3000, 3100, 3500,… the point is that is is unusually high RPM for a cruising speed.

 

KF,

I realize that was your point, but there is a significant difference between 90 mph and 80 mph at a given rpm. Saying 3500 rpm gives 80 exaggerates your point about short gearing, and I'm guessing that exaggeration was not your intention.

Many performance cars are geared shorter than we might expect. I'm sure this isn't news, but high-reving engines are generally geared shorter than low-revving engines, and most (not all) sports and exotic cars are geared to reach maximum speed in top gear. The V8V gets very close to max revs -- and peak hp -- at max speed in 6th gear. Similarly, the Ferrari 458, which revs to 9000, is geared almost the same in top (7th) as the V8V, but with 570hp, it also will just about reach max revs at top speed.

 

Another reason to change oil early

 

My clutch is not grabby whatsoever and I will generally just let engage enough to get the car moving and do so with no throttle

 

Talk about a grabby clutch, my CGT has the most difficult clutch I've driven on a street car. I cringe when I have to reverse up a slight hill in that car.
It's also the only car I've driven where you have to let the clutch engage Before you press on throttle, makes for challenges on stops at hills.

 

Closer? Well let's see. If Reverse we're half-way between the First and 2nd it would be at 10.1. The differences between 9.4, 10.1 (half-way) and 7.7 puts it significantly closer to 2nd gear. Even a 10.1 ratio would make Reverse a lot easier to work with.

 

wow! 7 pages on the Vantage clutch!!!!!

 

Maybe because it's the worst part of the car?

 

Actually, the worst part of the car is probably the transmission. 1st gear is a little too low, reverse is too high and 6th gear is too low (3000 RM at 80MPH is way tooooo low, 6th should be an "overdrive gear"). My Audi cruises at 85MPH at 2,000 RPM. However, with that said, my favorite gear in the Aston for passing is 3rd--I can go from 45mph (3200RPM) to 100MPH (7100RPM) in 3rd without shifting.

 

2nd is also pretty interesting, allowing you to go up to ~70mph!!

 

You're right but most times I go over 70 when passing. So when I'm on a two lane road getting ready to pass, maybe 2-3 cars, I just go down into 3rd to get ready (easier than 2nd and getting the RPMs up to 4,500-5,000) then just punch it and hold on.

You may have noticed that in 2nd--RPM is directly related to Speed--30mph is 3,000 RPM and 60 MPH is 6,000 RPM.

 

I do the same thing in the freeway except I have to drop down to 4th gear to pass so I don't run out of revs as I would in 3rd. It sounds glorious when you go over 6,000 RPM in 4th.

 

I must be the odd ball because I like the ratios. same ratios in 4.7? Is it the difference in power?

 

Not an odd-ball at all. The discussion of "ratios" was initially around the "Reverse Ratio", which is too tall to be easily used--either you slip the clutch or stall the engine. First is fine, a little too low maybe, but that makes it very easy to control. Second is the same as in a lot of cars, where the RPM matches the speed (4000RPM = 40MPH). Third is a great gear for passing--I love it and I don't run out of RPMs.

So the primary complaint I have is with Reverse--ratio should be closer to 1st, and 6th where you are running 3,000 RPM at 80MPH. Of course if you moved 6th gear up, then 4th and 5th would have to be adjusted up as well--but that's OK.

 

I'm with you. Other than the tall reverse, I think the ratios are very well chosen. Mine is a 4.7, and the gearing is the same as the 4.3 cars. The ratios are fairly close to each other, and the not-too-tall 6th gives excellent response and passing power at normal highway speeds. Perhaps some 4.7 owners would want a taller 6th given the greater low- and mid-range torque of the engine.