My attainable dream car. Everything about this car, in my eyes, is modestly done. The curves are modest. The straight defining lines to give it just a little bit of a flexing muscle look is modest. The performance is modest. The more rich interior is modest in its own right. This car is just elegant, as a lot of Astons were. I feel today they've grown to be a little more flamboyant and showy, but this generation in particular feels like the true spiritual successor to the DB5. It isn't super flashy, but it isn't bland by any regard either. A true gentleman's car, I feel. The more I look into it, and hear those godly smooth V8 exhaust notes, the more I have a desire to buy one. They really designed this car to perfection.
Imo this is vehicle that has a very cohesive design which still looks modern today. Without you saying the model year, I would think it was nearly a current model.
Just bought one! 2008 sportshift with fairly high miles for one of these. Wildly underappreciated car, and I knew I had to buy one while the prices were still low. Drives unbelievably well, sounds like a dream, and has been dead reliable too. And the interior is just fantastic. It's easily the best car I've ever owned, and I've been lucky enough to have had some nice cars. And you're totally right about people coming up close on your rear to get a look at the badge. It happens all the time. I at first I thought they were trying to race me or something but then one guy actually asked me what the car was and I realized people were trying to get a look at the badge. But yeah -- very nerve wracking indeed lol. The good thing is that no matter how much the enthusiast community catches on to these, they're never going to be common because they just didn't make very many, relatively speaking. Porsche makes more 911s in a year than Aston made Vantages, ever. This is going to keep maintenance costs and insurance high, but you have to accept that you're going to pay a premium for exclusivity. Totally worth it.
@@NorthEastCor I bought it last year with 70k and now it has 76k. It had a few minor needs when I bought it, most urgent was a wheel bearing. But I sorted it out, did all the fluids, did a paint correction and wheel refinishing, and it hasn’t given me one single problem. I use it a lot more than I expected. Great car.
@@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg Thank you for sharing that with me. I've had my eye on a 2012 sportshift car with 40k miles. I have been really slow to move on a sportshift car, mainly from being put off by transmission maintenance. Has your car had a clutch replacement?
I have the exact same car in silver, these will take off in price without warning, remember the Ferrari 348? The cheapest of all Ferrari’s, now they have rocketed, this is the most beautiful Aston ever built in my opinion! Looks so modern, sounds awesome, and turns heads like no other car, and if the badge is good enough for Bond!
I agree. It looks better proportioned than the bigger ones. It´s perfect. And i don´t even want to talk about the new ones. They look way too extreme to me.
I have a 2008 , daily driver for two years and now in storage as working in a different country. This video makes me miss it so much! Like you I use it for Scuba trips and it’s super practical but exhilarating! Back home later this month for diving and can’t wait!
I had a 2007 4.3 roadster that I had to sell in order to buy a flat (which fell through!) and I agree with everything said here. Everything you smell, see and touch, tells you that you are in a high quality car. The heft of the controls, the way it travels and the sound of that engine, really set it apart from anything else I have owned. Can you tell that I regret selling mine?. Nice video.
I had dinner with Fisker just before the car war debuted. He was kind enough to later send me a cl=mplte press package with the hardcover book and all the photos as well as the brochure.I had noticed the clean shut lines. One of the things I thought and still think is impressive about the car's clean lines is the choice of where the hood's shut lines are. They are on the upper surface of the hood after the sharp curve that bumpers the hood up in the middle. You'd think they would normally have been on either edge of that bump up, but Fisker chose to have them about an inch in to the upper flat surface. If you try moving the hood opening to either the top edge of the crease defining bump up or the bottom crease it looks wrong.
Very good observations. Other notes: the chrome is mirror polished and the paint is next level when compared to say a Jaguar or more conventional luxury car. Edit, you have the umbrella!! Im jealous. That was a factory option.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane! I have hung by my financial fingernails sticking with Astons over the years -all second hand - and kicked off with a DB4 in Dubonnet Russo (!) in 1962.I always reckoned that exhaust note was akin to a 'Spitfire on wheels' and no tunnel under a motorway was ever entered without first lowering the electric (wow) windows. Did grudge the requirement to change the engine oil after every 2000 miles though.....
