Coys Auction
Ascot Racecourse,
Berkshire SL5 7JX
Saturday 2 October 2010 at 3pm
The Virage was Aston Martin's replacement for the decades-old V8 model. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, this V8-powered car was intended as the company's top model, with the 6-cylinder 1994 DB7 slotted below it. Although the DB7 switched to a V12 engine, claiming the performance crown, this V8 model (by then in Vantage form) remained the exclusive, expensive, and hand-built king of Astons.
The Virage design was fresh and modern, perhaps looking more like a Lagonda than the V8 it replaced. The Virage was a large, heavy car, but the 32-valve 5.3 L (5340 cc) V8 engine's 350 ft lb (475 N m) torque elevated its performance to sports car levels.- "Acceleration just never seems to run out", claimed Sports Car International on a first test. The 1790 kg (3946 lb) car could reach an incredible 158 mph.
The Virage Volante convertible debuted in 1992 as a 2-seat car, but all production examples feature