I bought an 07 V8V last week (only have a marginal iPhone photo so far, but will post better ones). Onyx black, black interior, red stitching. 3 pedals. Only 7500 miles. So far, I'm very happy with the purchase. First day I had it I had to park at the top of the ramp at work, passed dozens of high end MB, BMW, Porsches, etc; in my humble opinion, the V8V was far and away the best looking of the bunch...

Its been 10 years since I drove a manual on a regular basis, and that car was far from high performance. The AM sales guy told me that there is not a lot I can do wrong while upshifting, but that to maximize clutch life (and general driving pleasure) rev-matching was very important when downshifting; also, don't hold the car on a hill with the clutch and throttle (years and years ago thats how my dad taught me to drive a clutch, and I thought it was standard technique - lol). Any other suggestions, etc, on the optimal use of the clutch in a high performance car like this?

Also, sales guy said use only premium gas? Agree?

Thanks for your advice...

 

Congrats on your AM purchase! Enjoy the experience every time you drive - anywhere, anytime .... AND yes premium fuel!

 

A big congrats on your acquisition! With every mile you will become more spoiled, as no other car will make you smile as much every time you drive it. I would suggest driving it as much as possible right away. Go to a big parking lot and discover how tall reverse is for yourself. This will remind you that when you back around slow you are "slipping" the clutch continually.

 

Congratulations! The manual in the Aston is pretty solid. The advice the dealer gave is good. I'd do exactly what oo7 is suggesting and go to an empty parking lot and familiarize yourself with the car's 1st and reverse ratios. Or you could just drive around for an entire day in the country . Either way, enjoy in good health!

 

Yes, Premium. Fuel is the cheapest thing you will ever put in your Aston Martin.

Mind the clutch. They are $ 5,500 to replace if you don't. Stay out of heavy stop and go traffic with the car and avoid slippage. My 2007 clutch went out at 5,200 miles, I had only owned the car 80 days (prior owner apparently wasn't very good on a manual trans). While I don't think they are particularly fragile, I certainly wouldn't consider them robust.

 

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I will take these suggestions to heart as I would like to go at least a year without replacing the clutch!

Regarding stop and go traffic, if you absolutely cannot avoid it on occasion, is there a preferred technique to get through it while minimizing clutch wear?

 

a new clutch at 5k miles just seems totally insane to me (assuming its a stock car) do pads and rotors need replacing every 1000 miles and you need a full engine rebuild every 10k lol

much as I love AM and am seriously considering one for my next car this really makes me annoyed and has me thinking twice

 

Yes, never rest your foot on the clutch or keep the pedal fully pressed when not moving. Only use the pedal when actually selecting or changing a gear. Some people have a bad habit of keeping the car in first gear and the clutch and brake fully down when sitting at a stop light.

 

Congrats on your purchase. Mine's an 07 with the Sportshift (gets a lot of complaints but works fine for me). My clutch lasted for 40,000 so I imagine someone with stick should do better if he's aware of how to protect a clutch. Did brakes and rotors at 35,000. It's a great car if you are not into specs and stats. Enjoy

 

congrats! gorgeous car!

 

LOL @ this question since you live in Atlanta...

 

Congrats! Looks like a keeper

 

Oops forgot something important! WHEN YOU REACH FOR THE SEAT BELT GRAB IT BY THE METAL, DON'T PULL ON THE BELT TO GET IT FRONT! I did and would hear the metal striking etal and could not figure out how until I discovered the chiped paint on the very back of the metal extrusion that runs the length of the door and houses the door pull. The paint is very fragile, at least on mine, and now must be repainted. I bought my 07 used and it was perfect until I got it. I would recommend applying some clear paint protector there if you ingress in a hurry as I often do.

 

^^^^^ the damage occurs more often when someone un-latches the belt and let's go of it as it retracts. I would make sure to let any passenger know to gently carry the metal clasp to its resting position as the belt retracts.

 

Any other helpful tips? The information here is great.

Im in the habit of riding the clutch, first gear on a bike at less than 20kph, the bike starts to get jittery. You get used to riding the clutch in slow moving traffic.