It's not the straight line speed , it's when you get them into winding roads you really see how good they are, they are beautifully balanced , also you are wright about the sterio being superb but you spend most of the time with it switched off so that you can listen to the phenomenal engine notes , they sound like Barry White Gargleing nails
It is a very special car indeed. More a GT than a sports car. A touch of class that is appreciated anywhere. Get the manual for that extra sense of sportsmanship.
Great video. Can’t believe they go for such little money. As an aside. As a Brit… the owner doesn’t know how to roll an umbrella away 😂😂😂 such an untidy roll 😂😂😂
Just bought mine! A 2012 Roadster. This car is a pleasure to own, and drive. Not to mention I find myself wondering out to the garage, just to admire the car
Thanks very much for this. I agree with everything you said. It is funny that because they are so exclusive, unless you are a petrolhead, people don’t know much about them so they have no idea what model it is.
@@crimsonpirate1710 what's that comment supposed to mean? Rarely run .... Can't speak for others however, mine runs perfectly, always has. Every drive is an event because of the looks, the comments, the noise etc.
Thanks for great informative vid👍 looking at buying one but am o the tall side so inside space isnt the greatest... been looking at one 2006 V8 Vantage done 43000 km's and a 2005 DB9 V12 which has done only 25000 km's. Looks like a new ca😃👍 The Vantage V8 Is also really nice condition👍. Have neighbour who owns a 2007 V8 Vantage Roadster, and he claims that his 4.3 litre 385 hp engine is from Mercedes no its sourced from Jaguar I say, no no he replies😅
Good video. Overall agree with almost everything you say. These cars are hugely undervalued for the eye/ear candy and quality of build and materials. As others have pointed out, they weigh in quite a bit more than 3000lbs unfortunately and that translates to a more stable driving feel than particularly light and nimble (control forces are also heavier than most contemporary sports cars - eg Porsches - so you feel more weight/heft in the steering, clutch, shifter, etc…). The last downside I'll mention is that while the interior material quality is high, they eventually all develop some annoying squeaks, rattles, etc… I don’t know if it is the glue, fasteners or what but the interiors just don’t stay as tight over time as a German car would. That said, I love mine - have had it for over a decade and do not plan to ever sell it.
I own one very similar to your video car,,,,same colour and manual albeit mine is right hand drive,,,,I agree with your comments of the vehicle if I had one criticism it would have to be the clutch in these cars are only single plate and usually worn out at 40,000 miles. Up grade to the double plate clutch and then notice the difference,,,,wow amazing
I got the license plate “AN ASTON” which doesn’t seem to help at all, people still ask “is it a Genesis?”. I have a 2016 with glass buttons and a light interior - it’s more special than a DBX in there. If you think the dipstick is quality, have a look at the sump plug. It’s a work of art - and it’s a sump plug! Looking underneath the whole thing is built to last, it seems like it’s actually worth the money, versus a Porsche which is just like any other car, full of plastic and cynicism. 😜 It does surprise me every time it drive it too. It’s way better than the specs suggest and so much more comfortable and confident. I’m a fan even if it is a bit odd to love a kind of “also ran” in performance terms. In real terms it’s just a nicer thing than the majority of cars in its class.
Very impressive vid. I would love to find the best deal I could on an aston martin. I'm definitely not rich and I am 61 with an 8 year old boy (there expensive)😊 thanks Russell and craig
Mm......I am not sure about the speedy feeling. Tried my friend's 4.3 manual. Didn't feel the car was performing as a 380bhp. My 355bhp 3.8 997 manual feels a lot more powerful and faster. But I must say it is just drop dead gorgeous and made of extreme high quality materials and craftmanship.
