Agreed... But I see penguin's perspective - the new 911 was dubbed 'Panamera coupe', based on the new interior layout. When did this happen? That the 911 was considered a luxury car?

993 ('90s)


996 (~2000's)


997 (almost current)


991 (current - for a couple trim levels)


Aston Martin Vantage (current)

 

Still have both. Can't pick one over the other....yet.

 

I agree that the 911 is getting better on the style front, but it still doesn't have the cachet of an Aston and likely never will. Although they can do a lot with the interior, they can't do much with the exterior.

Yep, you and a few others here have both, and there's nothing wrong with that! Unfortunately, most of us don't have the money or the space for a "stable" of cars. I wouldn't mind having a few other cars at my disposal, including a track-focused 911 such as the GT3.

 

Take a look at this, we aren't the only ones talking:

http://jalopnik.com/5959156/aston-ma...?post=54144306

 

^^^ Yep, started a thread on this.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...-new-home.html

 

Personally, I like where Aston Martin is right now, but going forward I see the need for the following.

1) New Engines. There is lots of tech that can be leveraged to get more power/more efficiency, etc, etc, etc. Then AM can offer more HP in some models, better milage and lighter weight with no loss of HP in others and everything in between.

2) Personally, I'd like to see things like Tech and Luxury made more modular. For instance, if I want a Vantage V8 that is super cushy with all the bells and whistles, butter soft leather, insane audiophile stereo, hand crafted umbrellas with unicorn handles and mink leather dome, infra red camera heads up display, and all the unfortunate added weight that goes along with it, I can order that.

On the other hand, if I want a Vantage V8 with no nav, stereo, AC, or anything that adds weight and/or robs power, I can get the stripped down light weight version to use as a track day car. And, I should still be able to spec anything in between.

3) I'd hate to see AM move into SUV's or other non traditional markets. Heritage is one of the strong points of the brand, IMHO. The front/mid engine GT is something that Aston Martin should never move away from. I could see them adding a mid engine sports car or two to the line up. That makes sense to me and doesn't detract from the heritage of the brand. I wouldn't mind seeing a less expensive small 2 seat convertible in the tradition of the MGB, Spitfire, and Sunbeam type cars. A nice light weight convertible with a nice straight 6 offering a good power to weight ratio and a price somewhere between $50k to $70K US would make much more sense than the Cygnet.

4) I'd love it if Aston Martin would extend Q out to select dealerships, and it would be nice if they could extend tech services as well as interior detailing and such. I would not remove anything from the mechanics, but it would be nice if AM would better support adding iPod connectivity, upgrading nav system, adding a back-up camera, and items like that to the owners of existing cars. I'm more likely to want iPod connectivity than I am to request Alcantara seat inserts (I actually do want to get Alcantara seat inserts myself, but it's down my list a ways).

5) Keep racing. I know its expensive, but I believe that a racing heritage leads to building better cars. I know this isn't always true for every manufacturer but I feel better buying a car that can survive races like the 24 hours of LeMans without twisting themselves into their own little scrap pile in a few hours.