The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a GT car 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.

Aston Martin has developed a new luxury commuter concept; the Aston Martin Cygnet Concept which will offer customers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury.

The concept will offer Aston Martin trademark design in a commuter car package based on the critically acclaimed Toyota iQ with a Euro NCAP 5-star safety package.

The Aston Martin Cygnet Concept represents a creative, environmentally conscious solution, being small, yet with presence – and highly fuel efficient, now combined with the prestige of Aston Martin’s luxury brand ownership.

Aston Martin, the world leader in exclusive niche engineering is collaborating on this concept with Toyota the world leader in volume, quality and reliability. Although vastly different in size, Toyota and Aston Martin share the philosophy of engineering excellence and innovation underlined by a strong passion for cars.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ.”

“Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. This concept – akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht – will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”

“The offering of a Aston Martin Cygnet with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level.”

Robin Leach took to the airwaves that year for a peek into “The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” and if he’d smarmed his celebrity subjects into walking him through their garages, we’d have encountered cars like these three supersedans on a weekly basis. Each was as absurdly overpriced as any of the other trappings of luxury featured on the show. The Maserati Quattroporte was the bargain of the lot, starting in the mid-$60,000 range (double these figures for today’s dollars), next came the Bentley Mulsanne at about $110,000, and the Aston Martin Lagonda rang the bell at $150,000. An average of 20 Lagondas per year arrived in the U.S., only 30 Bentleys were imported each year, and Quattroporte sales here tallied just over 150 annually in the mid-1980s.

The V8 Vantage has a 0-60 time of just 5.3 seconds, Hard to beat, even today, almost 30 years later.
This particular ‘factory’ Vantage was first registered in May 1984 and has an odometer reading of just 45,330 (believed to be genuine based on MOT history).
Presented in stunning Jubilee Silver with red hide interior & red carpets, all in excellent order. Fitted with brand new ‘Ronal’ alloy wheels & tyres, it also comes with an Alpine Hi-Fi & CD stacker fitted in the last 12 months.
This car has been owned and cherished by a true enthusiast of late, and it drives & handles just as a Vantage should.

The Aston Martin V8 was produced from 1969 through 1990 and was, of course, powered by an eight-cylinder engine. For many years eager customers had been pleading with Aston Martin to produce an eight-cylinder car. Expected to be completed by 1967, the engine took a few more years of development before being ready. In the mean-time, Aston Martin introduced the DBS which borrowed its Vantage six-cylinder engine from the DB6.
In the 1987 film ‘The Living Daylights’, famous British Secret Agent James Bond could be seen on the big screen driving around in his V8 Vantage Volante. A few years earlier Roger Moore had driven a DBS V8 in the movie ‘The Persuaders.’ His car was built to resemble the V8 version but actually powered by a six-cylinder engine.

In 1969 the eight-cylinder engine was ready and successfully adapted to the DBS. The engine had been designed by Aston Martin’s head engineer, Tadek Marek. The engine had made an appearance in the Lola T70 LeMans racer but was more of learning and testing experience than a true success. The DBS was now available with either the six- or eight-cylinder engine, with the eight-cylinder version being the more popular. Over the years the 5.3 liter V8 used fitted with either Bosch fuel injection or carburetors, double overhead camshafts and was capable of producing around 300-315 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty took a mere 5.9 seconds with top speed being achieved at 160 mph.

The square-grille, four headlights, and large front air dam was the traditional Aston Martin persona. Gone were the wire wheels.

By 1972 the DBS V8 became the Aston Martin V8; since the six-cylinder DBS was no longer offered. This left the V8 and the Vantage as Aston Martins entire model line.

In 1972 Aston Martin offered the Series II which incorporated minor visual and mechanical changes. The front featured a mesh grille with twin quart headlights while under the hood the engine was given a little extra tuning. Production of the Series II continued until 1973 with just over 285 examples being produced. After the Series II came the Series III which incorporated four twin-choke Weber carburetors and a larger hood scoop. The 310 horsepower engine took the car from zero-to-sixty in 5.7 seconds, when equipped with the manual transmission. Soon strict emission and government regulations sent the performance tumbling. A new exhaust and camshaft helped boost power a little but was still down by about 10 horsepower.

