My Car History: GT3 vs F12 vs GranCabrio vs Vanquish vs Vantage vs XK
12-18-2023, 04:09 PM
#1
My Car History: GT3 vs F12 vs GranCabrio vs Vanquish vs Vantage vs XK
Hi everybody - I thought I’d kill some time while bored at home to do a write up comparison of the various cars I have been extremely lucky enough to own over the past 7 years, across both the UK and the US. Figured it would be an interesting read for those who are also bored (and interesting for me to write up)!
I will structure this by giving general thoughts and a ranking across a various set of metrics that are important to me - trying to keep this as logical as possible. Also want to note that I owned each of these cars separately, and at the time each was my only car - so the final rankings are according to ‘if you could only have one’.
________________________________________________________________________ ____
6th Place - Aston Martin Vanquish (2015)
Spec: Midnight blue exterior, sandstorm/dark knight interior
Miles driven: 3k
I purchased this car after being relatively disappointed with my Aston Martin V8 Vantage (see below). So I thought it’d be a good idea to go the whole 9 yards and get a Gen 2 Vanquish. To me eyes, the Gen 2 Vanquish is still one of the best looking front engine cars ever made, and is really the ultimate evolution and expression of the DB9/XK bloodline. I also got one of the best specs with the midnight blue over sandstorm. It’s deep, burbling V12 sounds like armageddon on startup, and also the echoes and vibrations on overrun at around 3k RPM are incredible.
That’s pretty much where the positives end, though. I think the driving experience leaves a lot to be desired - the engine can be lazy, almost like an old school American V8. The gearbox, while certainly a step on from Aston’s single clutch systems, is no better than most automatics in mass production vehicles. The ride is firm, and almost jarring - but the body roll is so significant, I found myself driving around in the track suspension setting just so I had some amount of road feel. The interior is basically a re-hash of the DB9 interior from 2005, and while certainly very pretty and covered in high-quality leather with beautiful glass accents, it is cramped with very poor front and side visibility (almost claustrophobic).
That, combined with carbon fiber body panels and the potential for huge repair bills, make this Aston much less useable than it needs to be. If all you care about is looks and feeling like James Bond, go for it, but otherwise put your money elsewhere.
Looks: 9/10
Speed: 7/10
Handling: 5/10
Comfort: 4/10
Practicality: 6/10
Excitement: 6/10
Ease of Use: 6/10
Ease of Ownership: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Total: 53 out of 90
5th Place - Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster Sportshift (2008)
Spec: Tungsten Silver interior, black interior
Miles driven: 4k
I had always dreamed of having an Aston Martin since I was a kid - the only problem was the money. So I got an XK as an appetizer (see below). But eventually the time came where I had a bit of spare change, and decided to go with an ‘08 V8 Vantage as I thought (and still think) they are incredible value, with a gorgeous body and one of the best cross-plane V8 engine noises of all time.
As soon as I got the car, I took it on a 2,000 mile trip around the Scottish Highlands (Glencoe, Skye, Cairngorms). Top down, in the summer, in an Aston Martin in Scotland? That is hard to beat. I drove the A93 in the Cairngorms and the ‘Glencoe Gallop’ - still some of the most memorable motoring experiences I have ever had.
Unfortunately, the driving characteristics did not match the splendor of the surroundings (or of the Vantage’s looks). The V8 is underpowered (which can be a positive in certain situations), the cabin is cramped, the trunk is basically useless, but the worst of all was the gearbox. I do not think Aston should have ever sold it, at all. It constantly slips the clutch at low speeds - with the roof down you can actually smell clutch when you are at traffic lights, and in stop-and-go traffic I would actually get carsick because it doesn’t let you creep forward at constant speed. The chassis setup and steering were decent though - the V8 Vantage is quite chuckable into turns so that is certainly a positive.
Overall - I’d say its a touch better than the Vanquish because it’s 1/3rd the price - but there are other cars out there far better, even in this price range.
