James Bond back with Aston Martin for ‘CASINO ROYALE’

[Clivey]

So a million doller supercar should be made with crap componets, but a GT costing half as much should have a fully bespoke interior?

The point of the car (F40 and F50) isn't to cosset your dumb arse as you go get your shopping, they were originally developed to bring the "F1 experience" to the road. The point of the vanquish is to make even the ponciest of small minded posers look and feel cool. Even if they did manage to pull in that car, the interior would soon fall apart having seen the briefest "action"! Our old Mondeo company car interior fell apart just by me opening the door, if the Vanq's using the same parts, you can expect the same effect.

Majority?

Last time you crapped on about this you pointed to the door handles, with window controls, and the stalks. What else did you find (well seeing as you couldn't tell the difference between two pics) - nothing.

They were particular parts I chose to emphasize as they were blatently obvious, even if Ferrari are using a minimal amount of Fiat switchgear, at least it doesn't poke your eyes out. When I got the chance to get close up to an F50, the rest of the interior grabbed more attention than the switchgear, shame I couldn't say the same about the Vanq. It hasn't been finished properly and I noticed straight away, that's how much it shows.

Wow, you can find a really cheap car? I'm so impressed.

That "cheapness" shouldn't also be found in a vehicle that costs 174 times as much, let alone being allowed to wear the Aston badge. What happened to the Vantage V8 LeMans V600? Great car with attiture but bean counters and bureaucrats killed it off, same thing's gonna happen to the whole Aston brand...

That would be the clock, the gear selectors, the inbuilt stero, the traction control, the hazard lights.......[/QUOTE]

...the seat bases, the other electronic switches above the aircon, parts of the doorcards, aircon vents, the steering column, just to name a few more.

[Cyco]

Clivey - whats with the switch gear obsession?

Your dads Mondeo fell apart because it was a CHEAP car built CHEAPLY.

A Vanq is handbuilt at Newport Pagnel, buy people who CARE.

The point of the vanquish is to make even the ponciest of small minded posers look and feel cool

It does do that exceedingly well. Maybe you should get one:P

The point of the car (F40 and F50) isn't to cosset your dumb arse as you go get your shopping, they were originally developed to bring the "F1 experience" to the road.

I must be really silly because I never realised that the F1 experence on the road would be best displayed buy parts out of a Fiat Tipo

They were particular parts I chose to emphasize as they were blatently obvious, even if Ferrari are using a minimal amount of Fiat switchgear, at least it doesn't poke your eyes out.

So Ferrai is allowed to use a "minimal" amount of Fiat parts but Aston is not allowed to use less Ford parts?

I have been in both cars, so I do know.

What happened to the Vantage V8 LeMans V600?

They didn't sell at the time, the company nearly went under and even the very limited numbers of V600s are still below their list pirce.

the seat bases

Are from an outside contractor

switches above the aircon

Are the ones you love in a DB9

parts of the doorcards

I havn't and I severly doubt you have pulled apart a Vanq door, so can't comment

aircon vents

May well be

the steering column

You seriously wat to tell me the steering coloum from a Vanq fits a Mondeo? You really don't have a clue do you?

[RazaBlade]

Sorry....this may have already been summarised in the previous pages but

http://www.autocarmagazine.com/news_...p?na_id=218139


Autocars stance on it. DBS may be the Vanquish replacement?

[Clivey]

Clivey - whats with the switch gear obsession?

Incase you've lost the sense of touch, switchgear matters because these are the parts of the car you touch more than almost any other (seats, steering wheel etc. excluded). If you have crap switchgear, you can generally feel it and it doesn't make you feel good about your car, nor does it look good and when you see the inside of your car more than the outside (if you're actually driving it) that matters a lot too. BMW are currently working with a few manufacturers to develop engines, but that doesn't mean that they make a deal and dip into the parts bins of those manufacturers for the "cheap" MINI. That's an example of a cheap car with a completely bespoke interior (as far as I can tell) and it's all the better for it. It wouldn't even matter if it used BMW parts because I think most people would agree, they are of high quality. Astons using some of the particular Ford parts we're discussing, which ARE poor quality, does matter. If I was in the market for such a car I would happily pay £10,000+ extra for a bespoke interior that reflects the quality (hopefully) of the rest of the car.

Your dads Mondeo fell apart because it was a CHEAP car built CHEAPLY.

A Vanq is handbuilt at Newport Pagnel, buy people who CARE.

Just how much corporate cock have you been sucking? All they do is put the parts together, whether or not the parts in question are poor quality Mondeo fitments is the issue here. You could be the most caring person in the world whilst putting the car together but if you're given crap parts you're going to make a crap car. It's like a computer - you put crap in, you get crap out...seems to be happening with yours anyway.

[QUOTE=Cyco]It does do that exceedingly well. Maybe you should get one:P[/Cyco]

Have you ANY evidence WHATSOEVER that I am a poncy small minded poser? If I were only interested in showing off I'd be driving a Vanquish - if I were small minded I wouldn't even bother to think twice about jumping on the bandwagon Ford's created. You give the impression you want to be doing both of these.

