Fun w/ V8 vantage, V12 vantage, Ford GT
#3
That's great...I have yet to see a V12 on the street. I'd definitely like to do a comparison. The 4.3 really comes on full boil up top...always try to stay in the lowest gear possible to keep the revs up to give yourself the best chance, but it sounds like you held your own. In my car if I punch it in 1st I usually lose traction towards the top of the rev range, so I feel like I'm not getting the most out of it yet below 60 mph. If I punch it in 2nd at over 4000 rpm it throws me back violently...I've measured the 60-100 time in under 5 seconds in 80 degree weather...in cooler weather like we had 2 weeks ago (temps in the high 50s to low 60s) the car felt much faster...I'd imagine a 60-100 time of around 4 seconds, which matches the SLS and LFA among others.
#4
If you go with a set of lightweight wheels with wider/stickier tires, you will get added torque across the power band and better braking due to the lower rotational mass and upgraded tires. In my case I combined lighter but wider wheels with bigger but lighter tires and a slightly lowered suspension...the net result is phenomenal braking and grip...makes my M3 feel like an SUV by comparison.
Last edited by Tahoe M3; 11-14-2010 at 06:46 AM.
#6
I have an '08 Vantage V8 and really like 3rd gear for passing and playing around. At 55mph in 3rd I'm right at 4000 RPM, and that means I'm at a good point in the power band and can go to nearly 100 before hitting red-line.
#7
Hello Tahoe,
You are correct, keeping it in the lowest gear possible is key, especially since our vantages have close ratio gear box excluding first, (2-6 aren't that far spaced apart). I think this is yet another reason that the car isn't that quick to 60, it simply isn't geared for 0-60 in the way that most cars are, they are more geared for high end runs which is why the car managed to do so well against stiffer competition (on paper). I noticed the same is true of the vanquish as well, at speed they are very quick even though 0-60 they aren't.
I do agree with mass reduction, that is one of the best ways to get more torque at the wheels (quite literally). The stock 7-spokes are already pretty light as far as 19s go, but a set of 18-19lb ADV1s would do absolute wonders (although the price is hard to justify sometimes even for an aston).
I just wish a company would come out with lightweight flywheel & clutch combo already b/c I feel like this will be the #1 mods for our cars and it is the least addressed of all the aston's achilles heels. Stock clutch & flywheel setup is honestly junk, it almost ruins the car IMO (although not nearly as bad as earlier British sports cars like the Lotus Esprit & etc).
You are correct, keeping it in the lowest gear possible is key, especially since our vantages have close ratio gear box excluding first, (2-6 aren't that far spaced apart). I think this is yet another reason that the car isn't that quick to 60, it simply isn't geared for 0-60 in the way that most cars are, they are more geared for high end runs which is why the car managed to do so well against stiffer competition (on paper). I noticed the same is true of the vanquish as well, at speed they are very quick even though 0-60 they aren't.
I do agree with mass reduction, that is one of the best ways to get more torque at the wheels (quite literally). The stock 7-spokes are already pretty light as far as 19s go, but a set of 18-19lb ADV1s would do absolute wonders (although the price is hard to justify sometimes even for an aston).
I just wish a company would come out with lightweight flywheel & clutch combo already b/c I feel like this will be the #1 mods for our cars and it is the least addressed of all the aston's achilles heels. Stock clutch & flywheel setup is honestly junk, it almost ruins the car IMO (although not nearly as bad as earlier British sports cars like the Lotus Esprit & etc).
I think that reciprocating mass (and weight overall) is a big factor, so lightweight wheels, clutch/flywheel would help. But then things that you can't change, like a lighter crankshaft, etc would probably make a big difference. I think a lot of the changes that came for 2009 were in this area.
Another factor may be cams. I think the cams are pretty aggressive for a street car, and that's why the engine is so peaky for a 4+ liter V8. Once you get 'on cam' above 4000 rpm the car really rips. That's why the higher speed acceleration is better than the low speed acceleration because you're already past the sluggish spot and the revs don't dip below 5000 rpm as long as you stay on the gas.
The stock tune is very rich, so aftermarket tunes that lean it out (like the RSC remap) or add air (filters) can gain a lot...this helps with hard acceleration where the revs are up, but doesn't do a lot down low.
