Hi All,
New here. I'm in the market for an Aston Martin. I've always loved them, and think now is the time. I've read through the "book" and think I would like to target the 12.25 or newer Vantage convertible. ( I still haven't completely ruled out a DB9, but I'm leaning toward the V8V) The 12.25 has better brakes, Sportshift II now standard, etc - compared to earlier years. While I would prefer a manual, I'm not sure I'm willing to pay the premium for that, since they are rarer after the first few years, and figure if I'm likely to end up with a Sportshift it may as well be the improved version 2.

However, the ".25" makes it a little tougher when looking at cars for sale. Is there an easy way to differentiate an early 2012 (that doesn't have the updates) from a 2012.25? I'm in the middle of nowhere, so almost all (or all) of this shopping & decision making will need to be done remotely. I've seen several 2012s for sale, but I don't know how to easily exclude the early 2012. Thanks

 

The updated car has Sportshift 2 as you say. This box has an extra gear. (7 forward ratios). The brakes are much better with the updated car - It got the S brakes as well as the S automated gearbox. 350mm front disks and 4 pot callipers went to 380mm front disks and 6 pot calipers. The rack went from 17:1 to 15:1.

The base car was almost the mechanical spec of the S when specced with the automated box, it was only the engine that differed with S post 2012.25. the body could be specified with the S sills and duck tail and wheels so there isn’t anything to give it away. You need to get a look at the brakes (which may have been updated). The only real way is to make sure there are 7 forward gears.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, the easiest visual clue to tell the difference is the front bumper.

 

That is what I was thinking, but I wasn't certain. By luck, there is a 2012.00 convertible for sale in Scottsdale, AZ and it has the classic front bumper/splitter and rear diffuser. I looked up the VIN in the Aston Tech Hub, and it is an early 2012, built in late April. The listing on KBB calls it an S, but it lacks a bunch of S details, and the Aston build sheet does NOT call it an S. The build sheet shows Gearbox Type: Sportshift (BOX 2). The gearbox type on my 2012 V8 Vantage S is 7-speed Sportshift II(BOX3). If you can get the dealer to verify what the top gear is, I'm pretty sure it is going to be "6" and not "7".

As an aside, you don't have to own an Aston to gain access to the Tech Hub. If you have a VIN, you can learn all sorts of details from the Aston build sheet. The 2012 convertible in Scottsdale is a great example: it isn't an S. It does have the Sportspack, but that doesn't make it an S.

tpetty, your search sounds very similar to mine. I started looking at all model years and manual trans only. Simultaneously, I reached out to an east coast friend (I live northeast of Spokane, WA) to see if he had any friends that had a V8 Vantage. The guy he put me in touch with started his search exactly as I had, then wound up getting an extended test drive in a 2012 S, which has the SS2 trans. He has now had the car for nearly two years and couldn't be happier.

I had read all of the "don't ever backup a slope in a Sportshift 1 Vantage" stories, so I focused on SS2 cars and expanded my budget. Same story as the east coast guy: I found a 2012 S, and I LOVE it. People say the manual trans is more involving. My reply is "only for your left leg". You still make the same decisions about shift points and what gear you want/need to be in. You still need to modulate the throttle when you are just cruising and want the shifts to be like butter. Want to threshold brake into a corner and skip two gears when you downshift (a technique I picked up from a past SCCA national champion in my racing class)? No problem, just quickly flick the left paddle three times. I don't miss running the clutch at all, and if I need to turn the car over to my wife for a few miles, she can leave it in D if she wants to (she is comfortable with manual transmissions, but on less powerful cars).

I'm actually thrilled that I didn't find a manual. I'm not sure how many more years I would want to drive a stick. Ditto for my wife. Buying an SS2 probably moves the point at which we think we should sell our V8V out 3 or 4 years.

 

I couldn’t agree more. I have a 2011 S and find my SS2 to be exactly as involving, rewarding and enjoyable as you state. Since upgrade with lighter flywheel and twin plate V12 clutch it’s even better. You have to learn it, you have to know it, and then, past all the ronnie roadtester BS you connect with the car in ways hard to explain.

 

I made it to the closest city to me and test drove both a DB9 Volante and a V8V. I was a little worried about me fitting in them (at 6'4") but was happy that I can fit in both. They definitely drive differently. I thought the Vantage was much more fun, and "felt" faster, even though 0-60 times are supposed to be basically identical.