Owner here. You and Kevin are true car nerds and it’s what’s made me follow you through the years. You’re always welcome back to NC!… bc you said good things about my car 😂

@nlxsteve

2 ай бұрын

Oh I’ll also note that the later model (2012.75+) Vantages got many of the upgrades from the previous S- brakes, quicker rack, etc. Car also had Velocity AP’s x pipe, exhaust, and their tune.

@JChavsPorsches

2 ай бұрын

Which exhaust and tune setup did you add?

@nlxsteve

2 ай бұрын

@@JChavsPorsches velocity ap x pipe and sport exhaust

@lancefitzgiben

2 ай бұрын

Lightweight flywheel? Or were they lightened up in later years by default.. V8V I drove was unfortunately lethargic due to the crazy heavy flywheel.

@nlxsteve

2 ай бұрын

@@lancefitzgiben hm I don’t know if they lightened it for the later years. I know that the v12 flywheel is popular mod for the v8, which my car doesn’t have. Flywheel feels light though. Engine revs up and down nicely.

One of my absolute favorites. There is absolutely nothing like it.

The first V8 vantage you drove was an early 4.3L car. I had one of those and the echoed your first review. The 4.3 had no low end torque, revved slow, and generally sluggish throttle response. The 4.7L addresses these issues and apparently you liked it enough to praise the car. Reliability was surprisingly good as a lot of the hardware were ford, jag, and Volvo components. Surprisingly easy to work on as well thanks to all that room in the engine bay. For the money, it’s an insane amount of car.

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, I was so much more impressed by this 4.7 compared to the 4.3. The totally different roads/conditions had something to do with it, I'm sure.

@justaddafan

2 ай бұрын

@jacksonhui581 My 4.3 had the power pack when I bought it so I don't know what the tuning was like without, but what I experienced seemed different from the common complaints that you have listed. Granted, the flywheel did feel heavy and the car was way happier above 4500 RPM which I enjoy anyway. I then did the AMR flywheel/clutch and VAP tune and the engine woke up to an all new level. Revvy, snappy, had eager throughout the rev range. I never thought of the 4.7 again after the changes..

@rabidrabiesracing

2 ай бұрын

@@justaddafanI also have the power pack installed on mine and it is much more “alive” than the standard 4.3. I have driven both and it makes a difference! I am looking forward to doing the AMR clutch like you but I will not do it until I wear the original clutch out. Did you feel the AMR clutch gave you more pedal sensation and feel?

@justaddafan

2 ай бұрын

@@rabidrabiesracing Don't wait. Consider it a performance upgrade and do it as soon as you can. At first I wasn't happy about the lighter clutch force, but let's face it, the stock clutch pedal is far heavier than most other cars. Once you get used to the new one, the modulation is easier and the take up is more clear. It's much more "normal" in that respect. But the way it changes the eagerness of the engine is totally worth the [high] price. Once you do it, you'll be happy that you didn't spend more time waiting.

@rabidrabiesracing

2 ай бұрын

@@justaddafan hahaha. I like how you think. I justified the carbon rear diffuser as a wedding expense.

I'm happy to see that you got another run in a Vantage. I think I commented in the previous video that you didn't get to really drive it hard enough to appreciate it. When I bought mine, I knew the engine would be great but the steering feel and the chassis balance (49F/51R) were the real surprises. Look how far back in the chassis that dry sump V8 sits! I agree, the visibility is the car's weak point, but it's the price to pay for one of cardom's best shapes ever. I'm not sure what reliability stories you heard, but these cars are mostly Ford and subsidiaries. They're actually very robust. It's a magnificent car that's a event every time you get in it.

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

The reliability issues that the owner of the first 4.3L I reviewed told me about were mostly related to electronics.