Looks: 8/10
Speed: 5/10
Handling: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10
Practicality: 2/10
Excitement: 5/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 5/10
Value: 8/10
Total: 54 out of 90
4th Place - Jaguar XK (2006)
Spec: Slate Gray exterior, black interior
Miles driven: 30k
Where it all began. I had just moved to England, didn’t have much money, and wanted to buy a car that was affordable and practical but also good looking and somewhat sporty. There was no option other than the XK! I still think these are just about the best value car for the money, and really have timeless looks with the wide hips and low and long front hood. I had the good fortune of meeting Ian Callum (who designed the XK) one year at the Concours of Elegance, and told him I thought it was one of his most successful designs. I had always dreamed of owning an Aston Martin, and this was the best and easiest way I could get that experience at the time. The XK will always have a special place in my heart as it was the first true sports car (GT?) that I ever owned.
Not only is it incredibly practical - the hatchback and rear seats combined offer a large amount of easily accessible storage space (I actually moved flats twice using only this car) - but it also would get well above 35mpg (UK) on a highway cruise and caused me almost zero mechanical issues over my 3-year ownership (still was on its original battery in 2018). It never once let me down, and I explored just about everywhere across England in it. One time I even did some ‘off roading’ in the car on a very muddy/rocky hillside in the Lake District and it never missed a trick.
It definitely was not a sporty drive, and the exhaust was relatively quiet, but the steering was enjoyable and at the end of the day it was still plenty of power for the road. But, it was always just going to be a hold over until I could get the real deal - a full blown Aston Martin. Which ironically ended up not being as good.
Looks: 7/10
Speed: 4/10
Handling: 5/10
Comfort: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 4/10
Ease of Use: 7/10
Ease of Ownership: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Total: 59 out of 90
3rd Place - Maserati GranCabrio (2013)
Spec: Grigio Granito exterior, Sabbia interior
Miles driven: 7k
After being disappointed with my Vanquish ownership, I decided to cash out a bit and ‘downgrade’ to a Maserati GranCabrio. It turned out to be the car I always wanted the Astons to be - and really is the perfect blend of the XK, Vantage, and Vanquish. Imagine if you could combine the looks and sound of the Vanquish, with the top-down excitement of the Vantage, and the ownership ease of the XK - you’d get the GranCabrio.
Sure, it is by no means a sports car, nor is it particularly fast in a straight line, but it handles well enough with good steering and a great engine note - and having the top down gives the GranCabrio an extra layer of theater and connection with your surroundings. The rear seats are actually useable, and while the trunk is small, you can just use the rear seats for storage if absolutely needed. I’d get decent enough gas mileage too, with good range, and had no mechanical issues at all over the course of my year long ownership. It is about as close to a ‘one size fits all’ car as I have ever seen - Pininfarina styling, a Ferrari V8, four seats, convertible, fun to drive, and relatively easy to own.
Interestingly, towards the end of my ownership of the GranCabrio I actually got the chance to test drive a Ferrari F12. In many ways, the GranCabrio feels like a much, much more sedated F12. The throttle feel, progressive power application, and light steering are all quite similar. Maybe it’s an Italian thing. And speaking of that F12…
Looks: 8/10
Speed: 6/10
Handling: 4/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 6/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 6/10
Value: 9/10
Total: 62 out of 90
2nd Place - Ferrari F12 (2015)
Spec: Blu Tour de France exterior, Cuoio interior
Miles driven: 2.5k
Where the fun really begins. The F12 is leagues ahead of the previous 4 cars on this list - and is the ultimate expression of a front-engined GT supercruiser.
Driving the F12 is like a ritual for all the senses: first, you see it. Low and wide, with a curvaceous hood the size of an aircraft carrier, and an intimidating snarl of the front grille. Maybe you open up that hood to get a view of the massive engine (still the best looking engine bay of all time, by far). Then, you get in it, and smell the soft Italian leather while turning the key for ignition. You get the sense that every detail of this car was thought about by both designers and engineers - as only the Italians could do. Next, fire up the engine. The cold starts on this car are so loud, you can’t help but be reminded that there is the best part of 750hp under your right foot. Once the idle revs die down, then you can start to pull out of the driveway. But don’t even think about going full throttle yet. Are the tires warm? Is it damp out? Is the road straight and smooth and wide? Is there traffic within 200 meters? Only then can you really send it.
