Hi,

Test drove a 6 speed manual V12 Vantage and l am in love.

A 6 speed manual is a must for me so I am limited to 2011 & 2012 models. I had driven a manual 2006 V8 Vantage many times in the past. I need something with more power and torque and the V12 Vantage fits the bill. It is an AM V8 Vantage on steroids.

A couple of questions:

1) Can anyone confirm the production numbers of the 6 spd manual V12 Vantage. My dealer was telling my 191 units built, 40 of which are carbon black editions?

2) The dealer told me when the sport button is pressed the engine goes from 400 hp to 510 hp? Is this true?

It did feel faster, but in the searches I've done, the sport button opens exhaust valves and sharpens the throttle response, I didn't read anything about more horsepower.

3) Dealer also said only put the clutch all the way down when you are starting from a complete stop, otherwise only depress the clutch pedal two inches due to all the torque and for the sake of clutch longevity.

Is this true? it seemed to work fine using that method. I had not heard that before.


In addition to my questions above, my main reservations are depreciation and maintenance.

I currently own a 993 Turbo, NSX, BMW 1M, and recently owned a Lotus Exige S and those cars go up in value every year.

I would be very interested in the V12 Vantage if it holds it value or appreciates. If it is going to continue to depreciate I will wait until it levels off.

Regarding maintenance, the dealer told me annual maintenance is in the $1,500 to $2,000 range. That sounds fine to me if someone can confirm.

thank you,

G

 

Um, that hp mumbo jumbo from the dealer is so wrong it's frightening.

That clutch advise strikes me as similarly wrong. It may work, but there is nothing about how far you depress the pedal that has any relation to the torque from the motor. Either the clutch plates are engaged, slipping or disengaged. To shift, they should be disengaged. No amount of torque has any bearing on this mechanical function.
Who is this dealer? They seem profoundly clueless about cars in general, this one in particular.

The car will probably continue to depreciate before it levels but who knows.

 

1) Dunno.

2) The sport button does not change the power output of the car. That's something that BMW apparently did with the M5/6 but AM didn't do that.

3) That's just clutch technique. When people push the clutch in to the floor during driving, they tend to ride the clutch because the time to release is so long from the floor - they get back on gas too early. When starting the car, you have to depress the clutch all the way to trigger a switch that tells the car the clutch is in. When you're driving, you just need to work that release point so there's no need to go to the floor.

Depreciation sucks on these cars, but you're looking for a used car (already took most of the depreciation) and it's probably the last V12 manual-transmission car that Aston is going to make - I wouldn't be surprised if they increase in value down the road.

Annual maintenance sounds right but keep in mind major things are costly (like clutch replacements). The maintenance figures are also for comprehensive service. On V8 Vantages, I was told ~$1500/yr from through the dealership. I paid $14xx my first year, $8xx second year - it comes down to what's due and what needs to be done.

 

Wow, dealers are so clueless. They don't even know what they're selling.

 

It's all been said by my friends above. The dealer is a bit full of crap.

 

According to this, 40 were slated for the US. Dunno if that was for that one year or how many actually got made, though.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-revi...in-v12-vantage

 

Let me guess . . . Miller Motorcars? Cindy? I tried buying a V12V from them. Happy to share my experiences (publicly or privately).

 

I too had a bad experience with Cindy... Thats why I purchased my Vantage S from the AM dealer in DC.

As for the V12V... if you have the means, buy it.

 

I didn't think the sport button changed the power of the car. I told the dealer they were thinking of the E60 M5.

Depreciation is the biggest concern for me. I don't want to sell my cars that are appreciating for one that is depreciating.

I will watch the market closely, hopefully in time they will appreciate, last of the manual trans V12's.

 

Thanks for posting, yes I saw that article, but it refers to the Carbon Black Edition of which only 40 were made (in the U.S.). Supposedly the 40 are part of the 191 sold in the US.

I need to confirm if 191 is accurate.

thank you

 

Also . . . there's a thread on pistonheads here that keeps a database of V12Vs. That might help with figuring out the exact U.S. #s. (I'm curious myself). I believe the person that runs that is also active on this board. Mako V12V I believe is the username. Perhaps you could PM him . . .

 

I bought my 2012.5 V12 Vantage new in September of 2013. At that time I had been watching the market closely for about 3 months. I expected to buy a used V12 Vantage but got one new for almost the same price.

Aston originally announced the production of V12 Vantages would be limited to 1,000. Apparently they increased that number to 1,200 when they decided to offer the car to the USA market and then increased the number to 1,300 when they decided to make 100 Roadsters. I did speak to the AMOC Registar who has some close connections to Aston and he told me that of the 40 final 2012.5 Carbon Black editions only 29 were accounted for in the USA (mine is #015 of 40). I've heard that some of those 40 went to places like Canada and South America but have no verification. I've also heard the total number of V12 Vantages imported into the USA as 194 but I don't have a reputable source for that either.

I have been able to talk with some of the Aston Martin North America personnel and they don't seem to have any better command of the numbers than any of us.

I don't know if the residual value of V12 Vantages will just continue to decline as all other Astons (except for the Zagatos). Realistically, I just don't care. For me it's the car I want and intend to keep for a long time. Aston could decide to offer the V12 Vantage S with a manual transmission and the mystique of the last V12 manual could go up in a puff of smoke.

My recommendation is to buy one if you really feel the way you said. I don't think you'll regret it.

Henry

 

thanks for the response. I also heard 194 for the number of V12 Vantages (6 spd) in the U.S.

How reliable has the car been? What can I expect to pay in annual maintenance?

thanks
Glenn

 

Hi Glen! You approached me beginning of this year looking to buy my yellow exige at C&C

What a coincidence, we are both in the market for a vantage

 

My car has been very reliable for the short period of time I've owned it. I only have about 1,200 miles on it. I owned a 2007 V8 Vantage 6 speed that I bought new in 2007 for 6.5 years, putting on 2.5k miles/year, and it was great. I sold it to a friend who loves it as well.

The yearly maintenance will run between $900 and $1,200 depending on the year since some items like interior air and pollen filters aren't addressed every year.

Henry