I must be really silly because I never realised that the F1 experence on the road would be best displayed buy parts out of a Fiat Tipo

I have also been inside an F50 and as I've already stated, the Fiat parts werent as blatantly obvious as the Ford crap in the Vanquish...In any case, Ferrari didn't need to spend huge money on the interior of this particular car, it had already made it clear that that didn't matter. I'm not a fan of the F50 due to the mess they made of the front end - you can buy a great number of supercars that look better and go just as well BUT I'm even less of a fan of the Vanquish becuase in that car, the choice of fittings really does matter, seeing as it's supposedly a Grand Tourer...for that money it's not a grand effort.

So Ferrai is allowed to use a "minimal" amount of Fiat parts but Aston is not allowed to use less Ford parts?

I have been in both cars, so I do know.

You could well have been in both cars, but you could well have been blindfolded if you didn't notice that the Vanquish contains more Ford parts than the F50 contains Fiat parts. Do I really have to repeat this again for you to understand...? In a GT, the INTERIOR matters MORE than in the average supercar. You would do better to point out which Fiat parts are in the 575M, then we could have a proper comparison...

They didn't sell at the time, the company nearly went under and even the very limited numbers of V600s are still below their list pirce.

One of the main reasons it didn't sell is that it was so performance orientated that emissions were horrendous, and it was subsiquently banned in many countries. That doesn't mean it was a bad car (in that sense of the word at least). TVR Tuscans arent road legal in the US, do you think they're bad cars? Aston was already in trouble, the V600 didn't change that.

Are from an outside contractor

I admit there may be some confusion here, I didn't mean the piece you sit on but the plastic that surrounds the bottom of the seat. The seat movement controls are all Ford if you care to take a look.

Are the ones you love in a DB9

I said ABOVE the aircon...

I havn't and I severly doubt you have pulled apart a Vanq door, so can't comment

You can see JUST from looking...it really is THAT obvious.

You seriously wat to tell me the steering coloum from a Vanq fits a Mondeo? You really don't have a clue do you?

Not the whole steering column, we were talking in relation to switchgear, I meant the plastic surround.

You must realise that this practice by any manufacturer of stuffing an expensive (especially a luxury or GT car) car full of inferior parts to save money only costs and fool the people who buy it, is not good. Once they can get away with it, it'll get worse. How many people regularly complain about GM scraping their parts bin, for example...? Modern Cadillacs are nowhere near the quality they used to be, and have you seen what Chevy are selling in the UK? rebadged Daewoos!

[Wouter Melissen]

Last year Aston Martin turned a profit for the first time in many decades. Despite the fact that the DB7 used a Jaguar chassis and engine, it is the best selling Aston Martin in history (at the end of DB7 production, it made up for half of all AMs built). The new models with those crappy interiors are set to pass the DB7's production figure with ease. Now what do you prefer: a DB9 or Vanquish with a rediculous cheap interior or no new Aston Martins at all? Ford saved a company that in seventy years only very rarely finished a year breaking even and turned it into a profitable company that produces some of the most beautiful cars on the road. I have been in quite a few cars in recent years and I am always impressed with the Aston Martin interiors.

People might complain about GM scraping the parts bin, but I have never heard such a thing from an Aston Martin owner. A Continental GT has loads of cheap VW parts, but it excells by the way it's put together, just like the Astons.

Believe it or not there is a difference between a Mondeo interior and an Aston Martin interior, even though they share some parts.

It's hilarious that the person that disagrees with you the most is one of the customers that got fooled into buying one of these switch equipped vehicles. He should be the one that cares, not you.

[my porsche]

i would hardly call ANY aston interior cheap, and all this parts sharing crap, who cares? if it works and looks good, why does it matter that you could buy a $2,000 for the switchgear, but you CANT buy the rest of the interior or exterior of an Aston for $2,000, so whats the big deal?

[Rockefella]

I didn't say Aston would be making cars at £10k, so why a "£10k car" interior? It's not as if Ford are incapable of building a decent interior, the Range Rover is proof odf that. The Ford GT's interior's actually far better than the one of the Vanquish so if they did source parts from it, they'd be making a good decision.

Where in the hell did 'I' say AM would use a 10k interior, I was making a direct comparison with Ferrari and Lamborghini, two luxo-exotic companies. It's all the same crap, just because you have a bone to pick w/ Ford shouldn't mean it branches out to every capillary Ford maintains.

[Clivey]

Last year Aston Martin turned a profit for the first time in many decades. Despite the fact that the DB7 used a Jaguar chassis and engine, it is the best selling Aston Martin in history (at the end of DB7 production, it made up for half of all AMs built). The new models with those crappy interiors are set to pass the DB7's production figure with ease. Now what do you prefer: a DB9 or Vanquish with a rediculous cheap interior or no new Aston Martins at all? Ford saved a company that in seventy years only very rarely finished a year breaking even and turned it into a profitable company that produces some of the most beautiful cars on the road. I have been in quite a few cars in recent years and I am always impressed with the Aston Martin interiors.

