Thanks to Decarie Motors for the test drive.

My objectives on this test drive were limited and specific:

- Assess the SS3 transmission

- Assess the adjustable shocks

- Assess the new steering rack

I did not set out to specifically assess the acceleration, brakes or handling and this would have been a lost cause anyway, given the location and traffic density (Montreal highways). Furthermore, I do not expect any of these areas to be substantially worse than in the original V12V (and hopefully a bit better, based on reviews)!

I am very glad I drove the car, because some of my opinions after today are completely at odds with what almost every journalist has stated. Call it pretest bias, or bias from already having an owner's perspective of the V12V, or maybe I'm just weird... whatever.

SS3 Transmission:

In a nutshell, I found the automated function (Drive) more than acceptable and certainly not the horrendous, herky-jerky affair that the journalists say it is. Even without slight throttle lift on upshifts, I found the automated change smooth. It is not instantaneous as with a dual clutch gearbox, but it is similar to, or slightly faster than a decent manual change by a human. A VERY slight throttle lift generally speeds up the automated shift, and as such it is perceived as smoother as the torque interruption is less prolonged. The car did a creditable job of mimicking an automatic transmission in stop and go traffic. I will say that I drove calmly and without haste, though, without jumping on the gas and then the brake every time the line of traffic moved.

My least favourite aspect of the transmission was full throttle upshift (hypershift). Interestingly, this seems to be the aspect most journalists are happiest with. I found the shift quick but rough, with a jolt through the drivetrain that I do not get when shifting as hard and as fast as I can with my manual version.

Downshifts, as reported in the media, are very good. I could not trick the transmission into a rough or delayed downshift no matter how I played with throttle openings, revs or braking. I would have liked a more dramatic flare of revs, but that it just my personal taste (the rev matching was actually excellent, with no more revs than needed, but hey, I want some theatre!)

Suspension:

As stated in the media: normal is softer than, and sport similar to, the original V12V. I did not try track. When run in normal, the shocks make this car considerably more comfortable on the highway over imperfections and expansion joints.

Steering:

It surprised me by being substantially lighter and also less feelsome than the V12V. Seeing as how my drive was limited as explained above, I am not ready to pass judgment. My initial impressions are guarded, though: the car feels more relaxed as a result of the lightness, which again makes it considerably more comfortable when cruising, and I am not sure this is what one should have from such a car! Not having pushed the car properly in corners, I can't say whether the weighting and feel improve in such situations. I hope they do!

Other Observations:

Aston state they have added more soundproofing and reduced NVH. This was immediately apparent to me. Again, I felt considerably more relaxed when cruising, due to a combination of the reduced noise and the steering and suspension factors described above.

I could not detect any significant difference in the brakes although as noted above I did not give them a proper workout.

The test car felt slightly down on power. This was a surprise, as I figured the extra power and torque rating of the revised engine might cancel out the fact that the test car is practically brand new. Perhaps not; perhaps a one off.

I did not appreciate a significant difference in the quality of the exhaust noise, despite the revised system. I suspect part of the issue here is that I have the bypass valve permanently open on my car.

SUMMARY:

Contrary to most media reports, I found SS3 fine as an automatic, and liked it least on full throttle upshifts.

Due to a combination of softer ride (on 'normal' adjustable setting), lighter steering and less noise, the S is a more relaxing car to cruise in than the original V12V, and IMO would make a better car to daily drive or commute in. For me the main purpose of such a car is to provide a sporting, involving drive. The media seem to think the car can play the dual purpose game and revert to a rawer feel with the appropriate settings, but I was not able to obtain this feel, indeed, I was not able to replicate the rawness of my V12V, on my limited, traffic-heavy route today. I would be really interested to see if any other V12V owners have tested the S and whether they have been able to drive it under conditions (empty backroads? track?) where it feels as 'alive' and visceral as their manual cars.

 

As a new owner, I'm in agreement that the SSIII is a good transmission. I stated in my thread that I really don't like the "D" mode, and I really do like the hyper shifts, perhaps just a matter of opinion.
I'm surprised you felt the car was down on power as it is 10% more than the 510 hp on the V12V. Personally I feel it is near as quick as my Scud.

I agree that the V12VS can feel very civilized for DD, which is my primary use. Did you drive the car on Sport mode with Sport suspension set? This is when the car feels very alive and raw. When the suspension tightens up in Sport mode the steering becomes very direct and well balanced through cornering. Give it an aggressive drive and you will feel the rawness of this beautiful piece of machinery. I do believe it has the best dual purpose of civilized driving vs sporty aggressiveness.

 

Yes, drove quite some distance with sport button engaged and suspension in sport.

 

Glad that finally aston owners who have actually driven the car are providing feedback rather than those making assumptions based on journalist reviews. I too was quite surprised how much of a difference the suspension was compared to the V12V. Interesting that you questioned the steering feel. I felt the difference too immediately. Quite frankly, agree that although the rack is quicker, it seemed to have lost quite a bit of feel.

 

I'm growing more and more certain that the automotive press is of little to no value when it comes to evaluating cars that approach the "performance" segment. Journalists become so focused on track and limit performance that no reader/viewer gets much of a sense of what any given car might be like to own and drive often/normally.

The fact that most comparisons take place on tracks is about all of the evidence one needs to confirm this.

The best review of a Veyron was one in which the writer described what it was like to have one for the weekend. In the end, he wasn't particularly thrilled with it. Granted, of all cars, that isn't one that falls into DD contention, but still, all cars deserve to be reviews as...cars.

 

Hehe.. thought I heard someone driving it around

For the full throttle being hard at hypershift..did you try full throttle with out sport mode turned on? I haven't tried it yet but hypershift is supposed to be disabled with sport mode off..would soften the shift to just a normal quick shift

 

Yes, definitely slower and jerkier without sport button on but still easily as fast as a human could hope to shift.

 

While most journalists complained loudly about the SSIII, IIRC both EVO (the best mag IMO) and Chris Harris absolutely loved the V12VS. Each said that the gearbox was quite good -- not as great as the best DCTs, but not an issue. I think EVO (perhaps Harris also) even said that the need for the driver to work with it a little actually added to the involvement factor compared to a DCT. I still want a manual 'box, but if I wanted paddles I doubt the SSIII would stop me from buying the car.