he Volante convertible had been the big seller of the
'old' V8 line-up, so the only surprise was that it took Aston
Martin more than two years from the Virage coupé's
introduction to come up with a soft-top equivalent. The
production Virage Volante debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in
March 1991, a prototype having been displayed at Birmingham's
NEC the previous October. Weighing in at over two tons, the
open Volante was even heavier than the closed coupé, itself no
lightweight, this increase in weight being accounted for by
considerable body strengthening to compensate for the absent
roof, plus the extra complication of the power-operated
convertible hood. Electrically powered, the latter was
beautifully made and incorporated a glass rear window,
complete with heated de-misting elements. Mechanically the
Volante remained much the same as its closed cousin, though
with slightly lower final drive gearing to aid acceleration
through the gears. Top speed was slightly reduced, to a still
outstanding 150mph. Automatic transmission was standard on the
Volante, the original three-speeder being superseded in 1993
by a new four-speed dual-mode (normal/sport) unit. The
five-speed manual 'box continued to be available as an option. |
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