OK, here's the classic example: The Sony PSOne. The N64 was by far the better machine but that didn't ensure it sold. Talking about sales in relation to how good a product is can be very misleading. Elsewhere in these forums, quite a few people are suggesting that the Apple iPod is a "bad" product, does this mean it doesn't sell? As I have said, the Aston Martin badge and exterior design is enough to sell one of these cars on its own, to your average poser it doesn't matter whether it's any good in Grand Tourer terms.

People might complain about GM scraping the parts bin, but I have never heard such a thing from an Aston Martin owner. A Continental GT has loads of cheap VW parts, but it excells by the way it's put together, just like the Astons.

In comparison to most Ford parts (in their mainstream cars at least), VWs are the equivalent of gold. The Audi switchgear looks and feels absolutely perfect in a Gallardo...it doesn't feel tacky. It's a similar story with the Bentley.

Believe it or not there is a difference between a Mondeo interior and an Aston Martin interior, even though they share some parts.

There is, and it is a big difference but still not enough for me and for a number of people I've spoken to. I'd take my money elsewhere for a GT.

It's hilarious that the person that disagrees with you the most is one of the customers that got fooled into buying one of these switch equipped vehicles. He should be the one that cares, not you.

Read what I said about poncy, small minded posers and even some people's opinions on the iPod, or the Hummer H2. Some people will buy anything for a name. Do you realise how stupid what you just said was? Just because we arent directly affected by something doesn't mean we shouldn't care. Take the war in Iraq, for example. I'm a car enthusiast and it pains me to see the almost legendary name of Aston Martin being abused - it's not as if Ford can't do better, the Ford GT has a better interior by far...

Where in the hell did 'I' say AM would use a 10k interior, I was making a direct comparison with Ferrari and Lamborghini, two luxo-exotic companies. It's all the same crap, just because you have a bone to pick w/ Ford shouldn't mean it branches out to every capillary Ford maintains.

...You didn't say it and neither did I, I said a "£10k CAR interior" meaning the interior from a car costing £10k. The only times I have a bone to pick with any company is when they do something like this. It's not just Ford. What does anger though, is that when they try, they CAN make a very good all-round vehicle. They've certainly made a massive difference to Land Rover...why are they cutting corners with Aston Martin?

[my porsche]

i think someone needs to go relax, and not get so twisted up over some window switches

[Clivey]

i think someone needs to go relax, and not get so twisted up over some window switches

I AM relaxed lol, watching "Gone In 60 Seconds" and taking a break from college work. I'm just thinking about the direction Aston Martin should be taking and looking back at what's actually happening to find they're going somewhere that's only going to turn them into another nothing eventually. It'll start with relatively minor things such as switchgear but because of the way the brand's being concentrated and "developed" (if you can call this development) it'll ultimately lead to other areas of the cars suffering. Eventually I can see Astons using Jag engines that are also shared with Land Rover...that sort of thing wouldn't be good. In that case you'd end up with one engine that's a jack of all trades, being adapted for three completely different types of vehicle, but it would be a master of none. - Just an example of the sort of thing that I can see happening (Jaguar and Land Rover are already sharing engines, what is it, a Jag OR a Land Rover? It wont excel at being both)

[Viper007]

Why dont we fit Bond with something cooler something nimble like an F40?

[Clivey]

Why dont we fit Bond with something cooler something nimble like an F40?

Lol, or for a more "British" effect, a McLaren F1...?

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Clivey - whats with the switch gear obsession?

Your dads Mondeo fell apart because it was a CHEAP car built CHEAPLY.

A Vanq is handbuilt at Newport Pagnel, buy people who CARE.

The last Aston Martin handbuilt at Newport Pagnell was the Vantage V600.

Robots cannot tell the difference between what they are making. They make it to the same standard.

At least, I think it was.

[Clivey]

The last Aston Martin handbuilt at Newport Pagnell was the Vantage V600.

And the V600 was built to a higher standrard than the Vanquish. It doesn't really matter where it was made or who by, Aston HAS taken a step backwards.

[Sauc3]

And the V600 was built to a higher standrard than the Vanquish. It doesn't really matter where it was made or who by, Aston HAS taken a step backwards.

How is making a profit and making cars that people lust after, cars that have a reputation for being some of the most comfortable cars and best GTs, cars that are arguably the best looking modern cars, cars which are stealing sales from it's rivals, a step backwards?
Remember that in 1992 the company made only 43 new cars. Was that what they went BACKWARDS from?? Now they are making 2500 cars a year, with predictions for as many as 5000.
How is that a step backwards, please explain. Is it ONLY because a few tiny parts are being shared from a parent company, which happens in a LOT of cars?