As a convert from Porsche I can tell you that the numbers game causes some to miss the point. Porsche by all means gives the driver the best chance to buzz around the track faster than other cars would. That comes at the price of having a sense of drama. I chose the Aston not for the looks but rather the fun to drive factor. When I go from the Aston to a Porsche I feel as if the Porsche is slower even though it's not. Driving the Aston is like going to a party rather than going to a networking event. You will meet more people at the networking event but it's not as fun as a party. While the vantage s is not a gt car, I find it more comfortable than a comparable Porsche.

 

A supercharged Aston????? Sacriledge!

 

Turn of PASM, go around a fast corner or long sweeper, then lift off of the throttle mid-corner.

Your Porsche will give you all the sense drama you could ever possible want.

 

IMO most of the people who obsess on numbers and track performance are either journalists who forget they are writing about road cars, or wannabes and armchair experts. I mean, if you want to get properly serious about track work i.e. you are not just a track day hobbyist, why would you settle for the inevitable compromises of a road car, even something as hard core as a GT3RS?

Most of the people buying cars at this price point probably know exactly what they want are are quite comfortable with their decision. Do they really walk around every day, fretting over what 'category' their cars fit into? I just think it's great that we live in a world where there is such a variety of great performance cars to choose from!

 

Great post

 

If you think those cars are fast on track, you should try a Lotus!
The fun factor in the Lotus is 100x that of an Aston or P-car.

 

No issue with mine as a GT car
In that is exactly what we bought it as 12k miles/year main on 1 week Euro tours

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25369163@N08/6350689859/http://www.flickr.com/photos/25369163@N08/6350689859/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/25369163@N08/, on Flickr

 

Right. I should have titled it "Vantage S is not a GT car if you live in the Northeast US."

 

The Vantage S has a stiffer set up than a standard V8 Vantage but I think only the same as having a Sports pack Vantage.

Big change are the brakes (6-pot calipers), lower geared steering rack, the 7-speed Graziano robotic manual and a smidge more power.

 

You need to exclude major portions of New England from your qualifier. There ain't no problem with roads up this way.

 

I drove a 2011 Vantage S on a dealer selected road in Newport CA. I was totally turned off on the car as it was so stiff. The road looked perfectly smooth but the car was jiggling for some reason. I've driven race Vipers and Corvettes, Ford Gt's, F430, and plenty of Porche models, nothing felt like this. I have also recently driven two other non S Vantages and they were much more normal. If there was not a problem with that particular car, I would never get the S.

 

Easy solution ... Get the Aston for the GT car for the cruises on comfort and style and gobbling up the miles on the highway in grace and just a purely classy way... And have the Porsche for that thrill driving on track or on the high strung twists... I'm about to get a db9 in a little over a week if the ppi goes well... But there is no way I would replace my gt2 Porsche for it... It's not a substitute for the gt2, rather its a brilliant complimentary car to it they are both great in their own different ways for their own specific purpose

 

People always try to compare the V8V to the Porsche, and in many ways it was designed to target the same customer. But they are so different - especially when you get to the GT2 and GT3. Those Porsches are simply in a different class altogether.

 

I'm a little late here but I'll chime in. I have driven all the variations of the Vantage and currently own an 09 roadster with sports pack and a new 11 coupe with SP. I have also driven the S and a few V12s. I have several other sports cars as well as a race car. My thoughts are the Vantage in any form is not a sports car but depending on model, a gt (regular Vantage) to what I call a luxury (V12) sports car. The suspensions go from almost soft to the sports pack, which I think is perfect all around, to the S which is firmer then the SP (per AM) to the 12 which is the firmest. I think the 12 is too firm for all but the smoothest roads for any long drive and would like to see AM add the electronic dampers so you can adjust the ride per conditions. The best thing they could do is add the GM developed Magnetic dampers like Ferrari has done. They are absolutely the best thing going. Go drive an Escalade with them and see what I mean. I have a 458 which has them as standard equipment and the ride is amazing. It can be a boulevard cruiser or a 200 mph supercar at the flick of a switch.
As to the final lable of what the Vantage is let me just say who cares? It is still the best looking car out there, has a perfect interior and has a sense of occasion when driving it like no other car made. Is it the fastest, best handling, best buy etc? No. But it is near the top in many catagories and is the best blend of Sports and GT made. Thats why I have two of them.

 

Although I am biased, I don't think the V12V is too firm for any drive, except perhaps for a city street riddled with potholes or an historic brick or cobblestone street. I've taken the car on long road trips with my girlfriend and we found the car to be as comfortable as my V8V on the same journeys. In fact, I find the ride in the V12V to be less harsh than my old V8V, which may be attributable to the softer tires and reduced weight at each corner.

Regardless, I agree that the labels don't matter.