Hello.
Please excuse any Newbie issues, first post etc.

I wonder if anyone could point me at any detailed information with respect to the GT-N, I have performed the usual google and found little or nothing.

I would love to buy an Aero however I am not certain I can deal with a soft top and have seen the GTN on sale at Rutters. My pockets could be made deep enough for this but will never reach the depths of an Aeromax sadly. Probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, the detailing alone being quite amazing.

Also I would need to use it as an every day car so am interested to see if any of you put more than a few thousand per annum on them and can provide some helpful feedback. If I left it at an airport parking lot and it was outside would I come back to a paddling pool ? Do you recommend any specific car covers to resolve this for example ?

Thanks for any help, the buyers guides were a very good read and very helpful. I am beginning the process of joining the club now and am really looking forward to it.

I have had a selection of interesting cars in the past, 550bhp Nissan GTR prior to them becoming over-exposed, 968 Club Sport and others but the Aero really does have something special.

Alistair

Can't comment on the paddling pool bit, I have a soft top, you will have to wait until some hardtop owners chime in.

What I can do, is give you a warm welcome.
This is the best place to gather information about Aero's.

Hi Alistair

I dont mean to 'pee on your parade' but there are two very important things to realise about the GTN (which you may know already):

1) The GTN is a very limited edition vehicle - virtually single figures. So whilst you have located the one at Melvyn's you wont find many others.
2) The GTN is simply a hardtop (not the whole vehicle, which had many mods, but simply the hardtop is just that)

So whilst you may well wish the exclusivity/performance of a GTN, to achieve everyday usability you can take any Aero and add a hard-top. Best done when new but not limited to as such.

Looks damn good with a hard-top also as you have alluded to.

If you loook at the Aero colour sample thread you will see that there is a gunmetal grey one owned by Andrew-Photo (as we fondly refer to him ) that looks fantastic. This is a series 2 with the more comfortable mods. Not a GTN but more everyday user friendly.

Lastly any well adjusted roof should give you a degree of waterproofness (mine can withstand a jetwash or a severe downpour with nothing more than a small tiny patch on the door sill) though I think the consensus of opinion is that the more recent the vehicle, the more likely this is. I would think a well adjusted hard-top would be more so but I await more experienced opinions on this than my own

Guess the question is GTN for GTN sake or usability? if the former, go for it, if the latter, there are alternatives in the form of any S1,S2,S3 or S4 car without having to go the Aeromax route.

Hope it helps

My soft top (S1) doesn't leak at all (ok, only a tiny bit on the window edge), but it differs from car to car.

But to have an aero as an every day car? Hmmm...
I don't think I could leave my Morgan at an airport parking, let alone a GTN. I wouldn't feel comfortable at all. But that's a matter of attitude I guess.

I do believe that when you save a car for the weekends or the 'nice weather days', you get a bigger kick out of them. I always got bored real soon with my previous every day sportcars.

Welcome Alistair

As Boshly has stated, the GTN was produced in very limited numbers - the run was set for 15 cars; however, there have been claims that only 11 were eventually produced (the numbering of cars definitely goes up to 11 as we have the owner of that car on this forum! ).

Quite simply the GTN was is the bridge between the Series 1 Aero 8 and the Aero that was run at LeMans. The S1 specification was enhanced toward a more track biased vehicle by: -

- Using the standard 4.4 BMW V8 but enlarging it to 4619cc (which developed 330bhp)

- Black centre lock OZ wheels running Yoko 048 semi slick tyres

- Uprated suspension

- Side exit sports exhausts

- Carbon fibre hardtop

- Carbon fibre interior trim

- Revised lower splitter with cooling ducts for the front brakes.

- Standard colour scheme of Blue and Silver

I believe I've remember all the additions but if not, I'm sure someone else will add.

The car you're mentioning was owned by a well known Morgan enthusiast who sold it to buy another GTN, a very low mileage one. As you will probably know, the car you mention has been used for various reviews of the GTN, including the Tog Gear segment iirc.

Here is the Top Gear clip





Personally, for the price of the GTN in question, and as a daily driver, I would look at a Series 3 car. There have been two sold recently for less than the asking price of the GTN and I know that both cars were mint.

The S3 would be an easier car to live with daily (both in terms of maintenance and comfort). When fitted with a hardtop, best done at the factory as the top needs to be fitted to the car, you'll have a water tight vehicle for the winter in even the worst weather.

As you'll see from the version changes , the S2 and S3 Aero 8s had the new 4.4 Variocam BMW engine with a higher output of 330bhp (there are cars that are putting out much more from stock), so they are on a par with the 4.6 V8 of the GTN and above that of the stock S1.

I'd suggest driving an S3 before taking the plunge on the GTN; as Chris Harris said when he reviewed the AeroMax, even owning an Aero 8 makes you a member of a very exclusive club... none of these cars are mass produced!

Any other question, just ask.

Welcome Alistair I agree with Simon, go for the S3 with factory carbon hardtop. One of the members on here uses his S3(now S4)on a daily basis and has covered over 20000 miles in a year, I'm sure he'll come along very soon and introduce himself
Whichever Aero you choose, you'll belongs to a very exclusive club

I have a series 4 with a hard top. It has just recently been heavily modified by a complete change to the seals around the windows and today before removing the hardtop for the first time I attacked it with a hose on low and medium pressure.

It is now extremely effective. There has just recently been a slight change to the door internals as well and mine have been retrofitted with the new membrane.

My series 3 didn't like being left at the airport for a week. The battery went flat. Obviously there was something causing a drain on the battery. Never did find out what it was.

As for everyday use, I use main as a main vehicle and have other things as my alternates. However, only done around 5,000 miles so far in the 10 or so weeks since getting the car as it has had some down time having the modifications and the pedals and seats changed. Normal service will now be resumed and should start racking up the miles.

Excellent.

Thanks for all the comments, the fog begins to lift.

It sounds like I would be better off with a standard car with a hardtop as many of you outline. I was not after the GTN for the performance but I had never seen an Aero with a hardtop before and so was not aware that they existed. So I need to look at hood fit very carefully and get a hardtop, this is the best outcome which is good.

I must admit that I still like the look of the older S1 cars with the wheelnut alloys and squint look. Then again I have hardly seen any S3/4 near me so they have not had time to grow on me yet.

I live quite close to Richard Thornes site and so have local support which is good given I used to have to travel further to get all my other cars serviced, ironic that the most scarce car is easier to service !

Thanks for everyones input and the good nature of the board, looking forward to the chase now.

Here you go!

As others have said, series II onwards with a hard top is the better choice for everyday usage. Having said that, the soft top on the SII is perfectly sound and watertight day to day, so the necessity for a hardtop is only really a cosmetic one.

Having said that if you're keeping the car outside in the winter (surely not!) then a hard top would be better as the rear screen on the softop (after the S1) is not heated...