The F12’s engine is so buttery smooth that you can easily not realize how fast you are going (unlike all of the other cars on this list). This also allows the driver to keep the engine at higher revs for a long period of time without getting tired or feeling like they need to back off. And high revs are where the F12 shines. There is something almost spiritual about going for a drive on a late night or an early morning, seeing the bright red shift lights on the steering wheel illuminate the Cuoio interior as you rip through the backroads hearing the glorious V12 wail. You can get into a rhythm with this car that I have never been able to get from another car - and you don’t need to be going crazy to get into this rhythm.
The problems with the F12 start when you think of it as a car rather than an experience. You sit so far back from the front of the car that it becomes very difficult to place, making it feel much wider than it actually is (it didn’t help that my F12 racing seats without the lifter - so they sat quite low). And that’s on American roads - I don’t think I would ever own an F12 in the UK - the roads are far too narrow. I just had no idea where the corners of the car were, needed a spotter when parking in my garage, and you’re acutely aware of the potential costs associated with any tiny mistake. At low speeds, the gearbox can be quite clunky, with slow downshifts and upshifts. Tramlining, especially on highways, made the F12 feel overly alert, and so you could never really relax driving it (I was on old P-zeros - with hindsight I should’ve gone to PS4S’s). Not to mention if you make one tiny mistake, you will lose traction. The biggest issue for me was the steering, which felt relatively numb - I think the best way to describe it was that I was steering by ‘sight’ rather than ‘feel’. Fuel mileage and range was also horrendous, which isn’t great for a GT. And the depreciation if you actually want to use the car was shocking. The cost of ownership is just on an entirely different level than all the other cars on this list.
But would I buy one again if I had the money? You bet! I yearn to own another Ferrari V12 - F167 maybe? As soon as I’m able to own two cars simultaneously, this is easily the one I will get. At the end of the day, the F12 still gives me the most ‘fizz’ out of any of the cars I have owned, by far. But as an only car - or as a sports car - it cannot beat the #1 of this list.
Looks: 10/10
Speed: 9/10
Handling: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 10/10
Ease of Use: 4/10
Ease of Ownership: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Total: 67 out of 90
1st Place - Porsche 911 991.2 GT3 PDK (2019)
Spec: GT Silver exterior, black interior
Miles driven: 5k (and counting!)
Coming out of F12 ownership, I wanted something that could give me all (or most) of what I loved about the F12, without many of the downsides. Enter the 991.2 GT3 PDK. A savage 9,000 RPM 4.0L race-derived flat six coupled to arguably the best DCT ever made (feels like a racing sequential), and the most incredible and feelsome steering and turn-in of any car I have ever driven. A large front trunk and a cavernous amount of storage space behind the seats. Over 600-mile range, and over 26mpg (US) on the highway. Readily accessible parts and reasonable service costs. All wrapped up in a package not much larger than an Audi TT. Incredible.
The party piece of the GT3 (to me) is its dual personality and ability to be an absolutely insane howling banshee at the flick of a paddle, but be a normal 911 when you want to just get from A to B. The handling is so intuitive that it is a physically pleasurable sensation to drive the GT3 through winding roads - trail braking into corners to get front traction and then feeling the rear dig in as you catapult out. I also believe the 991.2 GT3 to be the best looking 911 ever made - almost a modern take on a 997-era GT3RS (the new RS’s have way too much aero for my liking). Also, the bucket seats are the most comfortable seats of any car I have ever owned, by a lot - much more so than the F12’s racing buckets. It’s also nowhere near as noisy and firm as some people make it out to be. I’ve taken it on numerous road trips across New England, and hopefully down South this spring.
The downside with the F12, at the end of the day, was I never found it an easy car to relax in. It was amazing when you were on it, but not amazing when you weren’t. The GT3 gives you the F12 thrills when you want them, and none of the chills when you don’t.
The GT3 is the best car I have ever owned.
