Aston Martin SportShift Gearbox Ownership Experience | V8 Vantage S

Do I regret buying a V8 Vantage S with a Sportshift transmission. In this video we discuss the intricacies of owning the robotised manual transmission and share our best tips for getting the best out of it.

[@simonkeay738]

Great video, the only one that sensibly covers Sportshift 2 in the Vantage S, after 4k in mine I've now become confident with gearbox , I used to manically swift right done at every junction, I've now learnt to trust the car , even in sport paddle mode it will find 1st gear when you come to a halt. Like yourselves I used to select neutral at each set of lights, I now just leave it in gear( for brief stop's) as its a Manual gearbox the ecu has to disingage the clutch or it would stall ,and so far I've had no wear issues. I also agree that Drive mode is handy for heavy traffic and not totally unsuable as some people suggest , you're right it's definitely an analogue car but such fun !
(Another cool feature of sport mode is flat shifting over 5000 rpm, some frightening quick progress can be made!)

[@fullyplantd]

I've heard about these "hyper-shifts" over 5000rpm, haven't had the opportunity to try one yet.

[@craigmoy5457]

On my 3rd straight VH Vantage over the last 10 years. Started with an 06 manual then a 15 V12S (sportshift) and now a V8S (Sportshift). Funny I am in the opposite end of the world in Sydney Australia, and they have always been my wife and I's only car over this time. I take it to golf each week, hardware store etc. For us our driving these days is all inner city large tall buildings and lots of noise as the V8 burble unleashes hell in the CBD with accelerator flex, few country roads, for us it is more posing, bumps not such a big issue, or maybe after a decade we don't notice. You will get used it, for me it is always sports mode, I pull the paddles back twice to put them into full neutral at lights to reduce clutch wear. Did 40K kms in the manual, only about 5K kms in the 12S and now about 20K kms in the V8S, never needed a clutch on any of them, and that has included some limited track use (not really my thing). For mine the V8S is the real sweet spot, the 12S was always heavy through tight bends and the speed you needed to do to get real sound was never going to happen at road legal speeds, the 8S sounds like it is racing even at low speeds, the 12S also cost me 3 times more to insure.

[@fullyplantd]

Sounds similar to my feelings too.
I do put it in to neutral at lights, but if you get it wrong and they turn green and the car says to press brake pedal to put it in to first in causes the car behind you to blast their horn as they have no idea wtf you're doing lol

[@carlharvey7098]

Excellent Video! Thanks for sharing as im currently looking at getting a Vantage and unsure about the sportshift. ☺

[@fullyplantd]

Thanks, I made this video as there was nothing covering the topic when I was looking and most reviewers are too scared to say the truth (or haven't had enough time with it).
If you do get a Sportshift, just give it time before judging it as every day I drive it the better I get at piloting it

[@carlharvey7098]

@@fullyplantd Oh thank you so much, now this is silly question but can i hell find an answer...Whats it like/how do you do a hill start (i live where there are bridges everywhere lol)?

[@fullyplantd]

@@carlharvey7098 It will roll back slightly before biting, but hill starts aren't an issue. You could even put your left foot on the brake and wait for the bite before pulling away.

[@carlharvey7098]

@@fullyplantd Oh thats brilliant! Thanks again ☺️

[@magnus_nara]

Does your car have a single clutch or have you got the double clutch upgrade? Also, is this the sportshift 2?

[@fullyplantd]

Sportshift 2 yep. They are all single clutch and I plan to get the Bamford Rose dual-mass lightwight flywheel which supposedly makes it very close to a double-clutch.

[@MyMamboking]

Is that Hammerhead silver? Looks the same as mine, quite a rare colour

[@fullyplantd]

This one is Tungsten Grey

[@anthonywbelcher]

The worst Aston Martin Vantage review ever

[@fullyplantd]

thanks Comic Book Guy

[@maddy_raven]

Can’t wait for this to break down and for you to not be able to afford to fix it 👍

[@fullyplantd]

🥹

[@jamie3731]

What a strange thing to say

[@sebastiandeangelis6313]

I think maddy has been hitting the roids a little too hard

[@seat850c]

They’re extremely reliable.