Not sure I'm loving this car
#16
03-12-2011, 04:02 PM
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 117
Rep Power: 18 
As for "nimbleness," the car felt big and heavy to me also, until I took it to a curvy mountain road and pushed it -- I was amazed at how well the car tracks. It seems to me that the heaviness is more perception than reality and may have something to do with the seating position within the car and how the car seems so big from that vantage point. I even noticed that raising my seat up a bit made the car feel smaller and more under my command.
#17
03-12-2011, 04:03 PM
11R, Your engine upgrade does not increase you displacment to 4.7 liters. It does increase the horsepower to closer to the 09 and up 4.7 liter engine, but does not have near to torque in the mid range.
#19
03-12-2011, 04:16 PM
Correct. However, a dealer installed 'powerpack' upgrade was released by AM that upgraded the engine to the 2009 specs.
Here is the old thread when it was announced:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...t-4-3-ltr.html
Here is the old thread when it was announced:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...t-4-3-ltr.html
#21
03-12-2011, 04:54 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: whereabouts unknown
Posts: 2,266
Rep Power: 119 
Correct. However, a dealer installed 'powerpack' upgrade was released by AM that upgraded the engine to the 2009 specs.
Here is the old thread when it was announced:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...t-4-3-ltr.html
Here is the old thread when it was announced:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...t-4-3-ltr.html
#22
03-12-2011, 05:06 PM
Millsjq is right. The power kit takes the 4.3 to N400 specs only. It is a remap and a minor upgrade to the intake, increasing to around 400. There is definitely no increase in displacement and it doesn't at all upgrade the engine to 2009 specs which has numerous other changes in addition to the increased displacement. Just be aware of that if you are getting it and know what you are getting.
#23
03-13-2011, 07:45 AM
Please do not misconstrue my comments. The power pack is a great enhancement to the Vantage and a great extra (it is quite expensive to have fitted) and is a good reason to pick the car over others. I just did not want you to buy something that was not what you expected.
#24
03-13-2011, 08:33 AM
Please do not misconstrue my comments. The power pack is a great enhancement to the Vantage and a great extra (it is quite expensive to have fitted) and is a good reason to pick the car over others. I just did not want you to buy something that was not what you expected.
#25
03-13-2011, 11:27 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 4,205
Rep Power: 204 I've owned my 2007 V8V for two weeks, and while there's much to be said for it--it's beautiful, the exhaust note is wonderful, the interior is mostly great (seats, quality of the leather, the instrument panel)--I'm having some regrets. For perspective, I sold a BMW 335i coupe when I bought the Aston, and my other car is a 2001 Audi S8.
Some of the issues are fixable: brake squeal, rattling steering wheel air bag on rough roads, and finicky handbrake light on the dash. I've seen lots of posts about all of these, and I'll take the car in to have them addressed.
Other issues, not so much. On the way home today, I started to feel like I was driving a truck. That's an over-the-top statement, but the car doesn't feel nimble, the transmission is somewhat clunky, and there's an overall sense of heaviness--both in the mass of the car and in the inputs it requires (steering, clutch, shifting, and very un-aggressive throttle response). Also--and I feel like a wimp saying this--it's a pretty harsh ride over the crappy roads I drive on between home and work. I like a stiff suspension--I've always had sport suspensions on my cars, including the 335i I sold, but this is an order of magnitude stiffer than the BMW. It's bone-shaking, and that air bag rattling doesn't help the experience. Maybe some of it is driving on summer tires which, at 35 degrees, turn into hockey pucks. We'll see when it warms up. I got back in my S8, which has aftermarket springs and shocks, giving what I've always considered to be a nice firm ride, and it felt *so smooth* compared to the Aston. It's also faster, in an effortless sort of way, and despite its size, it almost feels more nimble than the Aston. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it.
Other things are nitpicky: somewhat cheap switchgear, particularly the turn signal stalk; a lack of front parking sensors when you can't see the front of the car; and a somewhat uncomfortable steering wheel because of the prominent seam around the inside.
I suspect I'll warm to it once the fixable problems are fixed and I get used to the feel of driving it. At least I hope so.
