A Matter of Taste: Why Modifying an Aston Martin is NOT an Easy Task

[@Challengetheroad]

Thank you for the Video James - such a shame the new 19in lightweight BBS alloys had not arrived in time. I have 2 demo CTR Vantages now 4.3 and 4.7 and the new ecu and the bespoke adjustable suspension I am having made and will make a difference once they arrive. Exciting project and its great its not easy but I am sure we are getting closer, my new ecu for 4.3 Vantage I remapped here last week has transformed the car and look forward to giving that car for you to drive. Its really exciting and they do drive really well and I am only just getting going. Thank you for all the feedback 👏

[@craigmoy5428]

A for effort for mine I would try to stick to things that can be had off the shelf. Others have mentioned the ECPS team in Poland their work is amazing and plenty in the AMOC community myself included in Australia have some bits of theirs. Their Carbon bonnet is great and fits standard Aston badge which should be a keeper. They also do carbon sports seats etc, and may be able to include your logo as part of a deal on the Carbon and seats. They also do carbon waterfalls etc... They do the V12S grill, allthough I would tend to leave the standard item and do it in black along with other chrome delete. Bamford rose might also have some performance upgrades you could include. I think the current Vantage S exhaust is perfect. Personally I think the suspension is fine it should be more sporting weighted. but others have suggested some variants. I also left my standard V8S wheels but did them matt black, I ave not done spacers, but a small spacer might feel the arches a little more like my old 12S did. By the way James is right the V8S is a much better balanced car and one to hussle quickly over 12S, Having owned both and no BS aside the 8S is a better car, just miss the Carbon brakes and the lack of dust!

[@adogmcdizzle]

I would focus on getting the unsprung weight down as much as possible. Light wheels and CCB’s will help with this. A premium damper would be huge benefit, probably staying fairly soft, then maybe select bushes in areas which will aid steering feel. Once this is all done the alignment you have will make a crucial difference and a bespoke session for each car is worthwhile at a motorsports specialist. I would also rebush the gear shift mechanism and maybe even change it to improve feel. I’ve been through a similar process on other cars and all this applies in most instances.

[@61percentodicarica]

Big props to the owner for sponsoring this video

[@martij30]

A spray-painted badge on a mesh grille looks neat but I still think an Aston should have a nice, thick metal badge on the front of it. It's a luxury grand tourer after all and while general weight savings are always a positive it shouldn't hamper the style of the car in my opinion. Besides the carbon-fibre bits it's an amazing car!

[@simonryder4857]

Hi James, he should have opted for the lightweight N430 19” alloys . I’ve modified mine over the last 10 years of ownership to basically GT4 spec. It’s still a road car. If he had electric seats as I did. We removed the original ones and fitted lightweight carbon fibre bucket seats but kept the electric function so you can tilt them. Cheers Simon

[@Challengetheroad]

Hi Simon, I have those 19s available on Conti 7s - car weighed in at 1529kg so close to gt8 now 👍 Hopefully bbs provide the first Vantage 19s soon

[@coolbell1]

What road is this buddy ?

[@beefsuprem0241]

Opening with just engine noise, no dramatic music👌 That's knowing your audience.

[@shawnmungur4875]

I do a lot of miles and I personally loved the blue version with the driving lights! Great video!

[@stevewushu]

Having mahoooosively modified my last AM Vantage, I can tell you it’s not an easy task at all! And, the older your Vantage, the more age related repairs you’ll be doing alongside the modifying process can be extremely eye watering!

[@gingernutpreacher]

How eye watering £££?

[@stevewushu]

@@gingernutpreacher upwards of £40k for mods and age related repairs. Most V8 Vantages pre 2010 will be in need of significant under the skin repairs by now. Most owners will not be aware of them until it fails an MOT, or they start stripping the car back for mods…

[@clarktjl1]

Nice rural Hertfordshire footage here James. Another great video. Keep up the good work!

[@future62]

As a lifelong tuner boy this kind of hits me in the feels, though I would probably ditch or paint the carbon hood, get a less extreme but full body lip kit, and ditch the headache exhaust for an "under load only" intake. I like the wheels and stance.

