Just a bit of footage of the V12 Vantage at my local track. A caution on the track cut the lap short, but it wasn't the best run anyway.

You do however get to hear the car at full gallop. It's a great sound.


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TsG58p3PU_U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Let's see if this embeds it

 

Beautiful, just beautiful. Must be TMP right? I recognize that concrete wall at the end from the (in)famous Subaru rollover video.

 

You've had a few cars out on that track IIRC, how does the V12V compare?

 

That was out at TMP.

A guy hit that Subaru wall in a 996 yesterday. He was part if a crew of idiots. Young guys hooped up on video game ideas of what driving is.

He went into rvery corner realllllly hot and off line. It was comical. I passed him after he spun out and as I turned off to alert the marshal to black flag him., he lost it.

After that the marshal got more serious. But his friends were clueless so they got flagged.

We should start a TMP thread in the Canada section.

 

I have had a few cars out there and the fastest is the Audi TT RS. It might also be the loudest in the cabin.

But it's a tight 3km track and the TT RS is suited to it. Also, I feel far more comfortable pushing the little car to the limit than the Vantage. The V12 is a lot of car to abuse. I hold back in the Vantage, I don't in the TT RS.

The V12 sounds great outside, but quiet at times. I know that sounds odd, but there were moments when I wanted to hear the lower revs but there were quiet with the helmet on. Push it, get the revs up and it's Amegedon.

It took me a little while to adjust my driving from the AWD style of a 360 hp car, to the RWD style of a 510 hp car. I only was only there for 2,5 hrs and there were MANY cautions, but I got comfortable with the car and if i had less traffic and nonsense on the track and more time, I would have gotten far quicker.

The Aston brakes are VERY good. I'm sure I could have been even harder on them. The car stops without drama and the feedback is very nice.

The Aston has a little more roll than I remover the TT RS having. But it in no way upsets the car on the track. Just an observation. On a much bigger track at higher speeds, who knows?

The acceleration is fantastic. Once the car is moving gaining speed is easy. The willingness of the engine to rev means you need to pay attention or you will be bumping of the limiter.

On tighter sections you may also find third gear too low and second close to being too high. Once you get to know how the car revs, that goes away, but relative to the TT RS the Aston requires you to pay more attention to revs.

The electronic nannies will really get in your way if you don't turn them off. Informally do my first few runs in sport, then I turn off the ABS etc once the car and I are warmed up and pushing the limits more. But this car really intervenes compared to my memory of the V8 Vantage I had before. That car was very free on the track and you could slide the *** end at will. I feel I would have gotten there in the V12. It would have meant going into RACE mode, which I always do in my other cars.

The shift quality of the transmission was flawless. I almost forgot to mention it because it was a nonissue.

The car got a LOT of attention.

Soo, am I upset that my cheaper 5 pot car was faster? Nope, not at all. I'm convinced with more time the V12 would easily get there (2.5 hr day vs several 8 hr days). Except I would never push the car that hard.

The Aston was more fun. More if a challenge. More capable, it never felt like we were pushing it too hard (I wasn't). I need to take it out again. I feel like the next outing will be much more telling. I'm past the mental hurdle of hurtling that car at speed.

I also drove an R8 V10 out there and I would take the V12V over that. Though that car was a very close second and it is an easier car to jump into and just go.


Hopefully that helps. Any specific questions let me know.

If anyone out there has more extensive track time, please chime in, would love to hear from you.

 

Thanks for posting your impressions, penguin. I still have yet to get my V12V to the track. Just can't seem to find the time! Someday.

As for the Audi being faster, as you said, it was a short track. I can't help but think that the Aston would take the lead on a longer track, especially if you pushed it to its limits.

 

Cayuga is a pretty tight track, so any car with some weight to it and long legs will actually struggle against smaller stuff. The ideal car for Cayuga is an E30 M3 or something like that (your Audi TT RS again, would be an ideal car).

Funny, that was the first time I've ever gone around Cayuga backwards! Though I did spin my F2000 car there a few times!

Part of me really misses taking my car to the track, but knowing my addiction-prone personality, that would only cause me to go about building another racecar.

Anyhow, that V12 sounds great....it would be good to hear it on a 'full-sized' track like Mosport instead. And I'd imagine it would be a lot more fun on a track like Mosport vs Cayuga....just given that you could really stretch it's legs at Mosport. Cayuga is also murder on brakes and tires if you have a heavy car. Heck, Cayuga can be murder on your gut as well....it's not a friendly track to instruct at.

I *might* run the BMW Club weekend at Mosport in Sept, but I haven't turned a wheel in anger for a couple of years now, so we'll have to see.



Patrick

 

Aston are running a track day at Mosport on oct 1. They will have instructors present etc.

I'm signed up. Should be a great day.

That track is not one to mess with though. Certainly not in a high dollar street car.

 

Unfortunately that's when we get our new house, so I'm pretty sure I'd get murdered by my wife for going to the track instead of closing our new house.

Mosport isn't that bad as a track though. It can be intimidating, and a lot of people don't get the 'flow' of the track. Once you get the flow, it's actually pretty easy to get around.

At Mosport, like most race tracks, it's not the first mistake that will cause you problems. It's the mistake most drivers make when attempting to correct the first one that causes heartache.

Drivers tend to panic when the back-end feels light coming down turn 2, and instinctively lift or stab the brakes.....and then bad things happen.

I love Mosport (though Calabogie is supposed to be pretty good as well....haven't been there yet). It's just so picturesque and challenging....but once you know it well...it's comforting. I remember in Touring Car races and Club Races how I'd always make a point of relaxing and gathering my thoughts going up the backstraight. It was surprising how much time one has in a relatively slow car to think going up that back straight.



Patrick

 

Turn 2, I'd say it's better than sex but that would just not be true ... close though

 

Funny, after a few laps (my first time at Mosport) I felt very comfortable in the car there. I don't think I was really pushing it to the limits but the car just felt very well suited to the track.

Have you put a clear wrap on the front of yours yet? I have a feeling I picked up some little chips during my day there.

Is GT organizing the day on Oct 1 or is it AMOC? Please PM me details if you can.

 

I think this must be the Porsche guy reporting in: https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ng-my-car.html
Doesn't sound good.

 

Yeah, that's him. I feel bad for him. It's a he'll of a way to learn a lesson.

BUT...

He was there with a bunch of guys (bad idea for your first time out, too much showing off).

None of them appeared to realize how dangerous speed is.

None of them had any clue as to track etiquette. This car would not let me pass him, even though it was clear I was a more experienced and faster driver, having sat on his *** for the past lap or so.

None of them had the discipline to leave their ego at home and drive within their skill set.

I also lay blame on TMP, because they should have been black flagged a lap earlier and this would not have happened.

 

Great sound! Nice to hear your track notes too.

Gets tiring when the amateur crowd won't move over for faster traffic.