At the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show, Aston Martin revealed the long overdue replacement for the V8 that had been in production for the better part of two decades. Dubbed the Virage, the new Aston Martin retained all the familiar elements of the V8 but further refined and in a modern package that looked ready to take the British manufacturer into the 1990s.
For the design of the Virage, Aston Martin had opened a competition. Beating quite a few rivals of note, the work of British stylists John Hefferman and Ken Greeley was chosen. Their design featured prominent, square headlights and tail lights, while a subtle version of the familiar Aston Martin grille was used. Although smoother than that of the outgoing V8, the lines of the V8 were straightforward yet elegant.
As before, the body was crafted in aluminium and mounted on a steel subframe in a classic coach-built fashion. This structure was mounted on a steel platform chassis. Like the V8, the Virage featured double wishbone suspension at the front while the rear-end boasted a tried and trusted DeDion rear axle. Massive ventilated disc brakes were fitted on all four corner.
While the 5.3-litre displacement was retained, the V8 engine was comprehensively reworked. It was fitted with four-valve heads that had been developed together with Reeves Callaway. Another novelty was the Weber fuel injection system. As a result, the rumbling V8 now produced 330 bhp and crucially close to 500 Nm of torque. Aston Martin offered either a five-speed manual gearbox or a Chrysler 3-speed Torqueflite automatic. Despite the painfully high price, the lure of the first all-new Aston Martin in two decades meant that the order books quickly filled up. Being a hand-built car, the Virage could be built to custom order. In 1992, the Works Service option was added to the line-up, which included a 6.3-litre version of the engine, even larger brakes and a wide body. Needless to say, each of these upgrades could also be picked separately. A supercharged Vantage model also joined the line-up in 1992.
Two years after the Virage’s, Aston Martin was back in Birmingham to offer a first glimpse of the ‘Volante’ convertible version. The original prototype was a strict two-seater but by the Geneva Motor Show early in 1991, the production-ready Volante had a 2+2 seating configuration. Like the Coupe, the Virage Volante could also be specified with the Works Service package, while a special Wide Body with the 5.3 litre engine was created for the North American market where the 6.3-litre engine had not been homologated.
By the mid-1990s, the Virage name was dropped and the car was simply referred to as the V8. Along with the change in the name, the styling was refined with smoother headlights and twin circular tail lights as the most obvious changes. The output of the ‘standard’ 5.3-litre engine was also slightly increased to 350 bhp and a full 500 Nm of torque.
The Virage and subsequent V8 were produced through to 2000 when 1,050 examples of all versions were built. Replaced by the V12-engined Vanquish, this truly marked the end of an era and the Virage/V8 remains as the last of the hand-built Aston Martins.
Engine
Configuration
90ยบ V8
Location
Front, longitudinally mounted
Construction
aluminium alloy block and head
Displacement
6,347 cc / 387.3 cu in
Valvetrain
4 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed
Fuel Injection
Lubrication
Wet sump
Aspiration
Naturally Aspirated
Power
500 bhp / 373 kW @ 6,000 rpm
Torque
651 Nm / 480 ft lbs @ 5,800 rpm
BHP/Liter
79 bhp / liter
Drivetrain
Body
aluminium panels on steel frame
Chassis
unitary steel
Front suspension
double wishbones, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension
deDion axle, Watts linkage
Steering
rack-and-pinion, power assisted
Front Brakes
ventilated discs
Rear brakes
discs
Gearbox
5 speed Manual
Drive
Rear wheel drive
Dimensions
Weight
2,000 kilo / 4,409 lbs
Length / Width / Height
4,745 mm (186.8 in) / 1,858 mm (73.1 in) / 1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r)
2,610 mm (102.8 in) / 1,510 mm (59.4 in) / 1,522 mm (59.9 in)
