I'm toying with the idea of getting a V12 rather than a '10 V8.

The unique nature of the car is such that it may end up being the original Gullwing of this generation of cars. I don't look at this as a hope in the future upside of the sale of the car (allowing me to sell at a profit), but rather the fact that there will most likely only be a relative few of these cars made for the product run. I would hesitate to call this a true supercar, as those to me tend to be all engine, and this is more a case of great engine/timeless look/comfort.

I would like to get the thoughts of those who have them and those of you who have been long-time AM owners.

I would be ordering something other than Carbon Black.

I have never been a track guy, although I would certainly like to take it around the twistys if I get one. This would be a car that would be for special use, and the occasional trip to the office.

Thoughts?

 

Hard to say. These cars definitely have a timeless beauty, so in 30 hrs you can still look back and say it's a beautiful car. But I do think that we will see some big improvements in what Aston Martin can do, so in that respect while this may represent the "pinnacle" of Aston Martin right now, there's a lot on the table. The simple addition of direct injection will make these cars much faster, for example. Time will tell. Hard to go wrong with the V12, though. You certainly will enjoy it.

 

Each AM generation will improve, no doubt. What I don't want to end up doing is waiting til I'm 90, finally get the "perfect" Vantage and, the same day, have the state take away my drivers' license.......

 

As I write this, my V12V is on a boat bound for the US. I owned my first Vantage for 3 years. This is a year longer than typical for me but I really loved that car. I think that The V12 will probably be available for a year or 2, max. There is a major overhaul coming in 2013-14. I think you are going to see lighter, techier cars. I haven't given any thought to the legacy or worth in the future. That kind of thing keeps you from driving as much as you want. I have driven the car on the track and on the road. It is a markedly different car from anything else that AM has done. I think that your desire to track and GT the car makes it a great choice. The car is very comfortable in both settings. I hadn't driven on a track for around 5 years and my skills are a little suspect. Having said that, I was clearly the limiting factor in the cars performance that day. I think it will give you all that you can handle. When I looked at it compared to other cars, there really isn't any comparison. You can get one outfitted nicely for under 200K. Other than a 997TT, everything else in the category is 250-300 including the DBS. When I specced out the 4.7, it came to around 158K. I also didn't want a Carbon Black car. I drove one at the dealer on an overcast day and the car looked great but without the sun it's hard to appreciate all of the work that goes into that paint. Not to mention that I have 2 other black cars in the garage and I didn't want to look like a funeral director.

 

I think the chance of the V12V being a real, one-of-the-greatest-of-all-time classic is very very small.
Yes, it is a very good car - I also kept my '07 a year longer than I normally do and miss it enough I will get another next year, too (but definately will keep the Ferrari).
But a classic, I doubt, for two reasons: a) it is a Vantage of which thousands of V8s have been made, b) it is a great car but not a totally dominating car. By comparison, fewerthan 1500 Gullwing coupes were built (and only about 2000 convertibles) and at the time it came out it was arguably the best sports car ever made.
We all know that magazine comparison tests are not always accurate, but note that in recent ones the V12V comes in last: it certainly is not dominating in any way. These comparisons don't take into account the incredible fit, finish, and class of the Aston, but something to think about is that any recent Aston Martin has that. I'm actually thinking of getting a V12 next time, too, but actually looking at the DB9 because: a) it is just as elegant and classy, b) it is a V12, c) the interior and the driving (at anything less than 8/10ths) is almost identical, d) I think I can actually find one for fewer $$.

 

I agree, technology and AM will improve over the years ... DB4 thru DB6 is a great example. And yes I would own any of those cars ... I think the V12V is on that path.

 

Its not a sure bet that each generation will improve. Given all the new regulations, don't be surprised if the next generation is worse or even if these cars disappear. The last time there was a major overhaul of regulations here in the US (early 70's) it took 25 years for the cars to start getting better again.

 

I don't see regulations coming that would really disrupt progress anytime soon. I think it more likely that AM distracts itself with too much silliness over its "Emotional Control Unit" and its ego-satsifying but rather irrelevant EVO-77 projects and mini-car (Cignet) project rather than a focus on its core production models.
You look at a company like Ferrari, which as Car and Driver recently said, is just at the top of its game right now, and the rate of progress they continue to steadily produce is very encouraging -- I don't like the 21st century styling and hyper electronics/game boy dashes in their most recent models (458, 599 HGTE) but that is just me: no doubt at all that the cars get better/faster/more efficient/safer every year - so I think future cars in general will be better. Just hope AMs are among those much improved cars.

 

I'm a little worried about distractions also. Bez has rocked the boat before in terms of design and being a little lofty with his ideology. I think that using the Lagonda brand as a place to launch cars like the cignet would have been a better idea. That way, like VW, you could disassociate any downfalls or lack of quality from you premier product. The other thing that concerns me is the price escalation. In actuality, I think that the V12V is their best bargain. I'm still not sure why anyone would buy a DBS coupe for 100K more. There are a number of articles about the coming changes in 2013-14. The move is to lighter and more modern designs inside and out. I have a bad feeling that this redesign may bring about a generous price increase for the Vantage and the DB9. We may also see the disappearance or absence of specialty cars like the DBS and V12V. I thought that I read that Bez didn't like the model expansion thing when he was at Porsche. I can't remember where I heard that, I could be wrong. If they did the right thing and lightened up the cars while concentrating on the driving experience, they could theoretically make the jump into a more expensive price point. To do this though, they better come a lot closer in terms of performance at both ends to the cars that they are comparing themselves with.