[@AntoniusTyas]

My idea: - The splitter's a little too big, I'd skip that bit - DBS wheels are good, but I prefer the wheels from V12 Vantage S. Bronze or silver is good. - Carbon bonnet is good. - For the badge, go the Valkyrie way... on budget. Photo-etched metal badge. Like aftermarket model kit parts. - For seats, I'd love to have Recaro Pole Position. - Passive dampers with more road-biased set-up would be the sweet spot for me. Emira and Evora is a good benchmark, methinks. - Exhaust is good since I'm a bit of a lout. I'd like one in Cobalt Blue or Sunburst Yellow, please.

[@thetezz0001]

Spraying the Aston Martin logo on a fine mesh grill sounds fantastic

[@andygb55]

Great video James! This my goal in life to own this car one day and in a similar spec to what you have here. Keep up the amazing videos. Love from 🇸🇪

[@melterofsnowflakes]

Oh my, that one of the best sounding V-8s ever! What a soundtrack.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Nice video. The front spoiler looks pretty wonk. Looking forward to seeing more of these builds. Keep up the good work.

[@mpanayi1]

I suspect there are 2 issues affecting the ride quality. Firstly, as you have touched upon, the wheels will have a big impact. Increased weight combined with decreased tyre sidewall will all have negative effects. Secondly, reducing the weight by such a significant amount will mean the springs will have less mass to push against, and so be “stiffer” than standard. It looks like the car has been lowered as well which again will make matters even worse. Just for general knowledge info, Aston actually offered a “comfort” suspension option when new instead of the standard “sports” suspension. Very few people specced it, but I suspect you would like that setup very much.

[@derrickarmour]

Smallish carbon fiber wing to match the aggressiveness of the front end, side skirt (to balance out aesthetic of front splitter) and 19 inch forged alloys and it would be perfect ! I think it looks amazing, love how aggressive she looks

[@wings9925]

Those rear arches still make my loins ache, all these years later. Probably the most beautifully-styled car of the last 30 years. And that soundtrack... ❤

[@damiantaylor7993]

Great video James, I would remove the carbon Aston badge replace that with the original enamel one but relocate it onto the grill, either central or canted to the either the left or right corner, drop the wheel size down an inch so you got the taller sidewall on the tyre, as that would soften the ride a little, That leads me on to the suspension, and I agree adaptive shocks are the way to go, as you said it would give you the softer feel for long runs, and when you get onto the twisties switch it to the sport settings for a blast down the road, the seat I would put the mechanism for either electric tilt or manual for the weight saving, I have had michilen ps4s and I prefer the grip and feel of Goodyear Assymetric 5s. Finally to balance the whole look of the car a subtle spoiler on the boot lid and/or a small rear diffuser on the rear bumper

[@-ZIO]

Love this video and the information. Im looking at a 4.7 Vantage here in the US. Plenty available, but still in the 50K to 80K range so not exactly cheep, but still my favorite badge

[@BeezeBuildz]

I am a fan of carbon fiber accents I purchased all of my piece thru ECPS Group their product quality, fit and finish are amazing.

[@user-qq2mo1ek2r]

Me too, carbon V12 grill, slam panel, lip spoiler and wing mirror caps.

[@teekster69]

I traded my early v8 vantage for a v12S. The greatest surprise was the suspension. It’s a magical road car because the comfort setting is so supple.

[@irishdavid1977]

Hi Jay. I owned the car from new and the B&O pop up sounds system was discontinued as an option for the Model Year 2016 cars. They made up for this by providing the premium audio system as standard. Looks like the wiper arms have been changed as well so that might explain the problems with the wipers. As far as the noise inside the car, i think that the modifications have drastically increased it as i drove it all around Europe and with the standard wheels, suspension and exhaust it was a really good cruiser. The suspension that i had fitted from the factory was the "comfort" suspension, but i guess the modifications have firmed it up a lot. I tried the factory sports suspension, but it was bone crunching.

[@ajg7609]

Best intro ever... That noise. ❤❤❤

[@kevincross9206]

What a glorious soundtrack!

[@pageant1fd]

That was a really good honest review though you might not get a Christmas card this year from Richard!😊 Badge and seat issues are quite frivolous probs but the handling in a car of that ilk is of paramount significance and you’ve dealt with that extremely well. Great work .

[@TheEarlofK]

I quite like the DBS wheels, but agree that the front splitter makes it look like a kit car; an Aston has to look like an Aston.

