Reaction to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage was predictably enthusiastic, and it certainly generated the right sort of publicity for Aston Martin, though it was the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante version which was the mainstay of production at Newport Pagnell.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage, launched at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1992, was the second model to be given this name in its own right, rather than just an uprated version of a current product. The first was the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the Company Developments version of the Aston Martin DBS.
While this model did bear a passing resemblance to Aston Martin Virage, careful examination would have revealed many differences. The most obvious were external details, the only Virage panels were the door and roof skins.
The frontal aspect had obvious differences, two groups of three headlamps, each group behind a single heated lens while the grille over the opening above the bumper moulding had a unique appearence.
Specification
- Engine: V8, twin-OHC, four valves per cylinder, twin Eaton superchargers
- Bore/stroke: 1000mm x 85mm
- Displacement: 5340cc
- Power: 550bhp @ 6500 rpm
- Torque: 550 lb.ft @ 4000 rpm
- Fuel system: Bosch injection with EEC IV management
- Gearbox: 6-speed ZF manual
- Chassis: Steel platform
- Suspension
- Front: wishbones with coil springs and anti-roll bar
- Rear: de Dion with coil springs, trailing arms and Watt linkage
- Brakes: Discs all around, ABS
- Length: 5’7″ (4745 mm)
- Width: 6’4″ (1924 mm)
- Height: 4’5″ (1330 mm)
- Weight: 1920 kg
- Wheelbase: 8’7″ (2610 mm)
- Top Speed: 186mph (229km/h)
- 0-60mph: 4.6 secs
- Production Dates: October 1992 – April 1995
