The V8 Vantage Volante was the very last special edition to come from Aston Martin’s Works Service in Newport Pagnell. It was conceived by Steve Bolton and Shaun Rush of the Special Projects Division with the help Aston’s best clients. They put together what became the ultimate Aston Martin Convertible.
Since the Volante Special Edition was one of the last models to be built at the Newport Pagnell facility, great care was taken to ensure these cars would be the ultimate expression of a hand-built Aston Martin. Each car was delivered with an owner’s manual that was specifically written for each car and no two cars were alike. One was built up from V8 Vantage Le Mans bodywork while another used the LWB chassis.1
Central to the Vantage Volante Special Edition was the 550 bhp twin-supercharged V8 which was typically limited to the Coupés. Some of the features built for the Le Mans Coupé were also brought over. With it’s agressive bodykit, and open air motoring these were the last of the great coachbuilt Aston Martins.
Only nine special editions were made and each was signed off by Robert A Dover, the Chairman of the company. Built to the customer’s specification, none were identical. Base price was £230,000 plus the cost of any additional extras ordered by the customer.
After the last Volante Special Edition was delivered in October of 2000, the Newport Pagnell factory closed.1
Chassis & Sales
At their Aston Martin and Lagonda Motor Cars and related Automobilia sale at Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, Works Service in Newport Pagnell, Bonhams sold chassis 71001, the very last of the nine Special Editions. This was finished in Antrim Blue with dark blue-piped parchment trim, blue Wilton carpeting and blue mohair hood lined in parchment Alcantara. Le Mans features included a starter button, control pedals and instruments. With 13,000 on the odometer it sold for £238,000 inclusive of Buyer’s Premium.
Sources & Further Reading
1.Dowsey, David. Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul. Peleus Press: 2007
In Detail
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | Newport Pagnell, England |
| body stylist | John Heffernan |
| production | 9 |
| price £/td> | £229,950 |
| engine | V8 |
| position | Front, Longitudinal |
| aspiration | 2 Roots-Type M90 Eaton Superchargers |
| block material | Aluminum Alloy |
| valvetrain | Chain Driven DOHC w/4 Valves per Cyl |
| fuel feed | Bosch Mulit-Point Electronic Injection |
| displacement | 5340 cc / 325.87 in³ |
| compression | 8.2:1 |
| power | 447.4 kw / 600 bhp @ 6500 rpm |
| specific output | 112.36 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 293.69 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 813.5 nm / 600 ft lbs @ 4000 rpm |
| body / frame | Aluminum Body over Steel Box-Section Chassis |
| driven wheels | RWD w/LSD |
| front tires | 285/35ZR18 Goodyear Eagle GSD |
| rear tires | 285/35ZR18 Goodyear Eagle GSD |
| front brakes | Ventilated Discs w/AP Racing 6-Piston Calipers w/ABS |
| rear brakes | Ventilated Discs w/AP Racing 6-Piston Calipers w/ABS |
| steering | Rack & Pinion w/Power Assist |
| f suspension | Wishbones w/Coil Springs, Dampers, Anti-Roll Bar |
| r suspension | de Dion Tube Axle w/Watt’s Link, Coil Springs, Telescopic Dampers, Anti-Roll Bar |
| curb weight | 2043 kg / 4500 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2610 mm / 102.8 in |
| length | 4745 mm / 186.8 in |
| width | 1918 mm / 75.5 in |
| height | 1357 mm / 53.4 in |
| transmission | ZF 5-Speed Manual or 4-Speed Torqflight Automatic |
| final drive | 3.33:1 |
| top speed | ~321.80 kph / 200 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~3.9 seconds |
Keyword: 2000 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante Special Edition