P-cars but the AM is a nice change ...

 

Great analysis