I cleaned up the brake dust then the wife and I headed to the cruise night in downtown Niagara Falls. Here's some pics of a black car looking better in the shade

 

This system comprised of 6 components in plain sight throughout the interior. Since I use a removable Bluetooth that simply plugs into the power outlet, time to remove all the unsightly pieces from the windshield, dash, steering column, mirror and console. I decided to leave some of the wiring intact in case of a need for 12V+ ignition switched power near the A-pillar or dash.
Good news that the only hole was in the steering column cover as all other pieces were mounted with two-way tape. I thought there was going to be a hole in the console where the controller was but it operated wireless with a internal battery - sweet.

Here's some before and after pics:




















I just have to decide how to fill the hole, might try a few different options to see what is less noticeable.

 

Maybe a small fir clip like this...

 

Check out McMaster Carr. You can probably get a small black plug that will fit the diameter of the hole with very minimal overhang. They offer every style you can imagine and they will snap right in.

 

This week I visited the new location Aston Martin Dealer in Toronto.
Grand Touring Auto has two locations one downtown Toronto but I go to is the one North of the city in Vaughan, Ontario.
The new facility is near the old one, but this location has underground parking which give them more secure space for vehicles.
The showroom is Aston Martin on the left and Lamborghini on the right (nice company).

I was in to get:

* my service history printed
* check for warranty service not performed
* get a quote on replacement side stone guard film
* order a key
* order front mud flaps

First here are some pics of the dealership:




















Looking at the last 6 years, nothing surprising on this list - from newest to oldest:

* reprogram side window modules
* replace part to repair fuel door opening issue
* Loose bumper trim beside rear license plate (was not resolved as rear bumper cover needed to be removed)
* left rear lamp filling with water and flasher not working in rear as a result - replaced with new assembly



For the warranty service heated seat modules to be replaced to avoid potential overheating - I will book this to be done at a later date.
The quote for the key was $269 which I went ahead with but didn't order a spare key fob as the quote was $889

The side film upper (called helicopter) was only $89 while the lower was $338 surprisingly. I might order uppers and apply myself but if the new flaps work out, I could likely remove the upper film altogether based on other Vantages I've viewed with flaps installed, upper film removed and no stone chips.

I left wondering how Aston can justify a $125k MSRP premium on a new V12 Vantage S over a V8 Roadster
The good news is the amount I invested on my Vantage would only cover the tax on a new V12 S which equates to lots of fun and value for money

 

Nice shots...and the answer is because someone will pay it They tell you its worth it (not saying its not) and people simply pay the price.

 

For the summer, I've been driving it to work a couple days a week - this novelty will likely wear off or I'll drive it a little less often once my line of credit is fully paid off

One of my manager direct reports drives a Fusion so snapped a comparison pic of the grills:


Got to check out a mint local topless Vantage that lives in nearby N-O-T-L:


Nice interior - and a nice gauge of how mine should look:


Even convinced my brother to bring his Targa out to a few cruise nights with me:




Nice to see other local Aston owners bringing out their pride and joy for others to enjoy like this DB7:




The Aston is at home in Niagara on the Lake and we've been out to Wineries for meals in the past couple weeks:






Even stopped by Queenston Heights to recreate a photo I took 29 years ago when I was 17 and just got my first car

 

what car is that, it sort of resembles the Lincoln mark 5

 

Very nice

 

1978 Ford Thunderbird

It was also 10 years old (at the time) and was the car I drove to high school in 1988.
Over the years I've gotten bigger and the my cars have gotten smaller

 

I like your Vantage a little bit more than you first car. But we all need to start somewhere. My first car was 1973 Datsun 1200!
Ron

 

After I stopped by the dealer to have the seat heater recall done, I was able to get a side by side comparison of these two years in the same colour. Then I can decide if any of the changes are improvements I would prefer over the original exterior design...


















It appears most of the changes were an attempt at keeping the car looking up to date modern. Others are changes just to keep new model years from being exactly the same as the previous. I do like that this 2016 has the Sport Pack option.

 

Hmmm not sure if I like all the grain on the leather or not. What were your thoughts on that and how did it feel?

 

Only thing I like better is the rims, maybe the ducktail spoiler too. not a fan of the splitter personally

that center console... wtf? do you have to have your nav screen open to see what radio station and how high you have the hvac and all that? If so that totally sucks, I can't remember the last time I even opened my nav screen, ruins the look IMO.

I also can't stand the flat glass/plastic style buttons, I need to FEEL something, i can't take my eyes off the road that long! Also If it breaks, I can replace a button easily.. The new land rover and panamera with the haptic feedback on the glass is just... ugh I hope they aren't going that route with the new vantage

 

I didn't prefer it as its appearance reminded me of something you'd find in an inexpensive car using faux leather. Or maybe the colour just didn't feel as special...