[@smiffyLevel6]

Hi James - Love the N430 V8 Aston’s with regard to Richards conversion personally I don’t like the bonnet vents or the large front splitter, wheels are too big and heavy which when combined with tyre choice is contributing to the lack of feel with the steering. I would suggest Richard reduced the size of the front splitter, gets lighter wheels and uses bonnet, roof and boot stripes as his marketing tool to symbolise his upgraded vehicles. All the best Smiffy

[@richardlawes8893]

The most glorious sound!!!

[@michaelstaunton1632]

Really enjoying the content on the channel keep up the good work 👍👍👍

[@___StudioFred___]

What I love about this more than anything, is the fact Richard @challengetheroad had an idea and didn't just let it fade into nothing- he made it happen. I've no doubt he finds your somewhat scathing review of the car useful, however, so I'd like to see the JayEmm Vantage presented alongside one of Richard's with Catchpole behind the wheel. Loser (of the totally subjective contest) buys the ice cream.

[@simonbanks3112]

A spray-painted logo on a mesh grille can look great but it is quite a 'statement' - and I'm not sure it's a statement that an Aston should be making... In fact for me, that mesh would need to be more visible - it looks to me like there is no grille, and that does not look good.

[@jeremymote238]

I don't know if it would be possible to find someone to do it, but a hand-painted badge under the hood's clearcoat would be the best of both worlds. I'm not a huge fan of the splitter, too aggressive. make it about half size. you make a good point about focusing on retaining the vision - a driving experience on road, not track weapon. I'm just here for more Vantage content, I need to live vicariously! It's probably my next car purchase but not for another couple years. (Also you keep saying the boot is small in most of your vantage videos, and I can't help but think - that's huge!)

[@ldwp6395]

A pinstriper should be able to do it, I think that would be nice, also adding to the hand-built, special factor of the package.

[@GN1995_3]

I really like the alloys AND the front splitter 😉

[@christhomas835]

god the sound...thankyou for your sacrifice jay

[@dl6860]

Funny your comment on the wheels. I love them. However, the bonnet, they aero etc.. I could do without.

[@eze8970]

Thanks J, interesting work in progress, looking forward to where he'll end up. No sprayed on badges for me, canards & remove or make splitter a lot smaller. Making wheels lighter always helps! Still looks & sounds good at the moment. 🙏

[@chesspiece81]

Modifying an Aston Martin is absolutely a dream of mine. Power, suspension, wheels and tires. The stock style wheels match the design of this car perfectly. DO NOT SPRAY PAINT ANYTHING ON THIS CAR.

[@2005pierric]

Hi James ! Amazing video. FYI vantage S have optionnal sport châssis or comfort. I used to own a rare manual vantage S with carbon seats and sport châssis... It was way too harsh. Now own a Comfort chassis Vantage S with carbon seats and it is absolutely PERFECT. Just make sure what dampers it has from factory !

[@s4ms0n1t3]

Have Cobra nogaro in my m3, brilliant seat, low side profiles designed for factory 3 point seatbelt and still have the cutouts for a 4 point harness on track, also very comfortable.

[@chrisdavidson911]

i appreciate the sacrifices you made to record this! The painted grill reminds me of a modified Ford. You know those Caterham grills which have the 7 logo thing incorporated into them? How about taking the design of the Aston badge and just making that be like the main members of the grill, with the finer mesh behind?

[@jamesstanley7263]

Hmmm, not for me. Just needed some Ohlins for a better ride/handling balance and leave it at that. A Vantage is never going to be a GT3, so why try?

[@pistonburner6448]

Yes, and Astons are supposed to be restrained, gentlemanly, civilised vehicles.

[@scuckplexity]

Why not? It's always a good challenge

[@pistonburner6448]

@@scuckplexity It will never get anywhere close. Then again, I'm not sure what they're trying to get close to: Lap times? Never. But other things like loud engine noises? Aston probably wins easily as it's already louder from the start, but it's a fool's game as super-loud exhausts are bad. Good engine noises? Porsche wins easily and Aston can't match those revs nor the sweet sounds of a boxer 6 with its very crude and generic-sounding V8. Handling? Matter of taste and the specific goal, but sure, Aston can potentially beat the GT3 in handling.