Nice vid from a clear AM fan. Should get the details right though. Dipstick is Stainless (that’s why it’s heavy…), waterfall or ski slope is aluminium if carbon black veneer but it’s plastic for other veneers such as wood. Vent surrounds are plastic. Car weighs 3800lb, way more than 3000lb. It does not ‘feel faster than it is’ - its actually the reverse, it feels slower than it is, due to the weight, poor low rpm torque and a very high inertia (heavy) drivetrain.
you should get your facts straight too. they dont weigh 3800lbs. my 07 weighs 3600lbs it does feel faster than it is, as it is very smooth and revs very high which gives the feeling and sensation that it is accelerating faster. "poor low rpm torque"? what does that mean. it has 400hp, and a redline of near 8000rpm, like any car that has that redline and that HP, lower RPM (HP ) means that it will have less acceleration there , like any other car with a 8000rpm redline. not a downside, just means the owner or (criticizer) has to have knowledge of where to operate the car. ;)
Compared to what? Feels as fast as a 911 of the same year. The lightweight flywheel and a performance ECU tune transform it. The 4.7 has much more torque, especially N420 model.
If you want a drag racer buy a Hemi Ratrod. If you know how to drive hit the canyons and carve them. The hoards of 911s could not compete with them on road race tracks in classes where motors were pretty close to restricted stock output. It's the handling and the balance (stupid)
I had a 4.7 vantage earlier this year. Felt great on the test drive and it just had 20k spent on upgraded S brakes and new clutch upgrades. But the more I drove it the more it annoyed me. Far to heavy,not that quick Engine revs to high at cruising speed and a real pain reversing up a slope. Lovely looking car but not for me.
This is not a light car. More like 3800 pounds which is why even with the V8, they don’t feel fast even though they sound soooo good. They are very special cars though. Amazing looks and sound, and you don’t see them everywhere. Clutch is really heavy though and the handbrake design is really annoying. Still a terrific car though.
I would disagree re handbrake design, it's very well designed and keeps it out of the way instead of being stuck in the centre console. The clutch can feel heavy however, the twin plate upgrade version also comes with a lightened flywheel and costs less than the OEM single plate unit. This allows the engine to rev me re freely, releases extra power and gives the low end more freedom to rev up more quickly. You might ask why look at paying out for an upgrade clutch, well the original unit will wear quickly so its a no brainer when the time comes to replace.
@@user-qq2mo1ek2r I found the handbrake to be very clunky to use and much prefer a handbrake in the center console or an electric switch handbrake which also stays out of the way.
The side strands are made from that nasty alloy they used to make those old potato guns we had as kids. The biggest disappointment is the poor spray job. They suffer from corrosion.
The reason these cars are cheap is due to the high cost maintaining the car, for instance, why do you have to change spark plugs every year or every other year? Or every 4 years you must change the cooling system or thermostat or all the belts every few years
My attainable dream car. Everything about this car, in my eyes, is modestly done. The curves are modest. The straight defining lines to give it just a little bit of a flexing muscle look is modest. The performance is modest. The more rich interior is modest in its own right.
This car is just elegant, as a lot of Astons were. I feel today they've grown to be a little more flamboyant and showy, but this generation in particular feels like the true spiritual successor to the DB5. It isn't super flashy, but it isn't bland by any regard either.
A true gentleman's car, I feel. The more I look into it, and hear those godly smooth V8 exhaust notes, the more I have a desire to buy one. They really designed this car to perfection.
Imo this is vehicle that has a very cohesive design which still looks modern today. Without you saying the model year, I would think it was nearly a current model.
Just bought one! 2008 sportshift with fairly high miles for one of these. Wildly underappreciated car, and I knew I had to buy one while the prices were still low. Drives unbelievably well, sounds like a dream, and has been dead reliable too. And the interior is just fantastic. It's easily the best car I've ever owned, and I've been lucky enough to have had some nice cars.
And you're totally right about people coming up close on your rear to get a look at the badge. It happens all the time. I at first I thought they were trying to race me or something but then one guy actually asked me what the car was and I realized people were trying to get a look at the badge. But yeah -- very nerve wracking indeed lol.
The good thing is that no matter how much the enthusiast community catches on to these, they're never going to be common because they just didn't make very many, relatively speaking. Porsche makes more 911s in a year than Aston made Vantages, ever.
This is going to keep maintenance costs and insurance high, but you have to accept that you're going to pay a premium for exclusivity. Totally worth it.
Porsche make about 3 times as many cars a year than Aston Martin have ever made in their entire 100+ year history.
@@888888Adrian Yet less than 1/3 the cache :p
Congratulations! How many miles if I may ask?