Looks: 9/10
Speed: 8/10
Handling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 8/10
Excitement: 9/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Total: 73 out of 90
I will structure this by giving general thoughts and a ranking across a various set of metrics that are important to me - trying to keep this as logical as possible. Also want to note that I owned each of these cars separately, and at the time each was my only car - so the final rankings are according to ‘if you could only have one’.
________________________________________________________________________ ____
6th Place - Aston Martin Vanquish (2015)
Spec: Midnight blue exterior, sandstorm/dark knight interior
Miles driven: 3k
I purchased this car after being relatively disappointed with my Aston Martin V8 Vantage (see below). So I thought it’d be a good idea to go the whole 9 yards and get a Gen 2 Vanquish. To me eyes, the Gen 2 Vanquish is still one of the best looking front engine cars ever made, and is really the ultimate evolution and expression of the DB9/XK bloodline. I also got one of the best specs with the midnight blue over sandstorm. It’s deep, burbling V12 sounds like armageddon on startup, and also the echoes and vibrations on overrun at around 3k RPM are incredible.
That’s pretty much where the positives end, though. I think the driving experience leaves a lot to be desired - the engine can be lazy, almost like an old school American V8. The gearbox, while certainly a step on from Aston’s single clutch systems, is no better than most automatics in mass production vehicles. The ride is firm, and almost jarring - but the body roll is so significant, I found myself driving around in the track suspension setting just so I had some amount of road feel. The interior is basically a re-hash of the DB9 interior from 2005, and while certainly very pretty and covered in high-quality leather with beautiful glass accents, it is cramped with very poor front and side visibility (almost claustrophobic).
That, combined with carbon fiber body panels and the potential for huge repair bills, make this Aston much less useable than it needs to be. If all you care about is looks and feeling like James Bond, go for it, but otherwise put your money elsewhere.
Looks: 9/10
Speed: 7/10
Handling: 5/10
Comfort: 4/10
Practicality: 6/10
Excitement: 6/10
Ease of Use: 6/10
Ease of Ownership: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Total: 53 out of 90
5th Place - Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster Sportshift (2008)
Spec: Tungsten Silver interior, black interior
Miles driven: 4k
I had always dreamed of having an Aston Martin since I was a kid - the only problem was the money. So I got an XK as an appetizer (see below). But eventually the time came where I had a bit of spare change, and decided to go with an ‘08 V8 Vantage as I thought (and still think) they are incredible value, with a gorgeous body and one of the best cross-plane V8 engine noises of all time.
As soon as I got the car, I took it on a 2,000 mile trip around the Scottish Highlands (Glencoe, Skye, Cairngorms). Top down, in the summer, in an Aston Martin in Scotland? That is hard to beat. I drove the A93 in the Cairngorms and the ‘Glencoe Gallop’ - still some of the most memorable motoring experiences I have ever had.
Unfortunately, the driving characteristics did not match the splendor of the surroundings (or of the Vantage’s looks). The V8 is underpowered (which can be a positive in certain situations), the cabin is cramped, the trunk is basically useless, but the worst of all was the gearbox. I do not think Aston should have ever sold it, at all. It constantly slips the clutch at low speeds - with the roof down you can actually smell clutch when you are at traffic lights, and in stop-and-go traffic I would actually get carsick because it doesn’t let you creep forward at constant speed. The chassis setup and steering were decent though - the V8 Vantage is quite chuckable into turns so that is certainly a positive.
Overall - I’d say its a touch better than the Vanquish because it’s 1/3rd the price - but there are other cars out there far better, even in this price range.
Looks: 8/10
Speed: 5/10
Handling: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10
Practicality: 2/10
Excitement: 5/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 5/10
Value: 8/10
Total: 54 out of 90
4th Place - Jaguar XK (2006)
Spec: Slate Gray exterior, black interior
Miles driven: 30k
Where it all began. I had just moved to England, didn’t have much money, and wanted to buy a car that was affordable and practical but also good looking and somewhat sporty. There was no option other than the XK! I still think these are just about the best value car for the money, and really have timeless looks with the wide hips and low and long front hood. I had the good fortune of meeting Ian Callum (who designed the XK) one year at the Concours of Elegance, and told him I thought it was one of his most successful designs. I had always dreamed of owning an Aston Martin, and this was the best and easiest way I could get that experience at the time. The XK will always have a special place in my heart as it was the first true sports car (GT?) that I ever owned.