[@scuckplexity]

@@pistonburner6448 well let's just say different people enjoys different things

[@pistonburner6448]

@@scuckplexity Yes, and many times we ourselves don't even know what we're really trying to accomplish, which instincts we're trying to follow. That's why my philosophy is to know as many of the facts as well as possible, but always make the choice with the heart (with certain limitations, like nowadays I refuse to buy anything from VW Group, anything Chinese, etc.)

[@Official_MikeyT]

I like the splitter and canards but it needs a slim sideskirt to balance the look. If I were a customer I would want a smaller wheel like an 18-19" BBS FI-R (18" probably doesn't fit the caliper though), and the factory suspension is good enough.

[@KarelBeelaertsvanBlokland]

Smaller rims will enhance comfort. Exhaust should have a silence knob. She looks gorgeous! WOW

[@Bobajobbob007]

Bonnet, splitter, gear knob all look a bit halfords special. I'm not sure it makes sense to try and improve the looks of one of the best looking cars ever made. Change the wheels sure, seats if you must, grill ok but much more than that and you just ruin perfect lines. Despite what most experts (and car dealers) will tell you even Zagato failed more often than not when it comes to modifying Astons. The only exception to the rule would be the new vantage which needs a new front end from scratch. When you remove the secondary cats on the 4.7 it all gets a bit days of thunder unless you also change the back box. It definitely sounds better than stock but not as good as the 4.3 with the valves open which is aural perfection.

[@velocityautomotiveperforma7586]

ECU Tuning can easily fix the rev hang when heel and toe-ing. Combine that with a twin plate clutch kit and you can snick it through the gears pretty quick.

[@55URB]

Tell Richard to contact EXE-TC they are makeing bespoke supetnions for Porshe mainly but i am sure they would sort soemthing out for an Aston

[@smilepermile8165]

So glad to see some OEM+ style upgrades to this generation Vantage - I much prefer it over the current AMG-era'd one. Sounds amazing, but I do wonder what this 4.7 engine would be like with individual throttle bodies - maybe too loud?

[@merstrand1]

They were working on dual throttle bodies for the 4,7, it was cancelled when the AMG engines were introduced

[@smilepermile8165]

@@merstrand1 I see, that would've been amazing if it came to fruition. Shame about the emissions regulations and R&D budgets.

[@merstrand1]

@@smilepermile8165 there was 6 ea. units made, someone (I can't mention who ) is working on it... should push a 4,7 above 500 hp Naturally aspirated

[@stevencahill3628]

the spray painting of the logo is a good call for mine.

[@u102768]

I pretty much agree with everything you said. Never have seen the appeal of the carbon badge, nor the multi coloured ones for that matter. Standard is fine for me. I find my V12 Virage very noisy on the road too and, even though it has adaptive suspension, the ride is hard around town. I am hoping the PS4S tyres being fitted next week will help that. The grip certainly couldn't get any worse than the P Zeros on it currently! I prefer the DBS alloys, though, and have almost identical ones on my car.

[@abhisunkara]

Hi James, I am in search a company which can modify an Aston Martin vantage and make it really special. Is CTR the best ones out there? I am thinking of getting the Aston martin Vantage GT (N430) as the base car. Thanks for your response.

[@alexjaybrady]

Thinking about the front badge another option might be laser cutting a piece of thin metal or gold foil, combining the thin form factor of a sticker with the premium materials of the aston brand. Perhaps aircraft grade titanium? You could even heat it to give it that beautiful blue effect you see on exhaust manifolds etc.

[@BondRichBond]

DBS alloys look fantastic. The splitter looks very chavy.

[@cameronmartin9903]

Can't say I would be the most keen on the badge sprayed on the grill, maybe the original badge or a thinner carbon one I'd better

[@andrewdhome]

I was going to comment that I thought that many of the body changes just look tacky - a bit citroen saxo car park boy racer to my eyes. That splitter - well, now I cant unsee your mimicry of it!!! But then I realised that this is not for someone who wants an Aston for the beautiful style in a powerful car. Rather it's for someone who wants the boy racer car - or at least the max power - in an Aston, worrying less about the Aston looks and history. On that basis it works just fine. I'm not qualified to comment as my views just don't matter. What is great to see is someone working hard on customisation on a commercial basis. So many people would like that customised approach - to make a car a bit more special - but would have no idea where to start and what would/ not work. On that basis, I think Richard is to be applauded and I hope he does well out of this. And oh my god - the colour of the CTR001 on his website is just glorious.....

