V6 to V8 Thoughts - e.g. from Elementad

[Lunar]

Hi,

Interesting to see, for instance Elementad has gone from a V6S convertible to a V8 AWD coupe.
Be good to hear thoughts, from first hand experience, on such things as...

'Vert to coupe - noise, practicality, handling and rigidity, looks.
6S to 8 AWD - noise, handling and weight over the front wheels, "fun" round the corners, running costs.
General stand-out points either way.

Thanks in advance to those of you in the fortunate situation to be able to respond!

[steviegtr]

I can only answer with what I have , which is the v8 awd convert. Would not change it for any other model. Yes it is not quiet at speed with hood up, or down. Came home last night in torrential rain & no leaks. With hood down & valves open it is very loud to the ear. Great but not on too long a journey. They say the v6 is lighter on front end in corners but I have driven pretty hard on country lanes & it's not half bad for a heavy lump. Fuel consumption is much better than I thought it would be. 25 on a run driven steadyish. Round town low 20's.

[Elementad]

Hi
Both great cars. The V6S convertible (with roof down) provides much more noise for the driver than the coupe will ever do with both windows down, so choose the coupe if you prefer looks and perhaps more structural rigidity (not that the vert lacks it).

Noise wise, the v6 sounds great and loved every minute of it. I love the sound of the beastly v8 though so had to upgrade to the R. The sound is phenomenal. As mentioned, you won’t get as much of the sound with the coupe as you will the vert, but given how loud it is you won’t struggle to hear it believe me.
Making both cars pop and crackle requires different inputs. I would say the v6S more freely pops and crackles. The V8 is more controllable. You literally feather the throttle and you can manipulate how long it does it. I never get bored of it.

Weight wise. I’m not a racing driver and by that I mean I haven’t really noticed much difference between the v6S convertible to the R AWD coupe. I’m sure Chris Harris may pick up on it if driven both back to back but I don’t notice any significant difference.

Running costs are higher for sure. You can literally watch the petrol needle go down if driven spiritedly. So what.

Practicality. The coupe is better. Bigger boot.

Performance. I wasn’t unhappy with the performance from the V6S. It was certainly quick and handled great. The R feels savage. You don’t need that power but it’s good to have it. You can certainly feel the power difference. R feels very well planted.
As a comparison I have a pal with an Aston Martin V12S. In terms of performance the two cars (AMV12S and R AWD) couldn’t be closer.

In short, you can’t go wrong with either. I (slightly) prefer the looks of the coupe over the vert but you sacrifice that little bit of extra noise. No hardship though given how loud they are.
If you prefer v8s then there is no substitute and most likely a dying breed of engine.

[steviegtr]

Good write up.

[scm]

I've driven a few V6s but not owned one. The V6 is a mad car, the V8 is a hooligan. Choose which best suits your temperament!

[Dazarooni]

Never driven a V6 but the V8 makes me smile every single time - it is an absolute beast! The noise is something else and the straight line speed is just hilarious! As for the looks - simply stunning!

[steviegtr]

Just about every youtube video on V8 has the driver laughing there head off. Just come back home past Squires motorbike café. In dyn, sport, paddle. Got a perfect rice crispies under the bridge. Still smiling while typing this.