Not only is it incredibly practical - the hatchback and rear seats combined offer a large amount of easily accessible storage space (I actually moved flats twice using only this car) - but it also would get well above 35mpg (UK) on a highway cruise and caused me almost zero mechanical issues over my 3-year ownership (still was on its original battery in 2018). It never once let me down, and I explored just about everywhere across England in it. One time I even did some ‘off roading’ in the car on a very muddy/rocky hillside in the Lake District and it never missed a trick.
It definitely was not a sporty drive, and the exhaust was relatively quiet, but the steering was enjoyable and at the end of the day it was still plenty of power for the road. But, it was always just going to be a hold over until I could get the real deal - a full blown Aston Martin. Which ironically ended up not being as good.
Looks: 7/10
Speed: 4/10
Handling: 5/10
Comfort: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 4/10
Ease of Use: 7/10
Ease of Ownership: 8/10
Value: 10/10
Total: 59 out of 90
3rd Place - Maserati GranCabrio (2013)
Spec: Grigio Granito exterior, Sabbia interior
Miles driven: 7k
After being disappointed with my Vanquish ownership, I decided to cash out a bit and ‘downgrade’ to a Maserati GranCabrio. It turned out to be the car I always wanted the Astons to be - and really is the perfect blend of the XK, Vantage, and Vanquish. Imagine if you could combine the looks and sound of the Vanquish, with the top-down excitement of the Vantage, and the ownership ease of the XK - you’d get the GranCabrio.
Sure, it is by no means a sports car, nor is it particularly fast in a straight line, but it handles well enough with good steering and a great engine note - and having the top down gives the GranCabrio an extra layer of theater and connection with your surroundings. The rear seats are actually useable, and while the trunk is small, you can just use the rear seats for storage if absolutely needed. I’d get decent enough gas mileage too, with good range, and had no mechanical issues at all over the course of my year long ownership. It is about as close to a ‘one size fits all’ car as I have ever seen - Pininfarina styling, a Ferrari V8, four seats, convertible, fun to drive, and relatively easy to own.
Interestingly, towards the end of my ownership of the GranCabrio I actually got the chance to test drive a Ferrari F12. In many ways, the GranCabrio feels like a much, much more sedated F12. The throttle feel, progressive power application, and light steering are all quite similar. Maybe it’s an Italian thing. And speaking of that F12…
Looks: 8/10
Speed: 6/10
Handling: 4/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 6/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 6/10
Value: 9/10
Total: 62 out of 90
2nd Place - Ferrari F12 (2015)
Spec: Blu Tour de France exterior, Cuoio interior
Miles driven: 2.5k
Where the fun really begins. The F12 is leagues ahead of the previous 4 cars on this list - and is the ultimate expression of a front-engined GT supercruiser.
Driving the F12 is like a ritual for all the senses: first, you see it. Low and wide, with a curvaceous hood the size of an aircraft carrier, and an intimidating snarl of the front grille. Maybe you open up that hood to get a view of the massive engine (still the best looking engine bay of all time, by far). Then, you get in it, and smell the soft Italian leather while turning the key for ignition. You get the sense that every detail of this car was thought about by both designers and engineers - as only the Italians could do. Next, fire up the engine. The cold starts on this car are so loud, you can’t help but be reminded that there is the best part of 750hp under your right foot. Once the idle revs die down, then you can start to pull out of the driveway. But don’t even think about going full throttle yet. Are the tires warm? Is it damp out? Is the road straight and smooth and wide? Is there traffic within 200 meters? Only then can you really send it.
The F12’s engine is so buttery smooth that you can easily not realize how fast you are going (unlike all of the other cars on this list). This also allows the driver to keep the engine at higher revs for a long period of time without getting tired or feeling like they need to back off. And high revs are where the F12 shines. There is something almost spiritual about going for a drive on a late night or an early morning, seeing the bright red shift lights on the steering wheel illuminate the Cuoio interior as you rip through the backroads hearing the glorious V12 wail. You can get into a rhythm with this car that I have never been able to get from another car - and you don’t need to be going crazy to get into this rhythm.
