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Let's move the Aston / PhilB talk to here, in the interest of the tidyness of the Exotic Spotting thread
Yeah so PhilB, I firmly believe you have the capacity to love Aston Martin, in your heart. This is because, everyone does. It is merely covered up at the moment. And we can help you uncover that.
Let's move the Aston / PhilB talk to here, in the interest of the tidyness of the Exotic Spotting thread
Yeah so PhilB, I firmly believe you have the capacity to love Aston Martin, in your heart. This is because, everyone does. It is merely covered up at the moment. And we can help you uncover that.
thanks for the intervention buddy
like I was saying, it’s not really something against Aston, I’m just not into sporty GT cars too much. I think a 488, F8, 570s or 650S especially spyder form would be plenty comfortable to me. I realize there are exceptions like the 550 or 812, but in general that’s how I see it. Also, the Bentley continental GT, looks good, but if I had money, I would rather the 4 door, same with RR Wraith or phantom Coupe vs Ghost or Phantom
There used to be a black Aston Martin vantage (DB9 I believe) close to our house that I saw all the time and it definitely looked cool, but I never had the through “I want one of those one day”, but rather “I hope that one day, I too will have a cool car”.
I also think I’m a bit of an anomaly, because the Bond movies were just “ok” with me. On the other hand, The Transporter with the E38, and later on the W140, now we are talking. Or maybe it was the pretty Asian lady that made madeleines in the morning had more of an effect
Also, I have never driven or rode in one, maybe that would change my mind, I dunno.
Is there a particular year or model you want? 7-8 year old is a decent change, 90k maybe? V12 double it? But an old one from 2005 is maybe 30k? Far cheaper than my precious TL-S!
I remember the episode where Ed got to drive it, unreal experience
I wouldn't even want to drive it. That sounds absolutely terrifying for me to drive something worth that kind of money.
Originally Posted by PhilB81
Is there a particular year or model you want? 7-8 year old is a decent change, 90k maybe? V12 double it? But an old one from 2005 is maybe 30k? Far cheaper than my precious TL-S!
Astons are super cheap (relatively) compared to other similar cars. You can get V8 vantages in the 40-50's all day and the V12 auto cars in the 70-90 range. The manuals tend to be slightly more (esp for the V12 cars) but it's not insane.
I wouldn't even want to drive it. That sounds absolutely terrifying for me to drive something worth that kind of money.
Astons are super cheap (relatively) compared to other similar cars. You can get V8 vantages in the 40-50's all day and the V12 auto cars in the 70-90 range. The manuals tend to be slightly more (esp for the V12 cars) but it's not insane.
‘I have to admit there is definite appeal to a v12 mated to a manual, but that said, I’d take mine wrapped in a 550
Originally Posted by civicdrivr
The Rapide is an underrated vehicle!
yeah absolutely, and the plug-in hybrid was ahead of its time
‘I have to admit there is definite appeal to a v12 mated to a manual, but that said, I’d take mine wrapped in a 550
Which would be astoundingly good fun...for the short periods of time that it was actually functioning...and while you're not reeling over a $20k service bill.
The only reason I'd say the manuals are better in the Astons is because they use shitty SMG style single clutch auto trans that aren't that good. If it was a double clutch or something better (like the modern ones and only because AMG parts) I'd say get the auto and have fun.
One of my brother's friend's in SoBe has a 2000's DB9 convertible V12/6MT, it's a nice GT but nothing special to drive TBH when I helped to drive it inland for a hurricane coming. The V12 has tremendous torque/power but the Italian transaxle is fairly vague and a heavy clutch. The owner (who also restored a XKE mostly by himself) maintains it and surprisingly it's fairly easy for routine maintenance. Lots of Ford parts bin engineering for the electronics and electrical.
Originally Posted by PhilB81
In your desirable cars thread, you forgot the most influential Aston of all…
:rorl:
Last edited by Legend2TL; Oct 8, 2025 at 04:38 PM.
One of my brother's friend's in SoBe has a 2000's DB9 convertible V12/6MT, it's a nice GT but nothing special to drive TBH when I helped to drive it inland for a hurricane coming. The V12 has tremendous torque/power but the Italian transaxle is fairly vague and a heavy clutch. The owner (who also restored a XKE mostly by himself) maintains it and surprisingly it's fairly easy for routine maintenance. Lots of Ford parts bin engineering for the electronics and electrical.
Alright, I will admit that it looks really good for a 25 year old car, and it doesn’t look its age. The state of the interior is also really good for a car that old (I’m not in a good place to cast stones with my cracked dash in the TL).
the part I don’t like is the center stack, the gray plastic and the clock reminds me too much of something you see in a Chrysler.
Not really M2 "news" and not really worthy of a new thread but pix need to be shared so.... I shall put them here.
Auratium Sunrise: IND’s G87 M2
After its award-winning debut at Bimmer Invasion LA, our G87 M2 finally took a moment to breathe. Just four weeks before the show, we stripped the car from its factory Zandvoort Blue and gave it a full Porsche Auratium Green repaint. The amount of time and effort that went into this build pushed the team to its limits, but the result speaks for itself.
Recently, Keith took the M2 out at sunrise for a proper photoshoot, the first since returning from California, and the light couldn’t have been better to show off the details. From the Alpha-N carbon aero to the BBS FI-R EVO wheels finished in Citrine Gold, every inch of this car reflects the craftsmanship and care we put into every IND project.
Under the hood, the engine bay features a truly one-of-one Eventuri Yellow Kevlar intake and matching engine cover, made exclusively for this build. Combined with MMX Performance carbon ceramic brakes, CSF cooling upgrades, and a meticulously detailed finish using Cerakote Black hardware, it’s as much engineering as it is art.
Inside, the Recaro Podium seats with Tartan inserts, Alpha-N roll cage in Auratium Green, and Madtrace GEN2 Podium Line steering wheel create a motorsport-inspired cockpit that feels OEM in all the right ways.
This G87 M2 represents everything IND stands for: attention to detail, precision craftsmanship, and a passion for building cars that push boundaries while maintaining BMW’s heritage.
it’ll match the wood trim in the rivian really well
it reminds me of the shift knob in the Carrera T, I agree it looks nice.
That wood is black so no it would not...though I could dye it black pretty easily. That said it would be really hard to get that onto the shift knob in the Rivian.
Probably not too hard to do on my M2 though.
Edit: HOLY SHIT, this thing is more than $1k????? I could buy a lathe and make my own plus many more to sell for less than the cost of this shift knob lol.
:rorl:
