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If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said I would never give up my manual V12V for a V12VS. Cue this past spring and an intriguing test drive, and maybe a bit of new car 'itis', and the order was made. After an enjoyable last summer with the V12V, the car arrived at the beginning of October.
How does it compare to the V12V?
Engine: Definitely feels more urgent at both the low end and at high revs, as expected from the numbers. Not fully broken in yet, and for sure the closer ratios and 7 speeds contribute to the gains over the old V12, but it is an even more enjoyable power plant.
Exhaust: Louder and boomier under load, quieter when cruising. Sounds more aggressive than the old V12, but as a consequence less 'refined'. If you can imagine, this snarls whereas the old one trumpeted.
Suspension: Clear gains in this department because of the adjustability. Comfort mode is slightly softer than the old V12, a big help in my neck of the woods as many of the back roads AND highways are in rough shape. Probably one of the biggest pluses for me. Sport mode is similar to the old V12, maybe a bit more supple. Track mode is firmer, certainly not what you want on the road most of the time. The corkscrewing 'bob' over undulating roads in my original V8V has been progressively dialled back, a lot in the old V12 and even more in this car. It is still subtly present and as a result the car still retains a slice of GT on top of a wedge of sports.
Steering: Overall an improvement. The lighter feel / increased assist actually adds to accuracy, especially on rougher roads, and makes the car less fatiguing when cruising or in traffic. Feel is still outstanding and IMO puts the newer electric racks on many performance cars completely to shame. I sometimes miss the heavier, 'manly' rack in the V12V but it was a bit of a fighter at times.
Brakes: They feel subtly stronger, probably not a big difference overall, but hey - these are really great CCM compared to most other setups.
Build quality: Was a bit apprehensive, given some fairly venomous posts over on Pistonheads about deteriorating quality control. Well, the worries were unfounded. Assembly, fit and finish, material quality very slightly better than on my V12 and clearly better than on my original V8V.
And last but not least... the transmission: This is NOT an easy transmission to master, which, for me was part of the appeal. I can see why many testers have had nasty things to say, because it is not a jump in and drive, turn your brain off experience like a dual clutch. IMO it is ESSENTIAL to imagine you are driving a manual to get the most out of this gearbox. Trying to drive it like a dual clutch or torque converter auto is a waste of time. If you have never driven a manual, well, you may have a tough time of it. All the subtleties of throttle position, the degree and rapidity of throttle lift on upshifts coupled with the timing of the paddle pull are just as applicable and complex with this gearbox as they are with the throttle/clutch/stick integration of a manual. Add to this the fact that you have to learn the behaviour patterns of the 'automated left leg' (which in my case, anyway, differ sometimes from what my left leg would be doing!) and it is a challenge. The wonderful thing is that there is a reward for concentrating, just as with a manual. After about 6 weeks of driving this car I am pretty much at the point where upshifts under any throttle position are as smooth as, usually smoother than I could manage with a manual. In general they are also faster than I could manage with a stick, particularly at high revs and throttle openings (unless I was really abusing the car, which I don't feel is happening here). And just like with a manual, I f*ck it up every now and then. Downshifts are a non issue, perfect rev matching and crisp, although I would like a more dramatic flare of revs - not necessary I know, but I loved doing it on the old manual.
So to the pics: Silver Birch / Iron Ore / Obsidian black; leather headlining to match seats; dark Iridium lower fascia instead of piano black; powder coated my old HRE P43S in semigloss black...
The color combo is perfect. I can see it would be hard to pass up if it was at the dealer and ready to go. Please keep us posted about your car. Thanks for the pitchers.
Thanks for the in-depth comparison. I'm glad I haven't let myself be talked into test driving the S.
I am still in the manual camp. However, I can understand that if you learn how to drive the Aston's offering of the single clutch, it can be very rewarding.
Enjoy and thanks for the pictures. Excellent choice in colors.
11-13-2014, 02:44 PM