[@roadmantop3769]

Front splitter needs to be 20% smaller, the rear will need a downforce tweak to balance maybe a lip , ohlins coil overs, then take it to suspension secrets and have it set up, and get some feedback from them. Pedals, gear knob weighted, change the grill mesh and paint the Aston on it as jay recommends and get the throttle mapped and I reckon your on 👍

[@jaybruce593]

I'm going to suggest making a change to the coilovers configuration to use "Tener Springs" to soak up the small bumps before the "real", tighter, springs come into play, this would also help mitigate some fo the road noise in the car as a lot of the smaller higher frequency peturbations would be absorbed by the springs rather than resonating the body/cabin.

[@hexgraphica]

Not spray painted, but brush painted with stencil in silver. And on top of that some coating if necessary

[@ferrisbuellersdayoff]

God these videos are so damn good! Stunning production, exterior shots, sound, and of course the really entertaining script/narration. Best on YT by a mile.. Coffee on me :)

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Thanks so much!

[@ferrisbuellersdayoff]

@@JayEmmOnCars the whole sending a couple of bucks to someone randomly is kinda weird.. I hope it's not insulting like being wait staff or something.. lol

[@JayEmmOnCars]

@@ferrisbuellersdayoff not at all, it's gratefully received as a compliment

[@rollotomassi8251]

Looks lovley in my opinion ..

[@johannjohann6523]

I agree that the rims do not match that Auston very well.. But give Auston credit with the "hood louvres" so engine heat can escape keeping stress down on the engine.

[@abuhamza1970]

For the delicacy of handling, consider thinner wheels. The wider the wheel, the less delicacy you will feel. Perhaps a thinner wheel with a spacer to achieve that “filled arch” look? You could also go with lighter wheels to reduce the unsprung weight.

[@seinsmeld13]

I think the exhaust sounds fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🤠

[@JZS171-W]

The comments sum up car modification perfectly it’s all personal & you’ll never please everyone, in fact you’ll offend most people by modifying things. One man’s meat is another man’s poison….Richard do what you like, have the ride how you like, have the badge how you like, have the splitter how you like, have the seat how you like it……… it’s yours to enjoy how you want, everyone else can go & do their own one 😉

[@LiqdPT]

20:10 adaptive dampers were available on the V12S. I don't think the V8 ever had them. If they did, it would be on those later cars with the haptic radio controls.

[@camberwellcarrot420]

I'm with you on the bigger wheels. I've never been a fan of unthicc rubber, particularly in pothole country.

[@CatBroiler]

If it's quite loud in the cabin, I'd probably pick the Goodyear Asymmetric 6, over the PS4S. Yes, the Asym6 may be a UHP tyre, rather than a UUHP tyre, but the Asym6 is very grippy, and is very stiff for a UHP tyre. This gives it strong road feel, and responsive handling compared to its peers (like the PS5), while not being quite as uncomfortable as a UUHP tyre. It also has very low road noise (I believe 67db for most 19 inch sizes, compared to the PS4S' 71, or the Conti SC7's 72) , which is a traditional Goodyear strength. And if you're still going to stay with a UUHP tyre, you might as well use the Continental SportContact 7, as it's a far newer and more advanced tyre than the PS4S, with better grip in both the dry and the wet, with an even harder sidewall for more feel through the wheel.

[@matthewdaniels7462]

When Bentley did their number 7 in paint on the grill... It was fire. Only one way to see go for it.

[@ashtondimovski7074]

I enjoyed this one. I’m not an “Aston Ass”, but rather a “Jaguar Junkie” - so while this idea may not appeal to the people here in the chat, but for a mega dream configuration would be to take a new style XK body (preferably one that has a dead engine), and see if it would be possible to drop in the 6.0L V12 Jaguar engine from the 90s as well as a manual gearbox. Other than that, just perhaps a refresh of the interior such as updated and extended leather and wood trim pieces. Perhaps too some nice personal touches like custom amber or rose gold switches or something. Nothing garish, just little “blink and you’ll miss it” touches like that.

