BOLD RIDE
The talk of the town continues to be Aston Martin’s all-new Vulcan – a 7.0-liter V12 toting, 800 horsepower track monster that makes actual race cars look docile. It will however cost you an alleged $2.3 million… which is a lot, and Aston Martin will only build 24 of them. Pity.
If you are in the market for a loony Aston but don’t have that kind of money, we suggest this. It’s a 1991 Aston Martin Virage and it sports one of Aston Martin’s rare widebody packages as well as a thonking big 6.3-liter V8. Like what you see? It’s up for sale on eBay.
The Virage debuted in 1988, and is commonly pegged as the first new Aston in decades, replacing the aged yet gorgeous Aston Martin V8 Vantage from the ’70s and ’80s. It came equipped with a 5.3-liter V8, which was good for 330 horsepower, but allegedly wasn’t enough to deal with its rather heavy curb weight and offset its steep $200,000 price tag. Aston Martin’s Works Service heard these grumblings and decided to do something about it.
This was that stunning result. For around $80,000 extra, Aston would equip a customer’s car with this bulging aluminum widebody kit, add on massive five-spoke wheels, chompy 14-inch disc brakes, a stiffer suspension, and a stainless steel exhaust. But the biggest gain comes from under the hood.
The factory bored and stroked the original 5.3-liter V8 out to 6.3-liters, added larger valves, high lift cams, and a revised crankshaft, which equated to a heady 456 horsepower and 460 lb-ft. Yowza!
According to the seller, this 1991 model was originally exported to Germany before it entered the US in 2000, and remains one of just about 50 cars in total to get the coveted ‘Works package’. Mileage on a vintage bruiser like this is crucial and the Virage shows a scant 28,242 miles total.
The $2.3 million Vulcan is certainly the faster car, by far and away, but this Aston tells quite the interesting story.
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