@@NorthEastCor I bought it last year with 70k and now it has 76k. It had a few minor needs when I bought it, most urgent was a wheel bearing. But I sorted it out, did all the fluids, did a paint correction and wheel refinishing, and it hasn’t given me one single problem. I use it a lot more than I expected. Great car.
@@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg Thank you for sharing that with me. I've had my eye on a 2012 sportshift car with 40k miles. I have been really slow to move on a sportshift car, mainly from being put off by transmission maintenance. Has your car had a clutch replacement?
Beautiful, still loving my 4.7 had it over a year now. Loving it. Super special car and a lovely drive too.
I have the exact same car in silver, these will take off in price without warning, remember the Ferrari 348? The cheapest of all Ferrari’s, now they have rocketed, this is the most beautiful Aston ever built in my opinion! Looks so modern, sounds awesome, and turns heads like no other car, and if the badge is good enough for Bond!
I agree. It looks better proportioned than the bigger ones. It´s perfect. And i don´t even want to talk about the new ones. They look way too extreme to me.
I have a 2008 , daily driver for two years and now in storage as working in a different country. This video makes me miss it so much! Like you I use it for Scuba trips and it’s super practical but exhilarating! Back home later this month for diving and can’t wait!
I had a 2007 4.3 roadster that I had to sell in order to buy a flat (which fell through!) and I agree with everything said here. Everything you smell, see and touch, tells you that you are in a high quality car. The heft of the controls, the way it travels and the sound of that engine, really set it apart from anything else I have owned. Can you tell that I regret selling mine?. Nice video.
Just stumbled across this. What a great review of a great car. I am 3 years into a MY2016 ownership. Love it. Not the fastest, but sooooo elegant
I had dinner with Fisker just before the car war debuted. He was kind enough to later send me a cl=mplte press package with the hardcover book and all the photos as well as the brochure.I had noticed the clean shut lines. One of the things I thought and still think is impressive about the car's clean lines is the choice of where the hood's shut lines are. They are on the upper surface of the hood after the sharp curve that bumpers the hood up in the middle. You'd think they would normally have been on either edge of that bump up, but Fisker chose to have them about an inch in to the upper flat surface. If you try moving the hood opening to either the top edge of the crease defining bump up or the bottom crease it looks wrong.
Thank you. Beautiful car. I love the front quarter vent that references the 1950s race cars.
Very good observations. Other notes: the chrome is mirror polished and the paint is next level when compared to say a Jaguar or more conventional luxury car. Edit, you have the umbrella!! Im jealous. That was a factory option.
Sorry to be a bummer but it wasn’t actually the original umbrella shown in the video sadly
To fall in love with, timeless design, oozing class.
Absolutely well explained. You made a good job.The feeling is what the Vantage was made. For the drivers with a touch of class.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane! I have hung by my financial fingernails sticking with Astons over the years -all second hand - and kicked off with a DB4 in Dubonnet Russo (!) in 1962.I always reckoned that exhaust note was akin to a 'Spitfire on wheels' and no tunnel under a motorway was ever entered without first lowering the electric (wow) windows. Did grudge the requirement to change the engine oil after every 2000 miles though.....
It's not the straight line speed , it's when you get them into winding roads you really see how good they are, they are beautifully balanced , also you are wright about the sterio being superb but you spend most of the time with it switched off so that you can listen to the phenomenal engine notes , they sound like Barry White Gargleing nails
It is a very special car indeed. More a GT than a sports car. A touch of class that is appreciated anywhere. Get the manual for that extra sense of sportsmanship.
I'm happy to be the 100th like 316th subscriber! Love this car, now that you showed me why I need one. I'd like to find one in this exact spec!!
Great video. Can’t believe they go for such little money. As an aside. As a Brit… the owner doesn’t know how to roll an umbrella away 😂😂😂 such an untidy roll 😂😂😂
Just bought mine! A 2012 Roadster.
This car is a pleasure to own, and drive. Not to mention I find myself wondering out to the garage, just to admire the car
Thanks very much for this. I agree with everything you said. It is funny that because they are so exclusive, unless you are a petrolhead, people don’t know much about them so they have no idea what model it is.
I loved mine … a work of art a d dependable too.
Love mine, every drive is an event.
Not surprised to read that. They rarely run.