[@merstrand1]

My Vantage 4,7S has the full VAP package with the ver. 3 manifolds - twin plate clutch / lighten flywheel etc. 200 cell sporcats lightweight Backbox ( Titanium) Öhlins suspension, mine is putting out 478 hp, I prefer the Cup 2 Tires vs PS4, even though in rainy conditions the PS4 is superior

[@davidcooks5265]

I like the splitter makes it more aggressive 💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@oliver13809]

I’m a stickler for leaving an already beautiful car alone. However. Different folks different strokes. I love my titanium silver standard beauty.

[@joneaton3366]

Had too rewind cos the subwoofer wasn't turned up enough on the intro drive by 😜

[@rv9990]

Shmee150 did a review on an 4.7 with a Supercharger on it. He seemed very fond of it. Think this is exactly what the CTR package needs. Some extra drama and power to make it more relevant with today's sportscars.

[@user-qq2mo1ek2r]

If you go to Simply Astons at Beaulieu there are often two cars that come over from the continent both of which have had the supercharger upgrade. In all honesty if this car is getting close to 500 hp without a charger the outlay of over £20k to have the charger fitted really isn't worth it. My 4.3 was remapped and has lightened flywheel, upgrade GT4 filters and hi flow cats and puts out 440hp up from a stock 380hp .... I could release another 20 ish hp from upgraded headers but the car is plenty quick enough for UK roads and traffic.

[@rv9990]

@@user-qq2mo1ek2r 20k for a supercharger install! Damn thats mad. Didn't know that. Indeed seems like a wast of money then.

[@merstrand1]

The GMR supercharger is 20K - and you can get close to 500 HP on natural aspiration

[@johnshaw359]

Maybe he should have tackled the handing and ride first. Not an easy task with tyre castor, toe-in etc, along with suspension rebound rates and so on to consider. I hope he can sort it.

[@fransb8543]

Wheels: heck yeah. Splitter: not for me. Also, I really prefer the regular badges. And of course, a hefty knob is a prerequisite.

[@rexginn7418]

Keep the setup as is, Change from the 4S's to the standard 4s.. I am running B8 Bilstiens, Eibachs, and M3 sway bars on my F30.. Now the ride was far too harsh with the 4S's all around, Now I'm running the 4ss on the back, and Standard 4s up the front the difference was night and day!

[@mattymonk100]

Great Video. What road is this? Looks great

[@sheldonv8]

The opening scene reminds me of the Canonball run opening scene. . Sounds like a beaten up old Camaro

[@fud1376]

Always liked the Vantage....Colour match the the splitter and It might look more apealing...Ha !

[@nigeldeforrest-pearce8084]

For Use in Blighty, Working Wipers are a Must!!! This is a Grand Touring Car!!!!

[@mrtonywolf]

Great vid J, yes I agree the Vantage S is a fabulous car. The standard carbon front splitter is just right as opposed to that GT4 one and the dive planes aren’t needed either. I must do that route at some point👍

[@CarToneHK]

I'd give Valiant Ecosse at Germany a call for Nurburgring tried mods for road use

[@silasthomson7852]

Haha when you say in the video that you're heading up to Scotland soon, are you not already stood in Scotland at the bottom of the devils elbow climb upto GlenShee summit? Looks like that's where you filmed that introduction, I live nearby, is it Glenshee? Top gear filmed there a few times

[@OngoGablogian185]

I swear I thought you were Daniel Craig for a second, standing next to the Aston with the backdrop of the highlands. I half expected you to whip out a pistol and shoot the screen.

[@johnromero7622]

I will have to agree with the consensus about the wheels, those heavy 20s have to go. I am betting light weight forged 19s would help the handling as much as the coilovers could.

[@future62]

Handling no, ride for sure.

[@jonathancase2395]

I think the car looks great with the wheels. Maybe a lighter when would do. The spoiler and canards give it a more aggressive look aswell

[@kenecchi]

One of my dream projects, which will remain a dream because all of this stuff is too big and expensive and status symbol-y, is a Maserati (Quattroporte) V8 + Cambiocorsa transmission converted to manual, into an Aston V8 Vantage. I think both cars are a transaxle layout so it seems remotely possible...(?)