The Series III continued production from 1973 through 1978 except for 1975 when production was temporarily halted. In total over 965 examples were produced. Production had ceased in 1975 due to financial difficulties. A take-over from a consortium in 1975 meant the company could continue producing vehicles. It was decided that instead of creating new models which often consumes large amounts of capital, the company would focus their attention and abilities on fine-tuning the products already in production.

At the Birmingham International Motor Show in 1978, Aston Martin introduced the Series IV, also known as the ‘Oscar India.’ The hood scoop was replaced with a bulge, and a spoiler could now be found on the rear. On the interior could be found wood trim, not seen on an Aston Martin since the DB2/4 of the 1950’s. Most were equipped with Chrysler’s Torqueflite 3-speed automatic gearbox. Production continued from 1978 through 1985 with a total of 291 examples being produced.

1978 also saw the introduction of the V8 Volante which was a convertible. Though the United States had strict rules concerning safety and convertibles, many of the 650 Volantes produced during the 12 year period made their way State-side.

In 1985 a partnership was formed with the famous Italian coachbuilder Zagato to build a limited edition Zagato bodied version of the V8 Vantage. Sketches were shown to the public at the 1985 Geneva Motorshow with the production version making an appearance a year later. These cars were lighter and smaller with an estimated top speed of around 300 km/h. Though production was limited to only 50 examples, demand was much higher. Even before the cars were produced, the money had already been collected from buyers and the original sticker price had even seen escalation due to the popularity.

Planning always takes a back seat to reality. The car was estimated to have a top speed of 300 km/h but when testing began, the engine proved inadequate to meet the goal. The fuel injection system was replaced with Weber carburetors but this caused a new problem. The hood needed to be enlarged to house the cabs resulting in a design that was not aesthetically pleasing to many customers.

The ‘double bubble’ roof was Zagato’s signature trademark. The aerodynamic body was shorter than its counterpart and weighed 10% less. Handling was considerable better as was the overall performance.
Since the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato was produced in limited numbers many investors purchased the vehicles in hopes of turning a profit. Though the designs are very elegant, the true strength of the car was in its performance; sadly many have not been given the opportunity to prove their potential to their owners.
At the 1986 New York Auto Show, Aston Martin introduced their fuel-injected Series V. Since there were no bulky carburetors, there was no need for the bulge. Production continued until 1989 with around 61 examples being produced.

In 1998 a limited edition version of the Vantage was introduced and dubbed the V600. Outfitted with the 5.3 liter V8 and fitted with dual superchargers, the car was capable of producing an astonishing 600 horsepower. Some of the design cues were taken from the DBR1 LeMans racer that won the 1959 LeMans race. Production was low due to problems with emission regulations. Instead, Aston Martin introduced the V12 Vanquish in 2001.

During the production of the Aston Martin V8, it was hailed by many as Britain’s ’super car’. It’s eight-cylinder engine was a bold move for the small, low production quantity Aston Martin firm. In the end, it was the right decision and one that carried the company for many years. Its performance was legendary and the design was elegant.

The 2009 Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size sport utility vehicle that combines true off-road competence with everyday driving comfort, refinement and safety.

The 4Runner’s three trim levels; SR5, Sport Edition, and Limited, are available in rear- or four-wheel drive. Each trim has a five-speed automatic transmission and either a 236-hp 4.0-liter V6 or a 260-hp 4.7-liter V8. The V8 engine boosts the 4Runner’s tow rating to 7,300 pounds. An optional third-row seat expands the passenger capacity to seven. Stability control, traction control, driver and passenger seat-mounted side airbags, and first and second row side-curtain airbags with roll-over sensors are standard.