@@crimsonpirate1710 what's that comment supposed to mean? Rarely run .... Can't speak for others however, mine runs perfectly, always has. Every drive is an event because of the looks, the comments, the noise etc.
Perfect design. I love my 4.3.
Thanks for great informative vid👍 looking at buying one but am o the tall side so inside space isnt the greatest... been looking at one 2006 V8 Vantage done 43000 km's and a 2005 DB9 V12 which has done only 25000 km's. Looks like a new ca😃👍 The Vantage V8 Is also really nice condition👍. Have neighbour who owns a 2007 V8 Vantage Roadster, and he claims that his 4.3 litre 385 hp engine is from Mercedes no its sourced from Jaguar I say, no no he replies😅
Good video. Overall agree with almost everything you say. These cars are hugely undervalued for the eye/ear candy and quality of build and materials. As others have pointed out, they weigh in quite a bit more than 3000lbs unfortunately and that translates to a more stable driving feel than particularly light and nimble (control forces are also heavier than most contemporary sports cars - eg Porsches - so you feel more weight/heft in the steering, clutch, shifter, etc…). The last downside I'll mention is that while the interior material quality is high, they eventually all develop some annoying squeaks, rattles, etc… I don’t know if it is the glue, fasteners or what but the interiors just don’t stay as tight over time as a German car would. That said, I love mine - have had it for over a decade and do not plan to ever sell it.
I own one very similar to your video car,,,,same colour and manual albeit mine is right hand drive,,,,I agree with your comments of the vehicle if I had one criticism it would have to be the clutch in these cars are only single plate and usually worn out at 40,000 miles. Up grade to the double plate clutch and then notice the difference,,,,wow amazing
I love my 4.3. I was a little disappointed with GRP front wings. But it’s still a beautiful car.
I got the license plate “AN ASTON” which doesn’t seem to help at all, people still ask “is it a Genesis?”.
I have a 2016 with glass buttons and a light interior - it’s more special than a DBX in there.
If you think the dipstick is quality, have a look at the sump plug. It’s a work of art - and it’s a sump plug! Looking underneath the whole thing is built to last, it seems like it’s actually worth the money, versus a Porsche which is just like any other car, full of plastic and cynicism. 😜
It does surprise me every time it drive it too. It’s way better than the specs suggest and so much more comfortable and confident. I’m a fan even if it is a bit odd to love a kind of “also ran” in performance terms. In real terms it’s just a nicer thing than the majority of cars in its class.
Stunning car. So beautiful.
I love this car , love to own once , but I wonder is too expensive for maintenance?
Looks better than the later version with that strange frontend.
Love the car and video. How large is the interior? Will it accommodate a 6foot two 240lbs. Frame
yes - I'm 6ft1 and fit easily into mine. The seats are more for cruising than track, so you should be comfortable.
You will be fine. I’m 6’6” and 210lbs and I’m about the tallest you’d want to be but plenty of width room so you should be fine.
Very impressive vid. I would love to find the best deal I could on an aston martin. I'm definitely not rich and I am 61 with an 8 year old boy (there expensive)😊 thanks Russell and craig
Those are watch gauges; they were inspired by Jaeger LeCoultre.
I can't believe you kept the umbrella
I test drove 4 of these before i bought a 911. So glad i did, not an issue is 10 years.
Mm......I am not sure about the speedy feeling. Tried my friend's 4.3 manual. Didn't feel the car was performing as a 380bhp. My 355bhp 3.8 997 manual feels a lot more powerful and faster. But I must say it is just drop dead gorgeous and made of extreme high quality materials and craftmanship.
I'd like to place an order for it. How soon can you deliver ?
Is there any chance you can place a baby in the back? in a baby seat tha you could fix in the back?
If I’m correct, ford and Aston Martin had a partnership? Did Aston Martin use ford parts?
The umbrella has a secret button that turns it into a flame thrower, well that’s what my mate James told me.
The top of the umbrella screws of for a secret compartment
Nice vid from a clear AM fan. Should get the details right though. Dipstick is Stainless (that’s why it’s heavy…), waterfall or ski slope is aluminium if carbon black veneer but it’s plastic for other veneers such as wood. Vent surrounds are plastic. Car weighs 3800lb, way more than 3000lb. It does not ‘feel faster than it is’ - its actually the reverse, it feels slower than it is, due to the weight, poor low rpm torque and a very high inertia (heavy) drivetrain.
