Anyone YOLO'd into an Aston Martin?

[Uther]

In my recently started quest to get something a bit silly in a couple of years I've been looking at a few different things. Convertibles (still not sure) Porsches, and this week popped into a local AM Indy. I'm not keen on the newest ones but the 2006-13 4.3 / 4.7 Vantage is really appealing, one of the best looking cars ever made IMO. Some of them have comedy low mileage for their age but I think a lot of people have them as toys. Mine wouldn't be. 20mpg RIP.
So, anyone done, and not regretted it?

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

Owned a 4.7
Looks and Sound - Totalling amazing stock, just pull fuse 22.
Handling - Steering feel good, handling better than some say, you do have to grab it by the neck but not bad, but it feels heavy and is heavy.
Performance - More than enough to enjoy on the road, its not quick by modern standards but you can enjoy all the power and for longer, good fun car, but a modern hyper hatch, GRY, A35, S3, Golf R is quicker but by comparison none of those come close to the event and occasion drive wise Aston will offer.

Bad points: Speed shift auto is terrible, the manual is the one to get and as a manual its not great either, bit like stirring porridge and a very heavy clutch, but once you get used to it then it is actually OK, but the initial drive can be a bit damn this aint no Porsche or Honda manual.

Reliability: Never had an issue, got it on like 23k miles, gave it to a family member on 30k plus, shortly afterwards its clutch failed and I think the bill for everything, clutch, flywheel, labour was not much change from 4-5k but otherwise reliable.

Get a 4.7 Manual, if funds allow try to buy one from Aston with a Timeless warranty for peace of mind.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

buy one from Aston with a Timeless warranty

Definitely this. One of our neighbours is a huge Aston fan and he's had 3 or 4 of them now. All of them have needed some work doing and the warranty has covered him.

 

[Nasher]

A lot of people say they just feel like an expensive Jag.

You might never have issues with it, or it could be like a JLR car and spend half the time being fixed, at extortionate prices. So you like to gamble?

 

[theone8181]

Hi there

Owned a 4.7
Looks and Sound - Totalling amazing stock, just pull fuse 22.
Handling - Steering feel good, handling better than some say, you do have to grab it by the neck but not bad, but it feels heavy and is heavy.
Performance - More than enough to enjoy on the road, its not quick by modern standards but you can enjoy all the power and for longer, good fun car, but a modern hyper hatch, GRY, A35, S3, Golf R is quicker but by comparison none of those come close to the event and occasion drive wise Aston will offer.

Bad points: Speed shift auto is terrible, the manual is the one to get and as a manual its not great either, bit like stirring porridge and a very heavy clutch, but once you get used to it then it is actually OK, but the initial drive can be a bit damn this aint no Porsche or Honda manual.

Reliability: Never had an issue, got it on like 23k miles, gave it to a family member on 30k plus, shortly afterwards its clutch failed and I think the bill for everything, clutch, flywheel, labour was not much change from 4-5k but otherwise reliable.

Get a 4.7 Manual, if funds allow try to buy one from Aston with a Timeless warranty for peace of mind.

4-5 grand for a clutch, and at 30 k miles. What's it made out of, solid gold? I'm envious as I'd love one, but I think it wouldn't last a year with me as I've read they aren't reliable (although I don't know anyone to ask) and I do 10k miles so it's in the realms of 3 grand a year fuel bill.

 

[Uther]

4-5 grand for a clutch, and at 30 k miles. What's it made out of, solid gold? I'm envious as I'd love one, but I think it wouldn't last a year with me as I've read they aren't reliable (although I don't know anyone to ask) and I do 10k miles so it's in the realms of 3 grand a year fuel bill.

I'm lucky in that I live about ten minutes away from two if the best indys in the country. With the clutch, some people have them go within 20k, others are still on the original at 50k. Apparently going for a twin plate clutch when the original fails solves the problem.
I'm retired, so it would be a 5-6k a year car. Some of the parts prices are lol, but I would expect in on cars like this really.

 

[bazzabear]

Haven't yet, but it's a plan for the future.
Probably will be aiming for a 6.0 v12, either in a DB9 or a Vantage, since I've already scratched the V8 itch with my C63. It will have to be a manual too, as that's the one thing I wish was different on the C63.

There's a couple of (I think) well regarded AM indys near me too in Macclesfield. Are they the ones you're talking about too?

But when the time comes, I'll certainly need to do a lot more research before I make any move.

 

[Gibbo]

Haven't yet, but it's a plan for the future.
Probably will be aiming for a 6.0 v12, either in a DB9 or a Vantage, since I've already scratched the V8 itch with my C63. It will have to be a manual too, as that's the one thing I wish was different on the C63.

There's a couple of (I think) well regarded AM indys near me too in Macclesfield. Are they the ones you're talking about too?

But when the time comes, I'll certainly need to do a lot more research before I make any move.

Vanquish is the best V12 in my view as you get the ZF8.
If I revisit Aston it is going to be a Vanquish S, amazing beautiful cars and with a decent gearbox and glorious NA V12.

