[JonV12V]

Hi All,

Interested to hear from anyone who has made the move from a Vantage V12 to a MP4.

Thinking of making the change and interested to hear about people's experiences, given the tech of the Vantage is old school in comparison, but it comes with oodles of charisma/character etc. Is the MP4 clinical but technically brilliant in comparison?

Appreciate your views.

This Jon

 

[roundincircles]

Hi Jon, I was about to buy a V12 Vantage but switched to a 12C.

The likes of the Vantage will never be seen again is my prediction. It is a wonderful old school big engine charismatic sports car with beautiful style, charisma and brute performance .

I was a guest of Aston for a day at Silverstone and spent all my time in the V12 Vantage........wonderful and engaging car.

The 12 C is a techno fest by comparison. Agile, light , ballistic with balance and grip. You bond with a 12C in a different way.......it goads you into pushing it a bit further as you become accustomed to warp speed performance.

My perfect stable would include both cars but I would probably spend my time driving the Mac and admiring the Aston.

I don't see the 12C as clinical. It takes grip, chassis balance, ride quality and control plus engine response to new and exciting levels. You will glance back at it as you leave your garage...........it has great styling too.

 

[extremeride22]

I would have to second everything that Ric has stipulated, I love this car and would not trade it in for the world, well for a P1 I would LOL??. Cheers....??

 

[Markjayw]

There is an owner who moved from V8 Vantage to 12C. I highly doubt he misses the AM.

 

[JonV12V]

Hi Jon, I was about to buy a V12 Vantage but switched to a 12C.

The likes of the Vantage will never be seen again is my prediction. It is a wonderful old school big engine charismatic sports car with beautiful style, charisma and brute performance .

I was a guest of Aston for a day at Silverstone and spent all my time in the V12 Vantage........wonderful and engaging car.

The 12 C is a techno fest by comparison. Agile, light , ballistic with balance and grip. You bond with a 12C in a different way.......it goads you into pushing it a bit further as you become accustomed to warp speed performance.

My perfect stable would include both cars but I would probably spend my time driving the Mac and admiring the Aston.

I don't see the 12C as clinical. It takes grip, chassis balance, ride quality and control plus engine response to new and exciting levels. You will glance back at it as you leave your garage...........it has great styling too.

Thanks roundcircles for your insightful response. Will plan to test drive next. Thks Jon

 

[Vernor75]

Jon,

I own a V12V as well. I have very different experiences in both.

In the V12V, I can drive it slow/mildly and just enjoy manually rowing through the gears and the wonderful music from the V12 engine. And it's beautiful to look at, inside and out. I don't think I'll ever get rid of my V12V. I agree with ric, it is the last of its breed. But it is definitely old school and honestly, I like that it is.

The 12C is almost a polar opposite. It is quite comfortable to daily drive (in normal I think the ride is even softer than the V12V's) and flip a few switches and it can be stiff and raw. Extremely flexible in that regard. The technology is leaps and bounds ahead of the AM. It is fun to play with all the tech but I will go out on the limb and say it is a tad bit clinical due to it. I know most of us 12C owners are defensive about that being said of our cars but there is a bit of truth in it. Doesn't even have to be a horrible thing either. The 12C is very confidence-inspiring to drive very quickly and at times gives me almost a "video game" experience because it just feels quite different than the other cars I have.

On some of the back roads here in the Texas hill country, I find I tend to frequent some routes with the V12V and others in the 12C. I tend to prefer the 12C on roads that are a more open and the speeds are higher. The V12V on roads that are a little tighter and require more 3rd pedal use and keep my heel-toe in shape (as poor as it may be). That said, both cars are enjoyable driven on either route.

Definitely go test drive one. I'd love to hear your impressions compared to your V12V.

 

[Ritesh]

PM Fastzilla. He owns both - a V12V and a 12C.

