I pretty much agree with everything stated. Performancewise the Cayman wins hands down, but I don't buy cars for their performance alone. When I owned my Vantages, I bought them because they were great for all around use and simply gorgeous to look at and hear. Every time I walked in my garage I would smile seeing the car there and every time I drove it, the symphony coming from the exhaust kept me smiling.

I currently own a 991 S and while it's a great car, I don't smile like I did with the Vantage when I see it in my garage. It's a much more capable car and on paper it wins in pretty much every category but it just doesn't have the sound or visual appeal that Aston is able to achieve. The 911 or Cayman also doesn't have the "special feeling" factor either.

If you are curious to why I bought the 991. I bought it because I've never owned a Porsche and I got a great deal on it. It's going to be a carryover car while I wait for my GT3 which will hopefully come sometime before I die.

 

Both might be a little subjective, as braking in turns, (more reality, and repeated braking in track like circumstances, might favor a wider platform, after all its near 5" wider!!)
0-60 means relatively nothing unless you autocross or race stoplight to stoplight. because of its lesser Hp/weight ratio, the aston would win in any other speed contest past just jumping off the line with traction control. . so, braking would be a toss up in my opion, very dependant on what you are looking for, and acceleration would absolutely go to the aston, because out of turns, wider stance, better hp/weight and HP to aerodynamic drag (top speed) would go to the near 60 hp advantage. AND, dont forget there is a simple way to get 380hp to 420hp with only a chip mod as seen here. nothing exists with porsche to make that much of a hp gain on their 3.4 liter S or 330hp R type.
not bashing the cayman, just using performance logic to determine what car i would prefer in most all driving situations that i care about.

 

Now, i dont know how you can say, "hands down". handling and power will go to the Aston, with tight cornering, and jumping off the line going to the cayman. overall, the aston is a better car with more power, a wider stance, lower profile, and bigger brakes, AND a better suspension set up . IMHO.
Now, when stretching the comparison to a 991S, i would then give the advantage to the 991, but we are talking 6 year old astons to new technology. ill take the V12 Vantage S, vs the 991 S in any kind of comparison . (race or otherwise.) It would be the clear winner. But, if you raced new vantage S V8 vs the 991S, it, again would be a good race. the 991s is like an old cup car on paper, at 395hp and 3100lbs. vantage 3400lbs and 420hp. (but with bigger brakes and some advantages). However, this would be a good race by any standards. vs the 991, it might go to the 991 in a race, but again, even this comparison wouldn't be "hands down".

the problem a lot of folks that judge cars, is that with out a lot of track experience, you never really get to push cars to the limit. therefore usually, the car that "feels" more nimble due to its weight, wins the judgment. BUT, the track never lies . There would be no hands down victory for a new cayman over an old vantage and certainly not vs a new one, S or V12.
Again, it becomes two things when things get close like this in comparisons...... personal preference, and a spec. competition.
In actuality, the things i mention really matter as far as overall performance.

give me a standard vantage from 2006 and your in an old cayman and we go to the track, ill walk all over you. vs an S cayman, we might have a little bit of a fight. certainly no "hands down victory", but do a comparison of modern technology vs modern technology, and the vantage S or will beat the cayman S all day long at any road course. However, you do a 0-60 test, or 100 to 0 test, one time, and the results might favor a lighter car. . all other real world tests will favor the car that is designed to perform.
just two things are HUGE advantages of the aston. 5 " wider track and a better Hp/weight ratio on basically the same sized tires.
any racing physics book will show you how much of an advantage those two things are, even with an inequity of 400lbs of weight.

one clear example of this in the racing world, was way back in 2005 when the audi RS6 won the world challenge GT race at road america. it was saddled with 275lbs of extra "rewards" weight, on top of its 3300lb spec weight (550hp) vs the vets, pumped up 911 GT3 cup cars, vipers, caddies, etc. It won due to a wider track , set up, and HP, even though it was heavier.

So, if we are going to compare which is a better car, lets talk about the same year and model offering, or line up the actual specs.
in fact, the first time the cayman and aston raced, for real, the aston won at sears point california. (a very tight track). it was the GT4 manual version Aston, vs the very pumped up caymen S. there was nothing "hands down" about the comparison , with the aston being a lot more stock-ish than the cayman for sure. the aston won the race and was faster in qualifying.

 

Nailed it.

 

From my last 3 cars, SLK350, E93 M3, V8V:

SLK350 was the most nimble, cheapest to run, most tossable. Plenty of HP for road use (268). Seats were crap.

M3 felt tall, bloated, econo-car carryover wrapped in leather. NOT special at all. Even while it was more expensive than the SLK, because you see a 3 series everywhere it felt meh. Loved the DCT. Electronics were pretty good (similar to the SLK).

