Virage/V8 Coupe and Works Service models
When compared to the preceding V8, the design was more modern. The chassis was an evolution of the Lagonda's, with a de Dion tube rear suspension, located by triangulated radius rods and a Watts linkage, and a double wishbone unit at the front.[4] To cut costs, many of the less-important pieces came from other companies, as had been the case for Aston Martin automobiles of the past. The headlights and taillights were sourced from the Audi 200 and the Volkswagen Scirocco respectively, while General Motors, Jaguar, Citroën and Ford provided the steering column, climate control panel, wing mirrors and dash switches. In fact, Ford had purchased Aston Martin and Jaguar shortly before the Virage debuted and it became the first model to be introduced under the new ownership.
The Virage was a large, heavy car in spite of its all-aluminium body, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5,340 cc) V8 engine's 494 Nm of torque elevated its performance to near sports car levels. "Acceleration just never seems to run out", claimed Sports Car International during a first test. They also praised the "eager and quicker revving" nature of the 330 hp engine with its Callaway-designed heads and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. "Nothing sounds quite like an Aston V8," they concluded. The 1,790 kg (3,946 lb) car could reach a top-speed of 254 kph. The automatic variant could accelerate to 60 mi/h from a standing start in a claimed 6.5 seconds (7.4 seconds for the manual version).[1][2] The catalyzed European-spec engine produces a claimed 310 PS at 5300 rpm, and period tests claimed 8 seconds to reach 100 km/h for the automatic version.[5] An engine power upgrade to 350 hp was announced at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show.[6] English actor Rowan Atkinson owned Virage Coupé chassis 50010, which featured on the front cover of Car May 1990. In the article he commented how the modern climate control system provided heating efficiency beyond the veteran Aston Martin driver's dreams and could not believe warm air would emanate from the footwell within 90 seconds of start up. This car also appeared in the beginning of his 1991 TV series The Driven Man.[7] Other celebrity owners included Lennox Lewis, Elton John and Chris Eubank.
The five-speed ZF Friedrichshafen manual was fitted to about forty percent of the cars produced. The more popular automatic option was the Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite transmission. For the 1993 model year, the three-speed unit was replaced by a four-speed automatic unit.[6] The six-speed manual from the Vantage also became optional at the end of the Virage's production run.[8] Aston Martin had prepared for an annual production rate of 275 examples.[5] In the end, the totals averaged about a third of that during the model's seven-year lifespan (including the Volante).
Works Service
The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was manufactured by Aston Martin Works Service with a 12 inch chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18 in extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about GB£250,000 and only eight or nine are believed to have been produced, with some being conversions of regular Virages. Six of these cars were ordered by the royal family of Brunei.[10]
The five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing "Vacances" badging at the rear. A further six cars were made for a royal family from the ground up, adding a 16 in extension to the chassis of a standard Virage.[11]
- Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake
Works Service
The Lagonda Saloon is a long-wheelbase four-door Virage model that was built in very limited numbers to customer orders, reviving Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. Introduced in 1994, it was manufactured by Aston Martin Works Service with a 12 inch chassis extension, although two were ordered with an 18 in extension. The name refers to the four-door Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda Virage cost about GB£250,000 and only eight or nine are believed to have been produced, with some being conversions of regular Virages. Six of these cars were ordered by the royal family of Brunei.[10]
The five-door Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake debuted at the same time as the Lagonda Virage. It was made by Aston Martin Works Service in only one or two examples, and has been spotted bearing "Vacances" badging at the rear. A further six cars were made for a royal family from the ground up, adding a 16 in extension to the chassis of a standard Virage.[11]
- Lagonda Virage Shooting Brake
V8 Coupe
A less extreme (compared to the Vantage) V8 Coupe replaced the standard Virage from 1996 onwards having the updated styling inherited from the more powerful Vantage. Lacking the superchargers and the more aggressive body style of its sibling, the engine in the V8 Coupe has a power output of 350 hp[12] and 369 lb·ft (500 N·m) of torque.[13][14] In total, 101 examples of the V8 Coupe were built from 1996 through 2000.
