Aston Martin V8 Zagato LH Volante
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Car producer : |
Aston Martin |
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Model: |
V8 Zagato LH Volante |
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Year: |
1986-1990 |
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Type: |
Cabriolet |
The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupe and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990. The coupe was first unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show and orders were quickly taken despite only showing the drawing of the car. The decision to build the later convertible was controversial – all 52 coupes had already been purchased at the height of the supercar speculation market, and the convertibles were to remain more desirable than their predecessors.
The V8 Zagato, as the name suggests, was based on the Aston Martin V8, but with a body by the famed Zagato coachbuilder. The design was an angular modern interpretation of the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato of the 1960s. The squared-off grille was especially controversial.
The Zagato’s distinctive bodywork, rendered in lightweight aluminium, was a modern interpretation of the DB4GT. During the design process, Zagato trimmed the wheelbase of the contemporary V8 a little over 17 centimetres and deleted the rear seats, creating the first two-seat Aston Martin since the DB4GT.
The Zagato was powered by a 430 hp (321 kW) V8 engine with twin-choke Weber carburettors. The all-alloy car could hit 300 km/h (186 mph).
Given the success of the Zagato Coupé, a Zagato Volante convertible debuted at Geneva in 1987. Despite the lack of a fixed roof, the Volante body provided more torsional rigidity than the prior coupé. Other changes included a revised grille and covered headlamps for the majority of the Volantes produced. The V-8 engine of the Volante produced over 320 bhp with Bosch fuel injection, negating the controversial hood bulge of the Coupé, which was required to clear the Weber carburettors of that model. While not as brutal as the Zagato Coupé, the Volante generated very strong performance nonetheless.
It was a luxurious car, with a price tag of US$156,600 at the time but with the high rarity and being released at the supercar price boom of 1987 to 1990.
