Vanya

Small update: Went and drove a DB9 this weekend. Well, let's put it this way. You get what you pay for. I loved the extremely heavy steering and the perceived quality of the car. @tinywillyuk You were right, it does like being spanked off the line, and the throttle mapping in 1st gear is ludicrous. It really doesn't like corners though... I drove out there in my Maserati Coupe, and while the DB9 is lower and has tighter, more stable handling (especially at speed), I can't say it was twice the car compared to the Mas. I didn't really feel the difference in power (400 hp vs 450), and there was a ticking at idle which kind of bugged me - supposedly many DB9's do it, but I don't wanna run the risk if it's piston slap. As I told the dealer, if I shift the Mas, I shall possibly be coming by to pick it up, but not before then. Next to make a small roadtrip to try a DB7... the outlay is far smaller and the car might be more up my alley (low tech and put together by hand). Kinda like my Turbo SE.

Thanks for the insights! A narrower pedal box than an Esprit? I'm guessing it's gonna be like a LHD Esprit then (no footrest) - I get what you mean. I agree about the Esprit being the long term car - I've sort of come to terms with the fact I'm probably never letting my Turbo SE go because there's something about it that makes it so special. The Aston I wanna cross off the bucket list, along with "Big V12 Engine". The exhaust system on the DB9 is something I really look forward to. I find the prospect of a valved-system so enticing, because sometimes I wanna be abnoxious and other times I just wanna cruise. With the DB7, like with all my previous cars, I'll be forced to choose - loud or quiet.... Currently waiting to hear back from a mechanic at an Aston workshop here in Stockholm about which of the two cars I should go for given the price and mileage I've presented to him (a good DB7 for 20 000 GBP almost feels like a no brainer for example). In the meantime, I'm hoping a nice Evora NA shows up so I can stop this nonsense of driving other brands than Lotus.

Yeah there seems to be some kind of beef in the AM community between the Bloxham and Gaydon owners. I've heard the term "Jag in Drag" thrown around a lot but IMO that's no bad thing...

Here's the link to the ad: https://www.blocket.se/vi/82690070.htm I don't see any reverse sensors [edit: are they on the black part of the bumper between the body coloured section and the diffuser?]. I've heard about the cruise control that it's a cheap installation but the speakers without the tech pack are supposedly crap compared to the kit with the pack (no subwoofer etc and worse sound system, apart from the obviously crappy ICE unit) I've been tempted a lot but a part of me would rather wait for a Launch Edition. You have a point about the running costs - it's gonna be affordable and insurance is half that of the DB9 and even less than half for a DB7.

I'd probably snap up an Evora in a heartbeat but they are extremely thin on the ground here in Sweden. When they do show up they are overpriced (60 000 GBP for an Evora S) or an NA frustratingly missing one of the packs. There's a beautiful silver/paprika NA 2 hours drive away but it doesn't have the tech pack. It's extremely frustrating because it's low mileage but I know I'll be missing out on the parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control etc all of which should be standard on such a "new" car. What's more it has the borked single DIN stereo and no sub. I also try to buy cars that have stopped depreciating, and I'm not sure the Evora S1 is quite done yet (not the LHD market anyway). Ergo: DB7

Yes. But wonderful turbo power! I think they're not too bad of well taken care of though. Question is if you DIY or take to a dealer.

Yeah that's a concern in the back of my head too. But I wonder how much of it is stuff that actually needs doing for the car to drive right. The DB7 vantage is known for having AC that packs up and costs insane amounts of money to repair. An Esprit Turbo SE with non functioning AC is more or less a given on the used market. I've seen so many ad's with "AC doesn't work, but then it never does on these cars" - yet DB7's and the like are expected to have everything functioning tip top. That said, apart from the AC I've read horror stories about cracked subframes etc. I'd hate to put myself through that. Re running costs: At the same time my Maserati Coupe is stupidly expensive to run. A major service at an authorised dealer is almost 2000 pounds (it's going in in 10 days!). They specced 5 000 pounds initially because one of the pre-catalysts has failed and needs replacing (my solution is to empty the pre-cats and retune the ECU to stop reading the post pre-cat O2 signal to avoid buying 6000 GBP of catalysts per car that will then fail again within a year or two). I'm guessing Astons are similarly idiotic to run in terms of pricing. The only reason I'm putting up with the Mas costs is because I bought it for 15 000 pounds from someone who just wanted to get rid of it, but it's a cracking example having never seen rain or salt, hence I'm banking on getting my money back come sale time. If Astons aren't more expensive to maintain then I can see myself accepting the high costs....

You had me at Lotus. Case closed indeed haha.