Some of the issues are fixable: brake squeal, rattling steering wheel air bag on rough roads, and finicky handbrake light on the dash. I've seen lots of posts about all of these, and I'll take the car in to have them addressed.
Other issues, not so much. On the way home today, I started to feel like I was driving a truck. That's an over-the-top statement, but the car doesn't feel nimble, the transmission is somewhat clunky, and there's an overall sense of heaviness--both in the mass of the car and in the inputs it requires (steering, clutch, shifting, and very un-aggressive throttle response). Also--and I feel like a wimp saying this--it's a pretty harsh ride over the crappy roads I drive on between home and work. I like a stiff suspension--I've always had sport suspensions on my cars, including the 335i I sold, but this is an order of magnitude stiffer than the BMW. It's bone-shaking, and that air bag rattling doesn't help the experience. Maybe some of it is driving on summer tires which, at 35 degrees, turn into hockey pucks. We'll see when it warms up. I got back in my S8, which has aftermarket springs and shocks, giving what I've always considered to be a nice firm ride, and it felt *so smooth* compared to the Aston. It's also faster, in an effortless sort of way, and despite its size, it almost feels more nimble than the Aston. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it.
Other things are nitpicky: somewhat cheap switchgear, particularly the turn signal stalk; a lack of front parking sensors when you can't see the front of the car; and a somewhat uncomfortable steering wheel because of the prominent seam around the inside.
I suspect I'll warm to it once the fixable problems are fixed and I get used to the feel of driving it. At least I hope so.
I had the same issue with pretty much any 6speed aston I have ever driven. However the automatics have always been more pleasant for me. The other stuff isnt something I can speak to with any authority. One drive in a 997tt changes perceptions of how a manual GT car SHOULD be like...(but obviously isnt nearly as pretty as the aston)
#26
03-29-2011, 10:12 PM
I have test driven a 07 and a 08 v8 vantage for a good 30 minutes each and i have to agree with the OP that the throttle response is horrible for a 6speed MT. I love the look and the sound of this car but the feel behind the wheel killed it for me, and the throttle response is mostly to blame. Drove a few porsches after it and wow what a difference. If this can be easily changed with a remap then perhaps i should reconsider but as of now i wouldnt buy a v8 vantage......... I still find it weird none of u guys questioned this on ur first drives?
#27
03-29-2011, 10:37 PM
A re-map isn't going to do anything with a a 6 speed.
I agree that the throttle response is lacking, but after owning much faster cars (GT3, turbo), I was looking for something else. Unless you're at the track, all that untapped power makes the car seem so passive. With the Aston, you're roaring along and it just feels more on edge- that is until the turbo overtakes you in the left lane
I agree that the throttle response is lacking, but after owning much faster cars (GT3, turbo), I was looking for something else. Unless you're at the track, all that untapped power makes the car seem so passive. With the Aston, you're roaring along and it just feels more on edge- that is until the turbo overtakes you in the left lane
#29
03-30-2011, 12:34 AM
A re-map isn't going to do anything with a a 6 speed.
I agree that the throttle response is lacking, but after owning much faster cars (GT3, turbo), I was looking for something else. Unless you're at the track, all that untapped power makes the car seem so passive. With the Aston, you're roaring along and it just feels more on edge- that is until the turbo overtakes you in the left lane
I agree that the throttle response is lacking, but after owning much faster cars (GT3, turbo), I was looking for something else. Unless you're at the track, all that untapped power makes the car seem so passive. With the Aston, you're roaring along and it just feels more on edge- that is until the turbo overtakes you in the left lane
such a beauty, the lag just kills it for me. I dont track cars but sure love twisty roads and love a car that responds fast, drove a 07 gt3 and that thing is perfection......... at least behind the wheel. So no one els is bothered with the lag? Surely u all feel it
#30
03-30-2011, 03:43 PM
The main point of Aston moving to the 4.7 was the additional low-down torque, which is what was really holding back the 4.3, which had plenty of torque and power but it was all at the upper reaches of the rev range, so if you stay below 5,000 rpm, then you really won't experience the 4.3 at its best