Here's an interesting article about the Vanquish that starts off pretty with some fairly harsh comments about Aston Martin. Any opinions?

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/11...Top+Stories%29

 

Sounded pretty positive to me. Unless I missed something, the main criticisms were that the transmission experienced a couple of hitches at low speed and the infotainment system was not up to spec. I don't think the infotainment system issue is a big deal, but Aston does need to sort out the transmission issues, especially now that you can't buy the car with a manual transmission.

 

That may be the pithiest send up of the rear 'seats' in an Aston _ever_

 

This is the 2nd article I've read where they call it an automatic sequential/manual transmission. No wonder they think it operates a little funny, if they don't know the difference between a torque converter auto tranny and a manual tranny....idiots.

 

It sounds about par for the course with recent Aston reviews. Neither gushing with priase nor damning criticism.

The comment about it looking like other Aston products always cracks me up. Sure, there's some similarity, but I don't think many people will mistake a Vanquish for a DB9 in the flesh.

As for the transmission, who knows what sort of pre-production setup is in the reviewed car. It's the same unit as in the DB9 / DBS / Rapdie, so it should be pretty smooth in final spec.

I'm not super excited about the glass center stack and the haptic feedback, but I'll reserve judgement until I've had more time to play with the controls.

 

Went to the Miami International Auto Show last night and saw a new Vanquish there. Sweet car. Not my favorite color although.

 

Maybe not many enthusiasts, but generally speaking most people who see my 09 DB9 don't know what it is. This weekend sitting at a stop light with the top down, a bunch of bicyclists were talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what I was driving. They concluded it was a Bentley, until one of them saw the badging on the rear of the car.

So, I suspect the DB9, DBS, Virage, Vantage, Vanquish differences are too subtle for most to observe.

 

I agree, most people don't know what the hell my DBS is. Constantly tailgating to find some sort of identification.

 

The other day I was putting fuel into my db9 and was told "Nice Mazarati" .... On numerios occasions people have mistaken it for a jag and ive had people too jockey around the car to find a badging to identify it, a neighbor even called it a bentley. I really think most people havent seen astons, are not familiar with them, and if they do know them they will lump everything in the same group be it a vantage, a DB, a vanq or what have you.... Unless you run across an Aston enthusiast or British car expert or even small percentage of people relatively speaking even in the car enthusiast community separating the make and model will be hard for most, for the general public, it'll be almost impossible, these cars are super under exposed to the general public.

 

Maybe it's not best for the marque, but I like that most folks don't know what my car is. Those in the know really appreciate it when they see it. I guess I could drive a Camaro if I really wanted my car to be easily identifiable by the general public.

 

No need to worry about any of this.... Before long regardless of what Aston make or model any of us drive, we'll all be driving "that cool new ford fusion" in the eyes of the general public...the mental metamorphosis as far as public awareness is concerned is already happening! !!!

 

I agree with the above posters that most of the public can barely ID an AM much less which model. The owner of the car however very much knows what he loves and enjoys so the masses be darned.

I have had my Bentley GTC(yes I do not own AM) mistaken for the Chrysler 300 several times.

I brought an 09 Vantage home to show the wife and she did not like it. It was way to much of a raucous race car for her. The 18y/o daughter loved it and begged for it. Sure like i'd buy that for her. I took her to the Ford dealer this weekend and looked at the Fusion. I don't find them to be much of a clone.

She preferred thew Roush Mustang.

Oh BTW I thought the review sounded fair as I distrust an overly glowing rating.

 

And the designer of the Chrysler 300 even admitted that that was what he was trying for. Oh well, as they say, it's sincerest form of flattery.

 

Maybe the same with Ford?

Hey I have seen two Chryslers with aftermarket grill that have B in them. I should just buy the Fusion and manufacture a AM emblem. Puke! Sorry guys no insult intended.

 

^^^ Disaster welcome to the AM forum bud, good points...and nice car with the Bentley CGT, lovely cars indeed. As for the AM vantage, it's a nice car all Astons have a nice aggressive exhaust note and snarl, one of the signitiure parts of the cars...

So how do the Bentley guys feel about the outgoing W12 and the incoming V8...what's the consensus over there, I should pop in again sometime Apparently Tiff on 5th gear seems to advise to stay with the w12, albeit not as fuel efficient but it's more faster!