I honestly don't know why I keep getting myself into these situations. Maybe it's the long winters in Sweden that force me to spend so long apart from my existing vehicles. Maybe it's a disease. In any case... I recently became aware of the existence of the DB7 Vantage. Naturally I fell in love with it because it looks like a Jag XKR on steroids. And given its history that makes a whole lot of sense. Also I want a V12. And rolling around in an Italian car just feels plain wrong. I'm on the cusp of buying a BRG/Beige DB7 2002 (auto) with roughly 65 000 miles on the clock @ just north of 20 000 GBP. Current owner has a new car and just wants to be rid of it. Regular service up until 4 years ago whereupon it seems it stopped being used. This weekend I made the mistake of going to see a Silver/Red DB9 (I was bored), roughly the same mileage, auto box, priced at roughly 31 000 GBP. Naturally I'm now confused and having a hard time choosing. The DB9 has all the bells and whistles of a modern car, and an exhaust system that makes noise when I want it to, and shuts up when I don't. But I worry it doesn't have the "soul" of the older car. Also I can't see the DB7 depreciating further, whereas the DB9 is probably gonna lose more value, and Astons do seem to be punished for high miles (unlike Porsches....I just don't understand why they get a free pass...) So - DB7 - more expensive to insure, ruinous repair and maintenance bills, but a truly beautiful car that should hopefully appreciate in time (or at least allow me to break even considering its very very agressive sale price) DB9 - more modern, cheaper to insure, more reliable, but maybe not as charming or easy to DIY as the older car. Might have to sell at a loss. Anyone here have experience of either of these? I've read horror stories about both, although fewer about the DB9. But there are horror stories about all the cars I've owned so.... (P.S. No, I don't wanna buy a V8 Vantage! I've already had 3 V8 cars! :D)

Yep. One of the cooler scenes in the movie IMHO "Don't send a Rabbit to kill a Fox."

Didn't the SE ship with Ferrodo pads? I believe SJ Sportscars are now selling them...

After depressurising I believe it always is a bit foamy when opening the reservoir. @ChillidoggyI'm interested in any pressure switches you might have. But I also might be installing your ABS deletion kit this year depending on how things go

Not to throw fuel on the fire, but I haven't yet seen a truly convincing argument for why Britain should leave either? What are the practical benefits? Remain is an easy argument to make - if you do nothing, things will putter along as they have been thus far - life remains somewhat predictable; things suck for some, but are good for others. Same as it ever was, and likely the same as it's ever going to be. But leaving - apart from a string of ideological reasons targeting the failings of the European Project (and they are indeed myriad), doesn't really have any leadership behind it presenting a comprehensive plan or outline to drive home exactly WHY things would be better, especially in the short term.

I think he's gotten off quite lightly so far... He's far from being Spacey'd.... Anyway Neeson should have known better. When you're a high profile celebrity, you don't get to slip up in the same way the rest of us might.... That said, he apologised, he should get another chance. If this becomes a recurring problem a la Mel Gibson then maybe he deserves the fury of the identity left..

Such a shame. They have such a fine collection....

Just been relisted on eBay under another seller.

Did you replace your S4s with a Spitfire?!!?!?!

@Ginger pigI had the same issue with my car when buying the aftermarket alternative from a well known supplier...mail the supplier and tell them about your experience with the part. The more of us that let them know the part isn't fit for purpose, the better.

+ 1 for "don't do it". Having taken apart the entire chain from the master unit to the translator there's just so much adjustment and risk it'll shift over time...

Esprits are extremely economical. I've gotten quite good miles from mine when driving on the highway. Best I've done with my current daily (on highway) is 14 mpg....it's baffling how thirsty it is.

I've heard the boot in the Vantage is mind bogglingly big. I've recently fallen in love with NA engines after enjoying the 400 hp V8 in my Maserati and could easily see myself switching to a Vantage next year (feels wrong to be driving something not British) - but there's something about the Evora that is so alluring, even more so when it seems to come up top trumps above. Does the NA Evora feel like a slouch compared to the 4.7 V8? Do you have to rev it out to have fun or is it just fun at any speed? I think the Vantage is a good 400 kg heavier at least so a lot of that power is "lost" on simply getting it to move...

I have the same on my Stevens. I was thinking of pulling the box just to change the bearing. Pain in the ass to listen to...

Cheers man. Code turned out to be a intermittent "suboptimal catalytic converter efficiency, left bank" story that's been following the car around for years. I've shut it off hasn't come back since.

What made me happy today? Picking this up and driving it in to work at a steady clip of 160 km/h.... (lI was ess happy about the CEL it threw at me when I was half way there, but then again, I'd expect nothing less of this marque...)

Wow! Stunning!