The V8 was also subject to coachbuilt conversion by Aston Martin's Works Service department. Dubbed the Sportsman estate, only three were made using existing V8 Coupes as a base. No mechanical modifications were made and the Estate retained the V8 Coupe's engine and mechanicals.[15]
Virage Volante/V8 Volante
The convertible version of the Virage, called the Virage Volante debuted at the 1990 Birmingham Motor Show as a strict two-seater, but a 2+2 version was shown at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show.[1] Production examples, first appearing in 1992, were all to feature 2+2 seating. Sources state that either 224 or 233 examples had been produced when production ended in 1996. The last 11 examples already had the naturally aspirated 1995 version of the engine found in the later V8 and V8 LWB Volante models with the improved four-speed and overdrive Torqueflite automatic and a power output of 359 PS, which may be part of why there is some disagreement to the production numbers.
1992 was also when Aston Martin introduced its 6.3-litre "Works Service" package, which included wider fenders to accommodate the larger OZ wheels and 14-inch disc brakes, additional vents, deeper sills, and other appearance modifications. This was immediately available on the Coupé as well as the Volante.[16] Aston Martin soon introduced a strictly cosmetic version called the Wide Body featuring the regular 5.3-litre engine; this was mainly intended for the United States market as the 6.3 was not certified for sale there. 13 of these were built for the United States, whereas only seven regular Virage Volantes were delivered there. In contrast to the Wide Body Volante, the Prince of Wales chose to equip his 1994 Volante with the standard bodywork coupled with the 456 hp 6.3-litre engine and a manual transmission.[17]
Vantage
As with many other Aston Martin models, a high-performance Vantage model of the Virage would later be introduced. First shown at Birmingham in September 1992, the Vantage was produced from 1993 through 2000. The Virage name lasted just a few years, with its final descendants inheriting the simple and familiar V8 name.
The Vantage had new styling, with only the roof, doors and wing mirrors shared with the Virage. The wing mirrors were later replaced in favour of the ones from the Jaguar XK8/XKR. Compared to the Virage, the Vantage is wider, lower, used four round tail lights (later adopted for the base V8 Coupe), and featured new rear suspension and interior electronics. Like the 6.3, the Vantage used 362 mm (14 in) brake discs and 18 inch wheels.[8]
The biggest change to the Vantage was inside the engine compartment. The 5341 cc V8 engine now used twin superchargers. Power output was now 550 hp, and the torque was 555 lbft at 4,000 rpm. Top speed was 300 km/h, with acceleration from taking 4.6 seconds.[8] Customers cars could be returned to Works Service starting in 1998 to be converted to V600 specifications, where the engine was upgraded to 600 hp at 6,200 rpm and 600 lbft of torque at 4,400 rpm.[19]
V8 Vantage Le Mans
New European emission and safety regulations led Aston Martin to decide to end production of the V8-Vantage line. The final model was called "V8 Vantage Le Mans", honoring Aston Martin's 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The prototype of a limited run of 40 cars was presented in Geneva in 1999 on the 40th anniversary of the win.
All Le Mans Vantages were sent back after delivery to have the engine modifications to deliver 612 PS and 820 Nm of torque, and were supported by a suspension reinforced with special Koni shock-absorbers and stiffer anti-roll bars. The bodywork featured a blanked-out front grille and modified side vents – replicating the side vents of the Le Mans winning DBR-1 – as well as a bigger front spoiler and rear skirt.[21] The interior was reworked with a large tachometer, a special titanium finish on some parts, and features such as a heated windshield, parking radars, traction control, heated electric seats, and full Connolly leather upholstery with matching Wilton wool carpets. Wheels were the same Dymag magnesium units seen on most V600s. Performance included a claimed top speed of 320 kph and 0-100 km/h acceleration being achieved in 3.9 seconds. The keyholder was in sterling silver, and a map from Newport-Pagnell to the legendary Le Mans track was provided in the delivery documents. Each car was made upon special commission and fitted with a number plate which also indicated the name of the first owner.[22]
US availability
The Virage would not become available in the United States until the summer of 1990 and the Virage Volante convertible became available later in 1992. The later V8 Coupe version and the Virage Vantage were not officially offered for sale in the US. Availability was ended after the 1993 model year, due to the lack of passenger airbags and inability to meet emissions regulations.[23]
