i'm in for now. the interior feels more focused yet comfortable. exhaust has a nice ''aston'' sound to it. can't wait to drive one.

 

Thanks for that feedback Lucent. One of the questions I had was whether or not the exhaust note would be Aston . . . - Russ

 

heard it today. although it's not V12 but the V8 has the note. not bad.

 

It's all blow and no Go!

 

wow, $260k ... is there quite a markup?

 

Very tempted to get one. If I haven't ordered the GT3, I might be seriously thinking of buying the baby Aston. It looks so beautiful!

 

Khalid,
i drove it about an hour alone this past weekend. the press car has about 6,700 miles on it so at least it's broken in already, hard i assume. my impression was about everything i thought it would be. there was no major disappointment since i didn't have really high expectation.

the car definitely feels slower than 997 C2S also noticeably heavier. the suspension is stiff but comfortable for street driving. it takes corners well with great confidence & feedback. the engine feels a bit lazy as it doesn't like to rev (MBish if u know what i mean). although the torque comes in early but still takes time to get up there. exhaust opens up at 4,500rpm with the typical Aston sound. however, in comparsion to DB9 & Vanquish it's like a mono vs stereo speakers. not bad for a V8 but not nearly as good as AM V12. it feels very solid @ 120mph yet relaxed. i expected this car has been driven hard but there's no noticeable rattles, shakes. i like the clutch, stiffer than the 997 but lighter than 996 GT3. shifter has the good throw with right feedback. steering is precise but not as sharp as C2S; it reminds me of 996 Turbo when turning.

the interior fit & finish is good although i thought they could've done a better job. maybe it's the interior color of the car i felt it's a little cheap. i think full black or brown with the right color stitching would be much nicer. the dashboard is long. too big for the car & actually made it feels like a big car with long nose. that's something needed to get used to; little awkward in the beginning. after short driving everything feels right at home. all buttons are within easy reach. speedo is pleasure to read with a beautiful brushed alu finish. not the best interior but certainly a fresh one for me.

overall i enjoyed the car. it's not the same performer when u look at its price with a 997 in mind but it has what 997 doesn't have. it's a car with different lifestyle. a car that passenger can actually enjoy. less hardcore but more style imo. even if money is not an object i'd still take it rather than DB9. the size, the package make it a much more focused car.

i say it makes a good pair with GT3. we always miss one car in the garage anyways.

 

Arling, thanks for this comprehensive review. You sort of answered all my quistions.

I sat in one a few months ago at the launch, a beautiful dark grey with black interior. I loved how it felt!

It would make an excellent partner with the GT3. Now that My Maserati is gone and the turbo S is going to be traded in, I was trying to resist getting something that would be compromised. I was thinking of getting an R32 so I can be under the radar a bit. Too much attention from the Maserati and with the Aston, I know that it'll be even worse.

 

Russ - whatever you do - Don't forget to take pix. Please.

 

Never my specialty . . . But agreed.

 

Thanks, with an Aston as subject, pix can't turn out that bad .

 

Khalid My friend got an GTI MKV its such amazing car, He has the abt bodykit with the quad exhaust on order too, I think the R32 is kind of too much, Why are you selling the Turbo S, its an 05 model which is new, At our home the car stays 4-5 years minimum

 

I'm getting the GT3 instead so why keep it. I drove the new GTI and loved it. The R32 looks so much more special and I want something practical. Other wise, I'm sold on the new Aston. The dealer here has two, might pass by to check them out.

 

Get some pictures of the V8 Vantage if possible I just like to see the colour combos you have in your showroom compared to us

 

I passed by the showroom night before last and they had a dark grey and a yellow parked.