[@vytas5584]

I reckon it sounds wicked

[@sidewayssam]

Those roads, and what a noise. I would go for much softer springs with stiff dampers,

[@markcarter9476]

Having 'modified' cars, for example, as suspension components wear out and replaced with aftermarket 'upgraded' items, I have a word of caution. If you like a car then modifying can move the driving experience away from what you like about the car. Then having invested considerable time and money you find you have a car thats not quite as nice as it was. Not all modifications go in this direction and many work well, but just be careful what you wish for.

[@phillipevans9414]

Sorry James, I'm no help to you at all here - I would have left the Vantage stock, if it were mine...who am I kidding, I would get a DB9, or even a DB7 ahead of a Vantage anyway. Still an interesting video though. Cheers!

[@roymoorman5990]

11:35m Sounds like a villain😍

[@nigelgrice3523]

Dear James, interesting vid. I think it is very tricky to improve on something which is so well judged in the first place. I have a 2011 vantage manual 4.7. I particularly like it in completely standard form (though with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres on 19" wheels and a solid V12 gearstick). Why do i like it so much? Because I can just drift along in it on a long trip, my partner will happily go to sleep in it(!), it is not a pig in traffic, has no problem with speedbumps - I live in London - and it is relatively quiet. And a great mile-eater. Or, if I am in the mood - and on my own - I can be a compelte hooligan, and probably not kill myself. It goes like stink, sounds glorious, and gives lots of feedback before it gets out of shape. Ok, agreed, it will not out-perform a similar age sporting 911 on the twisty bits, but I never expected it to. The only mods I would consider would be a twin plate clutch when it needs doing, lightbweight seats, and perhaps the secondary cats and ECU remap...who can so "no" to a bit more power? But then, if I did that, it might need more brakes... No, it is fab just as it is - it feels like a real successor to my old 1970 DBSV8, except that it is wider, much quicker, and the fuel ecomony is way better than 5-11mpg!

[@eujeniu8527]

This set of visual mods definitely lacks some good portion of taste! Seems to be the trend for CTR as the same applied to the blue vantage featured earlier, the one with additional lamps on the grill. Also,it seems to be a bit too loud. So, it would be just wonderful to have a tuner specifically working on Astons in the style somewhat similar to Alpina.

[@61percentodicarica]

Put the normal logo, and personally I think softer suspensions would suit this car better Props to Richard tho

[@richardstevens808]

Due to the mesh, painting the emblem onto it really wouldn’t works as the scale would need to be very large due to its detailed nature. Painting directly onto the hood and clear coating would definitely be the best option for a premium finish just like that of the shields that you can spec with certain Ferrari models.

[@jonjagxkr2012]

Let’s be honest if your a AM fanatic any mods would annoy the purest It’s an after market upgrade so personally I like the splitter (updates the front end )not too impressed with those daft fins tho, stance looks good. A more modern set of wheels and a dove tail spoiler finish the package.

[@alexwillard9696]

I have a Valiant Ecosse Touring spec car. It's running race cats and the GT4 silencers - much quieter than standard S. Also with the Ohlins DFV it's quite compliant if I want it to be. The car needs to be on 19 inch rims. I run the AMR 5 spokes but the Apex racing EC7R (that VE runs) are even lighter. It does improve the car. My car is about to get some custom VE Recaro PP ABEs - come drive it if you want to

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Would love to, email me on [e-mail]

[@user-qq2mo1ek2r]

I have Vantage Engineering shocks on mine set up to how I like the handling .... They are fantastic. I did a huge amount of research before going for them. Twin plate clutch, lightened flywheel, GT4 filters hi flow cats and remap.... wonderful

[@martincday007]

Can I suggest that for allowing you to review the car you agree to give it a good wash before your review, it's hard to see what the carbon fibre brings to the party being so dirty.

[@Stormy177]

You've got an issue with the front splitter but not the front canards? For me they're completely unnecessary and spoil the lines of the car. Smaller wheels with bigger tyres might be the way to go, especially if they can soak up some of the imperfections of the road and make it a smoother drive. I think I see why those wheels were chosen - they give it more of a GT feel, but there must be aftermarket options that give a similar look with a weight saving. Are carbon wheels a possibility, or would they have to be custom made? As for the badge, could you mount one on the grill? Either dead centre so it's visible, or towards the top so it's there but almost not there unless you go looking for it. Can you also get a CTR badge to go with, in the same way Mountune badges are fitted to fast Fords?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I don't like 'em either, just forgot to mention on that particular take