I had an 07 V8 coupe and 08 V8 Roadster. I sold those and now have an 09 V8 Roadster and a new 11 V8 Coupe. You absoultely want an 09 up. Its not just the engine, everything about the cars is improved. If you drove a new leftover 11 and liked it thats great. You should be able to get 20-35 off sticker. That makes it a great buy if they have what you want. I am quite happy with my cars but, I would not buy one for a daily driver. Too much wear and tear and not very practical for hauling much. Hope this helps.

 

Fastestlaps is the authority??? Look at the history of the independent magazine road tests over the years and you'll see that the performance of the 4.3 V8V is closer to that of a 997 than a 350Z. For the record, I really like the 350Z, and have driven one extensively since someone I know well owns one, but are you really comparing it to a V8V??? The craftsmanships and materials quality of the two cars are not even in the same galaxy. You can always pay less for a faster car. A Corvette is vastly less expensive than a 911 and offers as much or more performance depending on the model -- does that mean the 911 is overpriced? GT-R vs. 997 TT? An Aston offers not only performance, but also so much more than that.

Regarding depreciation, comparing the very specialized GT3 is rather unfair -- comparisons to 997s generally show that none of these cars is immune to depreciation, as we all know. What is an '06 V8V worth compared to an '06 997S?

 

Sunir and Marcos,

The DB9 is a great car, but it has a distinctly different, more GT-like character than the V8V. The weight difference is not so small -- approx. 350 lbs., which basically negates the DB9's power advantage (not the torque advantage, though). Yes, it can be modified (as Marcos has done/is doing at considerable expense and to great effect) to feel more like a V8V, and the Sports Pack certainly goes a long way in that direction, but they remain distinctly different cars (a very good thing, IMO). One can, of course, modify a V8V also...

 

So true. People tend to place way too much emphasis on performance and the numbers, even when talking about performance cars. The reality is that these are road cars, not race cars. You have to live with these cars in the real world, not only on the track. While performance is an important component of the equation, it's certainly not the only component. If it were, Aston would not sell a single car -- they wouldn't provide the performance for the cost. It's the whole package that forms the driver experience that counts.

 

Answer to several of these threads is to recognize Vantage for what it is...a neat hobby car, not practical in any way, except one, to make you feel good every time you light it up, some times all I have to do is walk by it.

Modification is my way of keeping it fresh. By changing the car, even in small ways, I internalize all the auto company tasks of planning, design, engineering, manufacturing and testing. Then I can take it to a gathering of car people, Saturday mornings, but not in the winter, and brag about it. People here in southeast Michigan, love the brand and this little exquisite example before them.

So, not only do I posses this high quality machine, but my elementary modification expressions make me feel even better about it.

 

I've been looking at Vantages for a few years. Haven't bought one because of the depreciation, reliability, transmission and acceleration. Drove an R8 and it was nice and big on the inside, practical but still rare, and seemed ok on acceleration although I really didn't hit it that hard. I heard of a Audi TT-RS which is supposed to be almost as fast as an R8, and it cost about 100k less. There are 5 of those for sale on auto trader, versus over 300 R8's. So I bought a one. The DSG which is not available in the states is supposed to do 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, the manual which the USA gets is supposed to do it in 4.1. It doesn't feel that fast though, not sure if I just need to rev really high and dump the clutch. But an interesting point of the magazine acceleration numbers is when they use launch control the car is fast, but when they give the numbers for the "street start 5-60" the numbers drop. I think the GTR goes from 2.9 to 4 seconds, and the TT-RS adds a second also. I don't think a test drive is long enough to see if you like the acceleration, maybe rent one?

The other annoying thing about some cars is that it is tough going back to actually having to touch a key fob to get in or lock your car, not to mention actually sticking a key in the ignition. (or ECU in the dash). I was worried about the electronics in the Vantage and the Audi, and the Audi has turned out worse then I expected. I would try to pair your phone, use the nav, and set a radio station. Simple things, but that's how you interact with a car.

Once an interior reaches a certain level, I don't think it gets that much better. Everyone goes on about the Vantage interior, and Audi. I think they are nice, but I have had many other lower level cars with nice interiors. Also went to a 3 day Corvette school to do a long test drive. The interior was horrible, worse then a Mustang.

With all that said, I'll probably get a Vantage in the next few years unless something else comes along.

 

I will tell anyone thinking of buying a vantage to just go drive it. I drove an 07 and it was too slow. Drive my 11 s and it's perfect! Scary at times but still drivable. The car feels much faster than the numbers suggest. This buying experience showed me that numbers aren't what make a car. Oh and I would never trade down to a Nissan product and try and compare any part of it to 100k + car. Cars are more than just engine and the Nissan material used are cheap and plastic.

 

I get the depreciation issue...common on cars in this class if purchased new. What do you base the reliability comment on...if you have not owned one? Conversations with other owners, reading through forums,??? Just curious, as the Vantage is on my short list along with the CS2, Jag XKR, and Maserati GT. Thanks.

 

OK I am just going print this out and hand it to people when they asked me why I am buying one.

Wife and I put a offer on a 07 Vert/N400 this morning. Will wait and see how it goes. If not then back to searching which is always fun. The one car that I really compared the Aston to was the 360. Actually I could get a early 360 cheaper then the Aston....

Still going to drive my beat up F150 to work everyday that its not perfect out though.

 

The aston's are such a good looking car.... will test drive a few next time I go to Florida..

