I have a 996tt tiptronic that I love, but thinking of a vantage next.. not new.. which year should I look at? 2009 has the new motor I believe..? Will I like the vantage coming from a 996tt? If I buy one it will also be an automatic.. looking for reviews and thoughts.. thanks guys

 

I have a 2009 Vantage, it's a great car. For me, I love how direct the car is. Coming from Porsche you will appreciate the steering, very direct. The 4.7 is an amazing engine, sounds glorious. The build up of revs is so fun and linear. You might find it low on power.

There are some great coil over kits for the car that can get you a less GT ride. I'm likely opting for this. The car can take some big rear rubber too (11").

It feels very special to drive and it is almost never common.
I love mine, but strangely I'm considering a 997.2 GTS that I can drive all year. The Porsche is more practical, but the Aston is more special.

 

thanks, I do love the look of the astons... have not driven one yet..

 

I traded away a 997tt with only 7k miles on it for my '09 V8V and I have never looked back. It does not have the same break neck torque that the tt had, and the rush the tt had as boost was building...But, I don't miss it at all. The Vantage next to my tt looked like a leopard sitting next to an ostrich egg. The beauty of the Vantage along with the, for me, adequate power has kept me satisfied for almost 8k miles and a nice 2k mile cross country road trip was part of that. I can think of only a couple things (that were warranty items) that have gone awry....air bag sensor and a gear indicator sensor that had a slight weep on the transmission and that is it. I cannot say I will keep it forever as I am just into trying as many of the marques as I can, while I can, but the Aston has been one of my favorites thus far.

 

The V8V sports shift does not feel in any way like a PPK. You really need to try it

 

are you referring to PDK? The 996 didn't have it. He has an auto gearbox, not a dual clutch.

 

S or 12 would be closer to 996tt
But any vantage is a great event to drive in a very different way to the porker

 

I have a Vantage S and have to say its a completely different feeling than a Porsche. The sportshift is brilliant when you shift yourself but takes a lot of getting used to in auto mode. I had a cayman S and was comparing this car to a 997.5tt. The 997.5tt is obviously faster however this car is fast enough! Drive a vantage S and you will know instantly if you will like it. The vantage took me by surprise as I just drove it for the heck of it. The numbers do t seem impressive, but the car is. I smile every time I drive it! Much more fun than the Porsche and is much more exotic! Plus it doesn't burn oil like the dfi engines do.

 

I have a deposit down for the first allocation slot my delaer has on a 991TT. At this point I think I'm going to use that deposit to pick up an XJ long wheelbase next year. I picked up my 2012 Vantage S a few months ago and have no desire to get the turbo. I have had three porsches in the past (1 turbo). The V8V S is more than enough car for me and has that certain intangible my p-cars never had.

 

I have owned five 911s. I sold my 2006 977s for my current 2009 Vantage 14 months ago and have not regretted it. The Aston is slightly faster acceleration wise, has more torque and handles almost as well, actually better on less than smooth roads. The Vantage although a sports car is a bit more on the GT side of the scale, more comfortable and feels bigger though demensions are very. Close.

 

thanks for the info. guys... I wanted to also keep the 996tt, BUT I might not be able to depending on which year I go with..etc.. My car is not stock, has champion wheels, a body kit etc.. I would really miss it... I have to drive an aston next time I am in Florida and see how it goes.. Whats that charcoal gray color called? I think thats the color I would look for..

 

You'll like it, but get the V12!

 

I really dont need a fast car..is the v8 that bad? I dont even think I would do an after market exhaust on an aston.. I see the car as more an elegant sports car then something I want to be loud like my 996tt.. and the aston would be here on long island.. much harder to drive fast here then back in florida..

 

The 4.3L is a bit lacking in torque so acceleration is a bit lazy until you get to the higher rpms. If you can swing it you should go for the 4.7L. That's 2009 and on.

 

I didn't think I wanted a fast car either. Until I bought a 2008 V8V sport shift and stepped on the gas. It was about as quick as a Mustang GT. What a major disappointment. I also was turned off by the small size of the car. Short wheelbases make for rough rides. The vantage is the most beautiful car I've ever seen and that's why I bought one. However, the drive experience was much less than expected. I sold it after just 9 months and wouldn't go back. DEFINITELY, not the lousy sportshift. When spending big dollars on a car, it should have the total package. But with no real low end power, the vantage just doesn't measure up. Beauty yes...***** NO. IMHO