The problems with the F12 start when you think of it as a car rather than an experience. You sit so far back from the front of the car that it becomes very difficult to place, making it feel much wider than it actually is (it didn’t help that my F12 racing seats without the lifter - so they sat quite low). And that’s on American roads - I don’t think I would ever own an F12 in the UK - the roads are far too narrow. I just had no idea where the corners of the car were, needed a spotter when parking in my garage, and you’re acutely aware of the potential costs associated with any tiny mistake. At low speeds, the gearbox can be quite clunky, with slow downshifts and upshifts. Tramlining, especially on highways, made the F12 feel overly alert, and so you could never really relax driving it (I was on old P-zeros - with hindsight I should’ve gone to PS4S’s). Not to mention if you make one tiny mistake, you will lose traction. The biggest issue for me was the steering, which felt relatively numb - I think the best way to describe it was that I was steering by ‘sight’ rather than ‘feel’. Fuel mileage and range was also horrendous, which isn’t great for a GT. And the depreciation if you actually want to use the car was shocking. The cost of ownership is just on an entirely different level than all the other cars on this list.
But would I buy one again if I had the money? You bet! I yearn to own another Ferrari V12 - F167 maybe? As soon as I’m able to own two cars simultaneously, this is easily the one I will get. At the end of the day, the F12 still gives me the most ‘fizz’ out of any of the cars I have owned, by far. But as an only car - or as a sports car - it cannot beat the #1 of this list.
Looks: 10/10
Speed: 9/10
Handling: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Excitement: 10/10
Ease of Use: 4/10
Ease of Ownership: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Total: 67 out of 90
1st Place - Porsche 911 991.2 GT3 PDK (2019)
Spec: GT Silver exterior, black interior
Miles driven: 5k (and counting!)
Coming out of F12 ownership, I wanted something that could give me all (or most) of what I loved about the F12, without many of the downsides. Enter the 991.2 GT3 PDK. A savage 9,000 RPM 4.0L race-derived flat six coupled to arguably the best DCT ever made (feels like a racing sequential), and the most incredible and feelsome steering and turn-in of any car I have ever driven. A large front trunk and a cavernous amount of storage space behind the seats. Over 600-mile range, and over 26mpg (US) on the highway. Readily accessible parts and reasonable service costs. All wrapped up in a package not much larger than an Audi TT. Incredible.
The party piece of the GT3 (to me) is its dual personality and ability to be an absolutely insane howling banshee at the flick of a paddle, but be a normal 911 when you want to just get from A to B. The handling is so intuitive that it is a physically pleasurable sensation to drive the GT3 through winding roads - trail braking into corners to get front traction and then feeling the rear dig in as you catapult out. I also believe the 991.2 GT3 to be the best looking 911 ever made - almost a modern take on a 997-era GT3RS (the new RS’s have way too much aero for my liking). Also, the bucket seats are the most comfortable seats of any car I have ever owned, by a lot - much more so than the F12’s racing buckets. It’s also nowhere near as noisy and firm as some people make it out to be. I’ve taken it on numerous road trips across New England, and hopefully down South this spring.
The downside with the F12, at the end of the day, was I never found it an easy car to relax in. It was amazing when you were on it, but not amazing when you weren’t. The GT3 gives you the F12 thrills when you want them, and none of the chills when you don’t.
The GT3 is the best car I have ever owned.
Looks: 9/10
Speed: 8/10
Handling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10
Practicality: 8/10
Excitement: 9/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Ease of Ownership: 8/10
Value: 5/10
Total: 73 out of 90
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Manhattan_trout (12-19-2023)
12-18-2023, 08:25 PM
#2
That looks like a fun journey. Keep it going! And pictures!
12-19-2023, 04:54 AM
#4
Racer
I had an original 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish, before I switched to a 991.2 Gt3 manual.