 

All I said was that the 06-08 vantage is about as fast as a 370z. Here are your independent magazine comparisons.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...370z-road-test
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...w-specs-page-2

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...e/viewall.html
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...t/viewall.html

I also have the EVO magazine issues with tests of both cars as well as Bedford autodrome lap times....and guess what? They're all but identical. If memory serves me correctly, the 370z is quicker around a lap actually.

Show me where I compare the build quality, prestige, or glamour of a Nissan favourably to the Aston? I compared their performance. Also, the production volume of the Aston is 1/10th of that of a 997. Or more accurately, similar to that of a GT3. The Aston is a handbuilt, rare English sportscar.

Even so, lets compare depreciation for kicks. The C2S listed at 80k base. Let's say 85k with options. You can find a good one with around 25k miles for 53k now. The car today is worth roughly 62% of its list price. You can find an equivalent Aston for say 65k now. Lets say it had even fewer options, just 2k worth. The car is still only 58% of its list price. So yes, the Aston has depreciated more than a cookie cutter 997 s, which is much more common. This is nothing new, Aston's depreciate like mad, and more than equivalent cars.

Also, I said 370z, not 350z and judging from Evo Magazine tests, the 06-08 vantage is about as fast as a 3.4 996 Carrera. It's in fact a hair slower at 100 mph, but that's not really significant.

 

[quote=bluesun;3452145] But an interesting point of the magazine acceleration numbers is when they use launch control the car is fast, but when they give the numbers for the "street start 5-60" the numbers drop.quote]

thank you. I've been saying for ages that 0-60 is now a pointless measure thanks to launch control. Who's going to do a wheel spinning controlled launch to accelerate their car, short of being on a dragstrip? 5-60 is a much more relevant test.

 

If you'd just pointed out earlier that you had said 370Z rather than 350Z you could have saved me a lot of trouble Yes, the raw figures for a 370Z are similar to those of a 4.3L V8V (though you didn't say initially (I don't think) that you were comparing the 4.3 V8V rather than the 4.7).

But... Those Aston articles are not independent tests -- they did not conduct their own performance testing. I don't remember what the 4.3's Bedford time was -- nor am I sure how much it matters -- but it was quite good, and I'm pretty sure it was significantly quicker than the 350Z. What I don't remember is when the Bedford track layout changed, so post-change times are not comparable to pre-change times. Both the V8V and the 350Z were timed on the old track. Do you know whether the 370Z was tested on the new track or the old version? Only then could we know whether the times are comparable.

A $65K V8V is pretty much the bottom of the market, whereas one can find 997s for far less than $53K, and they don't have to have huge mileage to be well below that figure. We may disagree, but IMO the GT3 market is a very specific, and atypical, portion of the Porsche market and should not be used as an illustration of Porsche resale value generally. Besides, no one here has said that value retention is a reason to buy an Aston. It's not a reason to buy a 997 either. And what are "equivalent" cars that Astons depreciate so much more than? Maseratis? Jags? 12 cylinder Ferraris? They all have scary rates of depreciation.

IMO, you did "compare the build quality, prestige, or glamour of a Nissan [favourably] to the Aston" when you said, "if you can live with a car that's about as fast as a 370z but costs much more, it's worth a look... but it's pretty dubious as a value proposition-especially new." You may not have said explicitly that the Nissan was better than, or comparable to, the Aston in these non-performance areas, but it implies that the you don't consider these non-performance aspects valuable (and since only the 4.7 is available new, it seemed that you were including 4.7s in your comparisons, not just 4.3s). There is always another car that offers more performance for less money, so if that's all that matters, then that's all one needs to seek -- fair enough, and to each his own. But, when value comes into play, so many other things matter to different people. IMO, saying the Aston is a dubious value proposition suggests that you place little or no value on these other criteria. IMO, nothing can touch the Aston's combination of performance, handling, involvement, quality, craftsmanship, looks, rarity -- specialness -- at its admittedly high price. That makes the comparison to the 370Z (which, again, I think is a terrific car) a bit, well... they're really not comparable IMO.

 

I have an 09 Aston and a brand new TT RS, I also have a SC Range Rover. In the past year I have also owned a Boxster S and a 10 S4.

I also looked at: 997 C2S, 997 C4S X51, Gallardo, F360, C63 AMG and even a BOSS 302

Each car has its own reason to shine. Each does something better than the last. In my opinion the numbers do not tell the whole story.

The Aston IS faster than people give it credit for and almost nothing feels as special as the Aston. All of the little bespoke bits remind you this is not a mass produced car.

If you think it is similar to a car like a 350Z, I would suggest you save you money and buy the 350.

It's really like arguing a hot dog fills you up every bit as well as a steak. Both are great, but for different reasons. Buy the car on its merits.

I bought the TT RS for all the things I don't want from my Aston. It's my winter car, it's my track car, it's really small, it's fast as hell, it's modable, but it is not an Aston.

 

to clarify:
A 370z has similar performance.
Definitely does not have similar build quality, construction, or aura.
There's no comparison I'm drawing BUT the performance...for a 110k sporting GT, the 06-08 vantages are underpowered and as such, in my mind, dubious value propositions. That doesn't have to do with how they're built, how they look, how they feel...but rather how they don't go like they sound

Also, if you find 997 S's well under 53k (aside from a couple of the red ones) that have 25k or less miles, please shoot them my way. I'd consider picking one up.

The 350z's are great cars, nice oversteery balance. Quite rough though.