I've done some timed 0-60 runs and haven't seen much improvement, mostly because of traction limitations. The car definitely FEELS faster even in that area but I'm not willing to shock the drivetrain as hard as I'd need to in order to get better times. My best run was 4.7 secs with traction control on and a lot of wheelspin and power cutoff. I think it could get to the low 4s or even high 3s but I'm not willing to abuse the car to find out. Stickier track tires would help (my next set will be along the lines of Sport Cups or Toyo R888s), and I've even thought of starting out in 2nd gear to see how that does. The 1-2 upchange is hard to hit right, and the car has enough torque to pull, so taking it out of the equation might help. Shorter gearing probably wouldn't help me since I'd just roast my tires more.
But in other areas I see big gains, and in places where it comes in handy more, like 60-100, 60-120...I ran a few times last night and got 60-100 in 4.6 seconds in 70+ degree weather, and it wasn't a clean run. I'm sure it can do a few tenths better. That's a whopping 2.6 seconds off stock magazine measured times for the 4.3 coupe, and also 1.3 seconds faster than the 4.7 and 0.4 faster than the V12. Even better, it's faster than the R8 V10 (4.8), 600 hp Viper (4.7), F430 (5.3), Z06 (4.8), GT-R (6.1), CTS-V (5.0), Ferrari California (5.2), Mercedes SL63 (5.7), and Bentley CGT (not even close). And it's just off the mark for the 997.1TT (4.4-5.4 depending on test), 458 Italia (4.2), SLS (4.2), and LFA (4.0). I can't touch cars like the LP560, or 599GTB which are well into the 3's, or the 997.2TTS which is in the high 2's. Bench racing, yes, but it gives a good idea of how the car is doing. Good company to be in, for sure.
Of course there's always something faster out there, but it's nice to see this car performing where it should...except in 0-60 where I put on good shows of tires smoke if I'm not careful.
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#8
For a Fast 20-60 run, or even 20-70 you want to be in 2nd gear--You'll be at 2000RPM at 20mph, but very quickly be into the higher revs, and you'll be at 70+ at redline (notice MPH vs RPM are 1:100 in 2nd gear e.g., 40mph = 4,000RPM). Going on up to 100, you'll want to shift into 3rd right at red-line (about 70mph) the RPM will drop back to about 5000 and you'll be right in the sweet spot for your run to 100. However, if you're at Highway speed say about 55 an are getting ready to pass, don't go all the way down to 2nd, because you won't be there very long before you have to shift to 3rd--Start in 3rd and enjoy it all the way to 100!
#12
It certainly was a blast especially considering it just happened by chance, quite a pleasant surprise. It did make me desire a much smoother exhaust note though. The v8 does sound great but imo its a bit to brash & choppy compared to the much smoother v12s. I may chose an exhaust route that will make the exhaust sound much smoother & more refined. So far the only exhaust I've heard that appears to do that for me IMO is the RPI system, its far smoother than anything else I've heard.
There are a number of threads here and elsewhere with the RSC exhaust and Quicksilver exhaust notes uploaded...
#13
It sounds like you had a blast!
I think cars can be great fun when surrounded by enthusiasts that aren't jerks about their cars. This is one of reasons why I love HPDE's.
I'm glad to see you're enjoying your car. It's one of the best looking cars - ever.
I think cars can be great fun when surrounded by enthusiasts that aren't jerks about their cars. This is one of reasons why I love HPDE's.
I'm glad to see you're enjoying your car. It's one of the best looking cars - ever.
#14
007 Vantage...
I guess its pretty subjective about what sounds good to our "ear". With the plethora of aftermarket exhaust systems ie RPI, RSC, Larini and Quicksilver (likely others I am not aware of) relative to the market size of AM V8's the choice becomes difficult indeed with so many claims of this and that...
I guess its pretty subjective about what sounds good to our "ear". With the plethora of aftermarket exhaust systems ie RPI, RSC, Larini and Quicksilver (likely others I am not aware of) relative to the market size of AM V8's the choice becomes difficult indeed with so many claims of this and that...
#15
That's great...I have yet to see a V12 on the street. I'd definitely like to do a comparison. The 4.3 really comes on full boil up top...always try to stay in the lowest gear possible to keep the revs up to give yourself the best chance, but it sounds like you held your own. In my car if I punch it in 1st I usually lose traction towards the top of the rev range, so I feel like I'm not getting the most out of it yet below 60 mph. If I punch it in 2nd at over 4000 rpm it throws me back violently...I've measured the 60-100 time in under 5 seconds in 80 degree weather...in cooler weather like we had 2 weeks ago (temps in the high 50s to low 60s) the car felt much faster...I'd imagine a 60-100 time of around 4 seconds, which matches the SLS and LFA among others.