The Aston has that exotic car aura around it, that "je ne sais quoi". I yearned for this car for years. Did a few test drives and never "got it", so I was, like you, disillusioned. I ended up getting it anyways because it was a personal goal of mine, and the emotions it stirred (let's be honest, that's why you buy any car over 25k).
But I got used to it very soon... It's also more expensive to run than the other two, less usable in town due to the crap SS transmission. Electronics are super outdated too, which I care about. I also miss having a convertible (and I dislike rag tops so I got the coupe).
Do I still love to drive it? You bet your @ss I do. It sounds and looks amazing, the materials are some of the best and it still feels special. Would I buy one now, if I didn't have one? Probably not...

Mind you this is my only car, I DD it everywhere in LA. Your situation might be different. As a weekend only car it'd be ideal.

 

Appreciate the insights, the aston would be precisely that kind of special car for me as well if I make the move.

 

Appreciate the thoughts, very helpful. My motivations are very similar to yours, the vantage has been my dream car for years, the kind of car that I'd follow down the road to catch more glimpses of it. Buying the vantage would be reaching the pinnacle of my automotive progression (my financial picture means it would be the most special and expensive car I'd ever by). It would tick a box for me and I know I would love the sound and beauty. I find myself wanting to do it. It would be my only vehicle, but I don't commute to work. Nonetheless, I suspect like you, in a year or so it would be the new normal. But such is life and it would undoubtedly be an awesome experience.

 

Look up the lap times is all I'm going to say. Regardless, you are completely missing the point of my post. You simply do not buy a Vantage to track the car. It's a gentleman's car that is meant to be driven and appreciated. You will never get that in a Cayman S or even a 911. If you don't know what I mean, take both for a normal drive on normal roads and you'll hopefully see what I mean. You can still track the Vantage as well and it's very capable. I tracked mine a few times and was very happy but that's not why I bought it. This was a bonus.

Disclaimer: I'm not bashing Porsche. They are 2 totally different cars for different purposes and with different points of appreciation. I am very happy with my Porsche but it will never be an Aston, nor do I want it to be.

 

One thing worth noting is the Aston is not cheap to maintain. I'm not sure if this is a factor for you but compared to the Porsche, it's a fair bit more pricey for normal maintenance and fixing something.

 

Have you had any issues regarding maintenance or repairs? My past couple of Astons have been rock solid.

 

baege, just get the V8V if you like it. Your $, you lifestyle. Don't like it after a few months, change the ride. No big deal. Life's too short to dwell on what-ifs.

If you want driving dynamics, get a Ariel Atom. I won't even consider a Porsche.

 

Nothing major. The biggest issues I had was with the convertible top (wouldn't go back up) that I had to have fixed and a hose popping off causing the car to go into limp mode which prompted me calling roadside to have the car towed.

In general Aston normal maintenance is about 1-2k/year where Porsche is 500-1000 from what they tell me.

 

Ok, lap times.... GTS world challenge . aston 1:44, cayman 1:44. same lap times. both cars based on the factory platform with little mods. I have to tell you, I have this discussion often, and I think it really is you that is missing the point. you cant say one beats another, without really displaying why or the facts. And, the fact is , both cars are good. the aston obviously is a better, cooler, more expensive car. the Porsche cayman brings a lighter platform to the comparison. none of its technology or design makes it better in any way. As far as personal preference, many drivers will like a lighter car's feel. as far as performance,(and this is a little subjective), the aston beats the cayman S in hp to weight , and handling design. (pure g holding ) due to its wider stance and power. Now, if you like the cayman feel, great. but if you are serious about comparing and pushing the two to the limits, its not a "hands down" one beats the other at all.


and yes, ive driven, and instructed in many of them on the track and around some country roads..... they all have their unique advantage, but its a personal preference thing, especially at the limits you can drive around the streets.
Remember, we are not talking costs of maintenance, pure performance. so, the great thing about the aston is that it is a fantastic balanced, performer in a package that is a piece of art work. now, would I want to make it my track mule? certainly not but, If talking raw performance, it can more than hold its own with any of the current sports cars discussed here. Personally, if im going to put down a lap time, ill do it in an aston, before a cayman S any day of the week, but that's just me. bring on the 991S and ill pick that, as its near the old Porsche GT3 specs of when they first came out, and with its lighter weight and power it might be easier to muster up a little better lap time.
Again, its not a matter or bashing any marquee here, its just going back to the topic of do you sacrifice performance with the AMV8 vs other platforms, and the answer is a resounding , "no!". Yes, it is different, but it still is a "no".

 

Agree with you, look at the results from the Continental Tire series race at the Laguna Seca. You see the abilities of the platforms separate when they get to add power. The gap gets wider in favor of the Vantage even on "handling" focused tracks...

http://www.imsa.com/races/continenta...owered-mazda-0

 

Here's where I pulled the lap times. I was comparing production street legal cars, not race cars as that's not what this topic is about. I didn't check every track but spot checking, the Cayman S is faster on every track I clicked through. Also, I have no idea what the validity is and don't really care since arguing factors is an endless abyss that no one wins.

Cayman lap times:
http://fastestlaps.com/cars/porsche_cayman_s_2013.html

Choose the Vantage model you'd like to compare or choose the track:
http://fastestlaps.com/index.php?pag...&query=vantage