Hollywood_North GT

future9er24

couldnt have said it more eloquently myself

jsaylor

Fantastic looking car...inside and out. But of course, this thread wont be complete until until we get about four million posts complaining that it weighs nearly 4,000lb.

AnotherMustangMan

Nah, peope know ~3700 is about as good as you're gonna get in a modern GT.

jsaylor

Really? Tell that to the myriad folks still griping about a near 4,000lb GT500 coupe. For the record Aston has claimed as light as 3550lb for the upcoming DBS, but that number is seriously optimistic at best. More realistic poundage estimates can be gathered by looking at the curb weight numbers the DB9 coupe puts up when drug over the scales...between ~3800 and ~4000lb depending on options and who you ask which puts it within sniffing distance of GT500 curb weight ratings..

Worth mentioning is that those numbers are higher than what Aston Martin claimed they would be prior to the DB9's release. (Bez Ulrich claimed the DB9 would be noticeably lighter than Ferrari's 599GTB...it isn't) I'm fine with it either way as ~3800-3900lb isn't terrible for a modern GT and is, in fact, about where I would expect a modern GT of this size to end up. But I am wondering where those who were up in arms over the GT500's curb weight might be.

AnotherMustangMan

3,920 does not = 3,737 (those are both curb, not dry, weights). Further, the Aston actually has justification for its big girl scale results (IRS, cow herds of leather, incredible interior materials/quality). The Aston is a grand tourer, built to rapidly devour hundreds of miles of sweeping roads; and 3,700 pounds is actually on the light side for that job (4,000 would be just fine). On the other hand, the GT500 was supposed to be some amazing bang-for-buck American sports/muscle car capable of insane straight line speed and (as SVT claimed during development) a more BMW M-like emphasis on well rounded vehicle dynamics leaving it as comfortable on the racetrack as the drag strip. Instead we got an uncomfortable compromise between grand tourer (heavy), dragster (harsh riding), and economy car (the interior--while nice--just isn't up to par for a mid- $40k car). Of course the car is incredibly powerful for the price...but that's about where the praise ends. The GT500 is by no means a bad car/bad value or even a case of bad engineering, it IS however an unremarkable car that now must follow in the wake of immense hype and expectations. The DBS just sort of happened and kicked ***.

burningman

there isn't a person on the planet that will not buy this car because it's 500lbs heavier that expected.

If they do have that concern then they obviously aren't serious about an aston and should just go get that Ferrari over there

Moosetang

That ugly, UGLY Ferrari.

cntchds

The 599GTB does not look that bad all the time. Have you seen one in person?

The DBS on the other hand looks the part of an extremists Aston, and I hope above all else that it has enough power to move as well as it looks.

Moosetang

In person no, I've seen vid of it and it has a good overall look, though I'd argue the rear end (no quad lights, WTF?), side vents, and flying buttress C-pillars are real let-downs (my only real beef with the DBS so far is the hood vents). But the right now the 599 is the exception which proves the rule, as the rest of the Prancing Pony's lineup looks bad to worse.

jsaylor

Alright, breaking up my response here.

1. Aston Martin claimed the DB9 would both weigh less than the Ferrari 599GTB and come in at around the same curb weight they now claim that the DBS will occupy. In the real world virtually every DB9 in existence trips the scales at well over 3800lb with many examples getting very close to 4,000lb. Motor Trend has rated the coupe as heavy as 3,960lb (yes that is curb weight) and they measure the weight themselves so no low-balling applies. For the record that is heavier than the typical GT500 coupe. Given this and the fact that the DBS is effectviely a hi-po DB9, said DB9 represents the closest thing we currently have to an accurate predictor for what production DBS coupes can be expected to weigh.

2. The GT500 is a grand tourer just like the AM, and just like very other proper Mustang built since the original for that matter. People rant on about muscle cars, sports car, yada, yada. None of that changes what the car actually is...a low cost GT.

3. With sincerity, you must think that 'premium' leather and wool carpet weigh an awful lot. Particularly since the alernative as it applies here isn't the absence of these materials but rather a more run of the mill version of the same. The IRS I'll grant as a weight adder, but in a worst case scenario assuming these materials actually weigh more they'll move the scales another 25-50lb at worst with the IRS adding what? Another 100lb max?

On the other hand, a list of what obviously weighs less can be eye opening. The Aston Martin employs an aluminum engine block, an aluminum and composite intensive chassis, lightweight CGI construction in many of the driveline components, aluminum hubs, the list literally goes on and on. I would argue that neither car has much to apologize for in terms of weight...but if a choice had to be made the Aston is the obvious suspect here since it employs weight savings tricks and materials, many of which the GT500 couldn't hope to have access to, on a huge scale...and yet weighs 4,000lb. Pointing the finger at a finer grade of leather and a better stereo doesn't even come close to accounting for the above, if that argument has any credibility at all.

3. Which part of the GT500's performance is most unremarkable? Would that be when it circled a road course during Car and Driver's latest Lightning Lap competiton within a tenth of a second of the Porsche 911 Turbo or when it handily bested the Audi RS4 and BMW Z4 M during the same. The GT500 was also surpsingly close to Audi's new $100,000 toy R8 during the competition, lehgthening the list of high dollar German uber-iron the GT500 can easily cause worry. I suppose it could be the steering feel and response which has been universally applauded (much better than anything Chevy has ever managed from a Vette) Or it could be the ride quality that you criticize so harshly but which still managed to help earn the GT500 a spot on Motor Trends latest list of ten most desirable cars with that publication calling the GT500 a 'remarkably civilized Grand Tourer'.

Finally, as alluded to above I have no issue with the weight of the DB9, or DBS..I'm just happy that these cars provided me the opportunity to point out what I believe is a trend of pointless and baseless bashing of the GT500 on this forum by people hypnotized by spec sheets.

Back on topic. After allowing some time for the look to grow on me I have to concede Burningman, the DBS is a more attractive car than the Vanquish.

burningman

YAY I win!

Although it's like arguing whose hotter in a roome full of the hottest chicks on the planet. It boils down to personal preference