 

[FastZilla]

Like many have stated - polar opposites. I have heard the V12 referred to as an English muscle car, I think that's pretty accurate. The sound of the V12 blows the TTV8 out of the water in my opinion - it's really what a super car should sound like (this is also where the 458 excels over the 12c). The V12 is very hands-on, slightly twitchy on the track (in the since that every minute input will induce a noticeable reaction from the car). The ccb on the V12 are way better than the iron 12c brakes (again I drove the 12c & V12 back to back on the track). I like that the V12 is not as flashy as the 12c, makes dinners out less of an event (sometimes you want the attention and sometimes not). The V12 is sprung the same as the 12c in "sport" mode, but once you are traveling triple digits it feel smooth. Gears 1-3 in the V12 require gentle application of throttle or the tail end gets happy, quickly. The V12 feels very much like a SWB car, where as the 12c (I think the WB are very close) feels much more stable. Ironically the 12c squirms around under heavy braking and the V12 track as straight as can be...I have no explanation for this, it's just weird. The v12 seats are far more comfortable as are the creature comforts much more "refined" to say the least (I don't want to segue on the IRIS but the sound system is better, Nav is Garmin, AC blows harder, etc. But the stupid AM joystick and control menus are really showing their age).

Presence of the vehicles is the same but of a different type. You draw about the same crowds with both cars (less kids with the V12) but a different kind of attention and enthusiasm for each - the V12 is clearly a go to dinner & theatre car and the 12c is a go to the club car if that makes any since. The V12 is a very fast car but does not feel as fast from a rolling start at hwy speeds. I would definitely say it's 70-120 times are probably not that impressive, but you crack a window and listen to that v12 sing and who cares! I got a chance to play with a 458 in the V12 - he always had me by a nose but never ran away or even walked away (not dogging the 458). You need to understand the V12 has a 4.89 rear end and that low of a ratio really makes it fly, especially when the power band is from just under 4k to 7l on the limited (which always catches you off guard - that v12 wraps up like an Italian v8).

You quickly realize on the track in the V12 that you are very busy all the time. In the 12c you can throw it in auto mode and lap darn near everything while texting your friends. I'd say the 12c is a nerd with glasses, skinny, and unassuming, but can run world record miles. The v12 is a body builder in a tux. I give the V12 the award for sex appeal but the 12c wins the "I look like a supercar" award. Hard to say which I'd choose - it's very mood dependent.

 

[JonV12V]

Thanks all for the responses and I wish I could keep the V12V as we'll as the MP4.

Are there any 'must have options' or even better a 'Buyers Guide' ?

Thks Jon

 

[roundincircles]

The only must have is a must do! Avoid the standard interior, it looks low rent imop but , on the other hand, would be resistant to a soaking in a downpour if the roof was down.

Carbon will have no upward impact on residual value.

Spec it so you will love it........it is a special car.

 

[jkheit]

Must haves are: tire sensors, parking sensors, lift. For me IRIS. If you like more noise (I don't, but it came with my car) sports exhaust (no significant weight savings and zero additional HP). Get at least light weight rims (apparently the only option that people say that they can feel a difference performance wise). For me, leather interior. I personally don't like the carbon fiber interior dash, but most people do. For me heated/memory/electric seats (although they are by far the heaviest option, weight-wise). I personally passed on carbon fiber brakes, but if you track a fair bit, and/or you just like that and don't mind the 16k, that may be a must have for you. Then get Xpel clear wrap for the car (it's a self healing plastic wrap that prevents scratches/road chips and is basically invisible). I did the entire car, most do just the front end. Lastly, get a good radar detector. Most dealers will install the escort 9500ci, which I got. They can integrate the display into the rear view mirror. I upgraded it's laser jammers with Laser Interceptors, which are even more effective. Xpel the full car costs ~5k. 9500ci installed is around 2.7k, laser interceptors are another 2k, I think.

The rest of the options are basically all ornamental carbon fiber bits and don't save any significant weight nor do they add any new functions/features. You're going to pay a lot for the aesthetics of carbon fiber bits, and you won't make that money back on resale. However, if you like it, you should get it. Just know what you're in for. For example, I have the MSO carbon fiber air brake. Saves nothing significant weight-wise, costs 7.5k I think. It came with the car I was getting and I definitely would have passed on it if I were building to order.

Hope that helps and good luck. Post pics if you get one!

 

[FastZilla]

CCB are the only performance enhancing option and well worth it IMO (I also live in a hot dry climate). Save your money on the Sport exhaust and buy an aftermarket like AWE - cheaper and gives you another 40+ RWHP with high flow cats!!!

Many posts on the board about residual values - all the "looks pretty" mods (ie Carbon) is a bad ROI as previously stated.

 

[Walt of Destiny]

And of course the color...

I'm partial to Mclaren Orange. But that's just because it looks best in that color...

?