Aston Martin Vantage Supercharged

Follow a visual timeline of Aston Martin’s history and you see the beauty of the Fifties’ and Sixties’ DB models gives way to a far more brutish look through the Seventies and Eighties. And the Supercharged Vantage was, in many ways, the ultimate example of this style.

Unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1992, it was a performance evolution of the Virage, which had arrived in 1989 to replace the long-serving V8. However, while the Vantage did look similar to the Virage, the only body panels it shared with its sibling were the doors and roof. At the front, the headlamps sat behind heated lens covers, while a deep chin spoiler and prominent bonnet bulge gave it a purposeful stance. 

In profile, the bulging wheelarches wrap around huge 18-inch rims, while large circular tail-lights add to the menacing look. Interior design is archetypal Nineties, but a few examples of borrowed switchgear can’t detract from the hand-crafted cabin’s plush leather, wood veneers and luxury trimmings. 

The engineering highlight is a pair of huge superchargers, which nestle either side of the big V8 engine. They help to produce an incredible 550bhp, which meant the Vantage could sprint from 0-60mph in only 4.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 186mph – amazing when you consider it weighs nearly two tonnes. 

Aston didn’t stop there. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its victory in the world’s most famous endurance race in 1999, it launched the Vantage Le Mans, with a mighty 600bhp. 

Only 40 of these extreme machines were produced and while many considered the Vantage a dinosaur, it remained the pinnacle of hand-built Aston Martin performance until it was replaced by the V12 Vanquish. 
 
* Value: £70,000-£300,000

* Engine: 5.4-litre supercharged V8, 550bhp

* Transmission: Six-speed manual

* 0-60mph/top speed: 4.6 seconds/186mph

* Cars built: 279