Vanquish was a great GT. Gearbox was OK. Needed expert setting up, not the fastest change, but treat it like a manual (which it is, just robotised change), lifting the throttle and was quite satisfying driving it smoothly.
I must admit, the GT3 is a different league though!!
Vanquish was a great GT. Gearbox was OK. Needed expert setting up, not the fastest change, but treat it like a manual (which it is, just robotised change), lifting the throttle and was quite satisfying driving it smoothly.
I must admit, the GT3 is a different league though!!
12-19-2023, 07:39 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
Thanks for sharing. I own 2 of those cars (991.2 GT3 and V8 Vantage) and have lots of seat time in the F12 (my dad owned one). I appreciate your perspectives - the only one I disagree enough to comment on is the V8 Vantage. I really love mine. They are different (mine is a 2010 Manual coupe) and that accounts for some of the difference - eg the 4.7L engine vs your 4.3L, the manual vs, the awful sportshift and the 150lbs or so of lost weight from being a coupe (vs convertible) probably go a long way to increasing the speed score you gave (5/10) - I certainly find mine plenty fast enough and it has plenty of response and grunt at any speed. Looks, I think are gorgeous (IMO prettier than F12 for example) but that subjective. Won't argue your handling score, not the Vantage's strong suit, especially against Porsches but it's adequate. Comfort I find fine (and I'm 6'6" so not always the case) but only for drives under 2 hours - longer than that and I do seem to get some back pain so we're not far off there. I find practicality fine but I have 2 kids and 6 sports cars (and that's it - my wife has a Cayenne but I personally drive nothing with 4 doors or a real back seat) so I'm a weird case and I like the Vantage for shopping trips more than my Porsches because the rear trunk (while not enormous is easier to load heavy things in and out of than the frunk of a 911). Ease of ownership has been ridiculously good- I've owned mine for 11 years, have had ZERO issues that require a dealer visit and DIY almost all the maintenance. Access to everything is super easy - there's oodles of room to work unlike the ridiculously tight Porsche packaging of components and parts are pretty cheap. It has barely cost me anything to run. Finally value is hard to assess because they depreciate like a rock. I thought I got a good deal buying a 1 yr old 3000 mile car for $85K (sticker >$140K) back in 2011 but it kept depreciating steadily. At one point it was probably only worth $40-45K. I think they've gone back up a bit since then but for sure, don't buy a new Aston or lightly used one and expect it to hold value like a Porsche or Ferrari. It won't. That, said, for $50-60K a used, well cared for 2009+ (4.7L) V8 Vantage is a hell of a car value right now IMO. And there isn't much I'd recommend over it at that price point.
Just keep in mind (especially on a Porsche board) that the Vantage, while Aston's "sports car" is more muscle car in a tuxedo than finely honed (over 60 years!) 911. It's a bit brasher, the power on oversteer is easy to get into, it's nowhere near as precise or sharp as a 911 and would get its butt kicked on a track by any 991/992 base spec Carrera or better. However, the quality of the interior materials is WAY nicer than Porsche, they're simple, easy to work on and universally liked by other motorists. The kind of people who would close up the gap to make sure you can't merge if you are in your 911 will happily give you extra space in a Vantage. No one dislikes it and I get more compliments from women in particular (not that it matters to me - I'm long our of the single game but just an observation) vs. my Porsches or Ferrari.
Just keep in mind (especially on a Porsche board) that the Vantage, while Aston's "sports car" is more muscle car in a tuxedo than finely honed (over 60 years!) 911. It's a bit brasher, the power on oversteer is easy to get into, it's nowhere near as precise or sharp as a 911 and would get its butt kicked on a track by any 991/992 base spec Carrera or better. However, the quality of the interior materials is WAY nicer than Porsche, they're simple, easy to work on and universally liked by other motorists. The kind of people who would close up the gap to make sure you can't merge if you are in your 911 will happily give you extra space in a Vantage. No one dislikes it and I get more compliments from women in particular (not that it matters to me - I'm long our of the single game but just an observation) vs. my Porsches or Ferrari.
Last edited by RudyP; 12-19-2023 at 07:47 AM.