They weight 3600lbs.
you should get your facts straight too. they dont weigh 3800lbs. my 07 weighs 3600lbs it does feel faster than it is, as it is very smooth and revs very high which gives the feeling and sensation that it is accelerating faster. "poor low rpm torque"? what does that mean. it has 400hp, and a redline of near 8000rpm, like any car that has that redline and that HP, lower RPM (HP ) means that it will have less acceleration there , like any other car with a 8000rpm redline. not a downside, just means the owner or (criticizer) has to have knowledge of where to operate the car. ;)
what is this color?
The name under the hood is not the man that did the inspection. It’s the name of the man that hand built the entire engine by himself. 😊❤
On pre Gaydon era cars it was, on VH chassis, such as this Vantage, DB9 etc, the name plate is for the person who did the final inspection.
Drove one. 4.3 is slow as hell. Heavy and slow. Clutch replacement cost? Manual. 6-8K CAD in Toronto.
2K in Seattle. Light weight flywheel transforms it. Spins up much faster. Much snapier low RPM performance where it needs it.
Compared to what? Feels as fast as a 911 of the same year. The lightweight flywheel and a performance ECU tune transform it. The 4.7 has much more torque, especially N420 model.
If you want a drag racer buy a Hemi Ratrod. If you know how to drive hit the canyons and carve them. The hoards of 911s could not compete with them on road race tracks in classes where motors were pretty close to restricted stock output. It's the handling and the balance (stupid)
I really want this car but the 4.7 liter
These aren't cheap in Canada, probably because they are rare. A 2007 typically would go for at least $55K.
France too..
I had a 4.7 vantage earlier this year.
Felt great on the test drive and it just had 20k spent on upgraded S brakes and new clutch upgrades.
But the more I drove it the more it annoyed me.
Far to heavy,not that quick
Engine revs to high at cruising speed and a real pain reversing up a slope.
Lovely looking car but not for me.
Those who buy an Aston for performance haven't understood what an Aston is all about. Maybe you should have bought a Nissan GT.
can you fit a golf bag in the boot?
The umbrella is around £1200
Funny thing about Aston Martin's, one could describe them as "sheep in wolf's clothing".
This is not a light car. More like 3800 pounds which is why even with the V8, they don’t feel fast even though they sound soooo good. They are very special cars though. Amazing looks and sound, and you don’t see them everywhere. Clutch is really heavy though and the handbrake design is really annoying. Still a terrific car though.
I would disagree re handbrake design, it's very well designed and keeps it out of the way instead of being stuck in the centre console.
The clutch can feel heavy however, the twin plate upgrade version also comes with a lightened flywheel and costs less than the OEM single plate unit. This allows the engine to rev me re freely, releases extra power and gives the low end more freedom to rev up more quickly. You might ask why look at paying out for an upgrade clutch, well the original unit will wear quickly so its a no brainer when the time comes to replace.
@@user-qq2mo1ek2r I found the handbrake to be very clunky to use and much prefer a handbrake in the center console or an electric switch handbrake which also stays out of the way.
👌👍
I have owned both 4.3 and currently 4.7s great cars but plenty quick enough. Its not a boy racer car so buy something else if you need that!!
Dip stick is not aluminium, it's stainless steel.
i dont understand why they are depreciating so hard
The side strands are made from that nasty alloy they used to make those old potato guns we had as kids. The biggest disappointment is the poor spray job. They suffer from corrosion.
3000lbs???
Add another 500 more or less!
Even a Lotus Evora is 3100lbs....
Or just buy an F Type and call it a day.
I'd say the 4.3 feels slower than it is.
These cars weight far more than 3000 pounds, unfortunately.
You are not wrong - they weigh 3770 pounds. It’s a heavy car.
A baby DB9.Try saying Aston Martin,not Martun.😁
The reason these cars are cheap is due to the high cost maintaining the car, for instance, why do you have to change spark plugs every year or every other year? Or every 4 years you must change the cooling system or thermostat or all the belts every few years