Wow, that's what I like to see! Vantage with the power it deserves!

 

I'm already in love with the AMV8, but I think I love it more now.

Awesome vid!

 

I don't know. I seem to recall being told that it was. You would have to ask the kit manufacturer ESX.

 

Ya know, there will always be somebody faster than you... or me.

That said, EVOMS and a few other builders have enough solutions for a Porsche that can make that AM look very, VERY bad (at 1000+ hp and up)...

It all becomes a $$ game, really. (Just how much $$ do you want to stuff under the hood?) It did appear that, after the AM pulled away, it reached a point where the TT was not allowing any more distance gains... pretty cool initial pull-away, though.

 

Of course...I think the point was not "hey look this is the fastest car in the world" but rather that this is what the Vantage is capable of doing...being competitive with other fast cars as it should have been from the factory. Out of the box it needs more power to be as fast as it looks like it is. It's nice to see that happening, and the engine seems to be handling the boost very well...lots of potential there.

By the way, there is a 1000 hp kit available that includes a 5.0L stroker motor with added SC, but I don't think anyone has that yet. Then again, who really needs that for the street? Beyond around 600 hp it starts to get a bit silly.

 

I love the power, but still have a problem with the price of the kit.

Having a ton of experience with SC kits, the mark up on this kit is ridiculous. There is no more than 5k in parts. I would pay 10-12 for the kit, because the company deserves to make money. 30k is way out of line.

 

It is pricey, but what are the other options? There aren't any. It's not just the parts but also the R&D and the fact that it's a very low volume kit and part of a package. At a lower price the volume would probably increase to offset tighter margins. I think the market is there, so as it becomes more mainstream I guess we will see. If you look at the fact that you're getting 200 hp then the price isn't unreasonable...similar stroker kits from Dinan, Hamann, etc cost as much or more with less hp added.

Even the V12 Vantage, if you could get it, is more expensive of an upgrade AND is not as fast. So it's all in the perspective.

 

There are not many other options.

I understand the R&D line, but in this case there was not that much. The system they are using is a proven system that is widely used in most SC applications. They had to bend some pipe, fabricate and aftercooler(had one on my M3), add a crank pulley, and create some brackets. Not sure what the software option was, but I am assuming they changed the fuel maps to accommodate the extra air. They run a conservative 5-6 psi which tells me that they kept the tuning very conservative because they did not have a Vantage they were willing to blow. I would be shocked it their R&D cost is over 10k.

They are the only game in town, but they could sell more gets at a lower price point and still make money. Dinan is also over priced but at least you can still keep your BMW warranty. That is worth the extra price.

I honestly believe the reason for the price is based on the price of the car. Same thing I faced when I had my supercharged M3. I paid at least twice as much for the same equipment the muscle cars were using.

It is an awesome kit, and I would add it in a heart beat if the cost was more reasonable. i know you will be extremely happy with it, as would I.

 

I agree. Also, I can't help but think that there is a lower price point at which the Vantage SC manufacturers would make a lot more money than they are now. At $25K-$30K, the reality is that few units are going to be sold. I only know of two folks who have bought one. Although more may have been sold, I doubt that it's a large number. If the price were in the $10K-$15K range, however, I would think several owners, myself included, would pull the trigger. I wonder whether the manufacturers would consider a lower price if a group of owners were willing to purchase. After all, selling five units at $12K would be a lot better than selling one at $25-$30K. Moreover, the R&D has already been performed, so the only cost left is parts. I also can't see those parts costing more than $5K, so even selling at $10K-$15K would be a great profit margin. Don't understand this.

 

If the supercharger kit was $15k I agree that many people will buy it including me.

 

Well that makes three buyers. Maybe this topic deserves a poll in a separate thread . . .

 

+1 for $10K-$15K

 

I'm working on it now...I'll let you know what I come up with...should have an answer soon.

How many people would be interested at $15k for the kit (uninstalled) or $20k with clutch?

Ali and Osh at ESX are really good guys and RMRMD here is amazingly helpful when it comes to the tuning. For any East Coast guys I'd HIGHLY recommend National Speed in NC. They have done both of the 2 cars making 500rwhp now and they know the kit well, plus Jordan is really good at keeping you up to date on what's going on...I would get daily emails with pictures of things that were done that day, plus a schedule of dates so I knew what to expect. Really couldn't get any better than what they do.

 

I'd put the price point lower than $15k-$20k given that the sweet spot appears to be below that for those who have not already purchased. Most have expressed serious interest in a kit below $15k.

That said, are you planning to do a poll through this site? If not, I can assuming I have enough posts to do a poll. Also, don't forget that RSC also offers an SC option.

 

rmrmd,

I recommend that you let you're friend know that he should probably take his Stage 4 P-car in to a mechanic to have it looked at. It seems to be seriously low on power right now.

You ran a 8.8 60-130 in your AMV8, correct? That's what a bone stock 997TT at only 480 HP runs. Thus, I think your old Stage 4 TT may have boost leak that the owner isn't aware of.

Another option is to let him borrow your Vbox. If he's not in the high low 8's, something is wrong with his car.

This is no way a dismissal of the accomplishments of your S/C'd AMV8, but a 8.8 second car should not have a chance against a properly running (old style) Stage 4.