 

[adam cool dude]

How much money you got to spend?

Audi R8 would be a lot more special imo or even a 360 Fezza.

 

[Uther]

Haven't yet, but it's a plan for the future.
Probably will be aiming for a 6.0 v12, either in a DB9 or a Vantage, since I've already scratched the V8 itch with my C63. It will have to be a manual too, as that's the one thing I wish was different on the C63.

There's a couple of (I think) well regarded AM indys near me too in Macclesfield. Are they the ones you're talking about too?

But when the time comes, I'll certainly need to do a lot more research before I make any move.

No I'm in the midlands so McGurk and Bamford Rose.

 

[Gibbo]

How much money you got to spend?

Audi R8 would be a lot more special imo or even a 360 Fezza.

This having owned all 3, the R8 as a manual is the one to get, it cost half the Fezza and is the better daily car, much cheaper to run also (apart from tax) and if you went V10 also the fastest by quite some margin, for me I'd summarise them as:

R8 - The best all rounder as a V8 manual, timeless design and incredible sound (with aftermarket exhaust), but is by far the best to daily, budget 40k for a V8 and 50-60k for a V10, V8 should be a manual and its a great manual, if V10 go manual or DSG.
Aston - Can work as a daily, but the R8 in all guises is faster, far better manual, better engine and generally more reliable and nicer to drive, Aston has the Aston appeal.
360 - To raw for a daily, the F1 like the Aston Speedshift and R8 R-Tronic is terrible, so again a manual is a must and you then looking at 60-80k for a good one. Budget 3k for annual servicing/repairs also and they are raw cars which as a daily could get tiring, as a weekend car, immense occasion and event from one.

In short if you need an AUTO, the R8 is the only choice as long as it is the newer DSG style one.
If you want manual then the 360 and R8 manuals are far nicer to use than the Aston.

Personally the R8 is hard to beat, having owned all three it is the one I will be keeping.

 

[Tom|Nbk]

I have a Manual R8 V8 which is currently for sale, I bought a cheap manual Vantage 4.3 as a "downgrade" once the R8 sells it is freeing up some funds for some house stuff and tbh the Vantage is just more special and the one I'd reach keys for for a drive out to a pub meal on a sunday etc.

Inside the R8 you could be in an old S3, R8 stock is also terrible, Vantage stock exhaust is mental good. The Aston is an Aston and looks much better too

 

[Uther]

How much money you got to spend?

Audi R8 would be a lot more special imo or even a 360 Fezza.

This would very much be a heart over head purchase. Because of that the R8 does nothing for me, and the only Ferrarri I really like is the Roma, and that's way over budget.

 

[Tom|Nbk]

This would very much be a heart over head purchase. Because of that the R8 does nothing for me, and the only Ferrarri I really like is the Roma, and that's way over budget.

Is this going to be a weekend car?

Vantages start at about 22k even if you got a leggy one (I bought one with 95k on for buttons) the low mileage with just weekend use means something very unlikely to go wrong. Great cars, I'll keep mine, CBA with anything more expensive now as I don't get much time for nice motors these days anything more than 20k ish is a waste.

 

[Tom|Nbk]

To add also the 4.3/4.7 in these cars is bullet proof, even more so the early 4.3's as had stronger internals, the OEM clutch is a weak point but not the end of the world, I can't really think of anything else that is their Achilles heel, they're very reliable cars. They're built like tanks. Last of solid era of cars IMO.

 

[Simon]

A lot of people say they just feel like an expensive Jag.

You might never have issues with it, or it could be like a JLR car and spend half the time being fixed, at extortionate prices. So you like to gamble?

Thanks for the input of ‘what other people say’

We get your hate for JLR but in an Aston thread?? Give it a break lotus boy

 

[Simon]

Vanquish is the best V12 in my view as you get the ZF8.
If I revisit Aston it is going to be a Vanquish S, amazing beautiful cars and with a decent gearbox and glorious NA V12.

Guy at work has one. Lovely but not sure about the red it’s in !

 

[Uther]

To add also the 4.3/4.7 in these cars is bullet proof, even more so the early 4.3's as had stronger internals, the OEM clutch is a weak point but not the end of the world, I can't really think of anything else that is their Achilles heel, they're very reliable cars. They're built like tanks. Last of solid era of cars IMO.

If I do it (it's a couple of years away) then it would be pretty much a daily, there is another car in the household but this would be mine, so it would be used for everything from going to the shops, going for a drive, going on holiday etc, but no commuting. Probably 5-6k a year. I wouldn't be precious about it, but it would be well maintained, and if it needed something it would get it. If i was buying today I would be looking at 30-35k cars, so not high mileage.

 

[Nasher]

Thanks for the input of ‘what other people say’

We get your hate for JLR but in an Aston thread?? Give it a break lotus boy

Back in 2006 they were still both part of Ford and share Ford parts. So yea there are similarities between them...