@brandonsever2576

2 ай бұрын

Sounds like a 6th gen Camaro SS 1LE for people who can afford something a bit more up-market. I mean this in the best way possible. Anybody with Porsche/Mercedes money that instead choose a manual V8 vantage instantly have extra "car guy" credibility in my book, whatever that's worth lol

@justaddafan

2 ай бұрын

@@brandonsever2576 I would agree with you except the Camaro is a far bigger car than the Vantage. The Vantage is about the same size as it's contemporary 911 (and smaller than a new one) and is strictly a 2 seater. I don't know that there'd be much cross shopping.

@justaddafan

2 ай бұрын

@@Zygrene These cars have some niggles, but no more than any other higher end brand. It's generally no more expensive to own than a Porsche or Jaguar.

@oscoe

2 ай бұрын

Owner here. You nailed it re balance. My car is 485bhp, and it handles beautifully…..and yes great steering feel. It IS a real drivers car. Equally happy cruising as a GT.

Vantage owner for the past 10 years here. Great GT car. Gorgeous and wife’s favorite car of mine because it is so comfortable. Very reliable as long as it was built right and maintained correctly. I have an ‘07 and since new only maintenance + wear and tear items was needed. No horror stories at all. You have to keep in mind these are hand built engines so it seems to be hit or miss. On the secondary market you should have no problem sorting out the good from the bad examples. Very mechanically reliable. Awkward heel toe even with a wider accelerator pedal, clutch has no sensory feel and steering turn on isn’t as on point as a lighter true sports car. Great for the street. Not the car I take to the track.

I had my 4.3 for 4 years and tuned it, exhaust, and dyno with 360whp. On the track is absolutely sublime... this is where reviews don't do the car justice. I was lapping Road Atlanta faster than the new C8 and GT350s. Of course driver skill comes into play, but I absolutely adore the Vantage.

@nlxsteve

2 ай бұрын

You know… I never thought this car actually had it in it, but this chassis is awesome. It’s such an underrated “sports car.”

@tommyfreckmann6857

2 ай бұрын

@nlxsteve totally understand! That's why I chose the Vantage platform... For the money, it is the best bang for buck. I was looking at a few Ferraris, Porsches, etc. But, the Vantage won out for quality. DD capability, reliability, dry sump engine that loves to rev, great sound system, etc. I could go on all day. It is so neutral when pushed and the fact this car has faster lap times than the cars it competed with at the time despite having slower acceleration times.

@KRBY555

2 ай бұрын

The owner commenting above says the opposite. Shit on track

Nice Review ! Great car ! Challenge The Road channel has made a pedal kit to facilitate heel/toe as well as a short shifter.

Great review! These cars deserve all the praise you gave, I have an early 4.3 car and the 4.7 is just that much better. On the reliability front, I think most of the owners will agree that these are extremely reliable. There was recently one in the UK for sale with 189k on the clock. And super nitpicky: but the big piece of piano black isnt plastic, it's a large piece of wood. When you open the (very dated) Nav Screen you can see the edge of the wood and the grain.

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

Piano black wood? Didn't know that was possible, thanks for sharing

@MostlyHuman

2 ай бұрын

@@Zygrene Well... that is how many pianos are built and finished (black lacquer) hence the term. The automotive problem is using glossy-black scratchable plastic to pretend to be piano black lacquer. Great vid BTW, and yes the V8 Vantage is one of the prettiest designs ever.

The steering feel & weight of these is the best I've experienced. One of my favorite aspects of the car.

Lets be real, these aren't $50k cars anymore. A 2014 manual is going to cost you at least $70k

Great video! Watching this made me lust after these cars even more.

Car is actually surprisingly reliable if you buy a face lifted model (post 2009) I had mine for 5 years, great car and I miss it dearly!

Great review - good detail, conveying the experience really well. Good job! P.S. Still possible to discern speed from needle position, despite the blurring 😉

Beautiful machine. Definitely a gentleman's sports car

Will buy one the end of this year. Cannot wait.

Love your reviews since you actually drive the damn cars instead of cruising around at 1500 rpm, only thing you could add is exhaust note and startup from the exterior.

Awesome review. I have a similarly modded 4.7L + wider wheels and am local to you in the Bay Area. Happy to let you have a go on familiar roads if you want

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

Yes please! Shoot me a quick email at zygrene@gmail.com

there is a huge difference between earlier 4.3 vs later 4.7 suspension, obvious torque to name a couple and then cars after 2012.25 have more upgrades like quicker steering rack

Mine is a V8VS, so the steering is a bit tighter, ride is a bit tighter too. I love it!

I have owned multiple Porsche cars including the GTs and I purchased a Vantage ~6 years ago. My Porsche friends rally when I tell them the Vantage is the most amazing overall car I have driven. Keyword, overall! I still have my Porsches and I love Porsche. As for the Vantage and repairs. I have had no issues. It is no surprise to me. I never have issues with any of my cars. What I have learned in life, someone talks and rumors spread like wildfire, and then it is hard to undo. Therefore, I don’t listen to the status quo, and I march at my beat and make my own path.

That engine is just perfection

I owned a 09 V8 Vantage for about four years from 23k miles to 38k miles and had zero issues with the car.

Man, Aston Martin hit it out of th4e park with that car.

Why do you talk so much about reliability of the V8 Vantage? That car is by far the most popular and most-built AM of all time, there are countless of them on the roads here in Britain, and the car (especially the engine) is bulletproof. Easily the most reliable AM of all time, but objectively a very reliable, very easy to maintain and very long-lived car. It does not have a reputation for being unreliable at all, indeed it's measurably more reliable (JD Powers and other surveyors) than a Porsche 911! Is it because it's British and therefore suspect? The V8 Vantage is a better quality car than the ubiquitous and much-loved 911, that's a fact. And FWIW, a close friend of mine has 2 AMs (a classic and a V8V) and is a lifetime member of AMOC in the UK, his V8V is the only car in his collection (which extends beyond AM) to never have a reliability problem nor break-the-bank maintenance surprise in the 10 years he's owned it.

@navyrotc2012

2 ай бұрын

I’ve seen reliability comments as the low hanging fruit when you’re running out of things to say. It’s done on every alfa review like a modern Giulia is the same as a 80s gtv

These Aston’s were at one point really affordable! Around like $30000. Now I believe Doug Demuro and Tavarish showed just how easy to maintain and reliable the vantage is which caused prices to go up.

Great review! This or an Evora GT… tough choice for sure

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

Evora GT for hard driving. V8 Vantage for engine sound and generally feeling like a badass.

@ApexClubRacer

Ай бұрын

Then Evora GT it is!

I think ur getting confused with the 4.3 litre Vantage being 50k. No way in hell are you finding a 6spd 4.7 for under 65k

08:20 nuff said (the downshifting and sound action). If it sounds like that on a video, what's it like IRL? :D

An amazing car! If you haven't already, drive a manual DBS (v12). Absolutely incredible experience

Great video. I think the only V8 Vantage you can get for $50k is the 2006-2008 model with the 4.3L V8. The 4.7L V8 cars, which debuted in model year 2009, are much higher unless you want the automatic transmission. I would love a manual 4.7 but they made very few.

....and now it's time to review the Vantage V12! 🙂

V12 Vantage with a 6 speed manual...chef's kiss

Nice video. Very appealing cars. I just know that the finer points of the driving experience on tight twisty roads would ultimately frustrate. Incidentally, I thought these cars were meant to be pretty reliable.

How do you find it in comparison to e92 m3?

I've had my 07 Vantage for 6 years now. I'm not sure what reliability issues you are mentioning. I've had zero. Not one. The V12s have some issues I have heard.

Someone is a little smitten ;) So, what we really need to know is, would you take one of these over an S2000?! ;) With that amazing;y well judged exhaust, it does seem a very, very lovely thing.

I didn't think you would like it this much but you need to try the s version

This one rocks

6:55 Great sound and feeling 9:00 4.7 V8, 3500 LBS 10:00 Looks great, but reliability issues might make ownership a disaster long term

Wow! Would you sell your NSX for this?

This seems to be a more emotional experience bit on paper i find it hard to justify it over a C6 or C7

This is weird. I took my Vantage out yesterday and said to myself…this is a lot like my old e39 M5! You’re right! And that’s all good….

Did u drove an Audi RS4 b7?

More Aston ❤

"Very nice but there are few touch points that feel quite dated: piano black plastics..." - All the Mercedes current lineup just got wrecked ahah

"The third gear factor" 😁

How would you compare this to an E9X M3?

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

The Aston feels more special on the road, but I'd be a lot more comfortable taking an E9X M3 on track.

❤Great Automobile❤great representation❤Thank you very much❤Aston has character ❤

The center slope is not plastic but metal 😉 Only the little part with the buttons is plastic. I find it fascinating how we are bombarded with shiny plastic trying to mimic more valuable materials in other cars and how this makes it difficult to realize valuable materials when they are in a car....

Finishes video, starts searching for used Astons!

I would do the 2008-2012 Aston DBS and preferably the 2009 Manual DBS.

Clever camera placement so Speedo not visible ;-)

A wonderful car had a 2013 but sold it for a 2017 V12s vantage with a manual dog leg Simply an epic car Reach out and you can do a review on my 1 of 100 Vantage!

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

Sounds epic. Can you shoot me a quick email? zygrene@gmail.com

In your experience having driven so many cars, what comes thr closest to this experience and overall package? Essentially what is the poor man's Aston Martin Vantage? 😅

Camaro SS 1LE is maybe the closest competitor for the money? It loses the beauty contest though …and it’s more track oriented Love to try a v12 manual with a good exhaust. Bet that’s heavenly

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

SS 1LE has similar driving dynamics, but it's desirable in a totally different way IMO. I would buy it purely to serve its purpose as a track car, whereas the Aston appeals to emotion.

@NDEEZMiata

2 ай бұрын

@@Zygrene makes sense, that’s what you would want from an exotic There’s not too many V8 manuals around these days…

If it doesn’t have auto blipper, then I don’t want it

For a 100k car, you would think it would have more power at the wheels, this from the factory has as much horsepower as a terminator cobra

Old school car needs an old school driver as this car does not have modern electronics and nanny state driving aids. ❤😂 a real drivers car.

What are you talking about? They are more reliable than Porsches and BMWs. Wait until you try a late model like an AMR. Sadly it didn’t make it to the US but a GTS sport will do. The car you drove had a crap sound compared to a sport backbox with cat deletes. They are one of the greatest analogue sports cars ever. Your one sounds very average and it’s going to be a bit floaty compared to the later tunes. Also try a new Vantage. So much better than a 992. You will be blown away. I traded my M2CS on one. It’s in another realm. So i have two now. Can’t imagine a better garage.

Those throws are so short! Try driving a 1970s or 1980s ALFA and you'll experience loooong throws! 🙂

Great looking car but a "GT" car for me must have a moonroof.

English cars and bikes awesome

Aston Martin or a civic...... choices

@Zygrene

2 ай бұрын

VTEC always wins

@rabidrabiesracing

2 ай бұрын

Why not both???

@umamidaddy7243

2 ай бұрын

@@rabidrabiesracingcause that's 100 grand

@rabidrabiesracing

2 ай бұрын

@@umamidaddy7243 nope. You can get one for $40k ish.

"This sounds better than an E39 M5 engine..." You bite your tongue, good sir! No Blasphemy against the mighty S62 will be tolerated! Disagreements aside, nice review !

If you don't have data on reliability, please don't cast shade on them. I have a friend that used one daily and had a very reliable car experience. I have the same 'perception' problem with my Maserati 4.7 GranTurismo. Never had a major issue with it, but people - who've never owned one always comment on their reliability in a negative manner, again with no data. Just don't do that please. If you don't have data or first hand knowledge, then don't make negative comments. Please.

$160k AUD 😢

Very very expensive car