V8 Vantage (V580X)

V8 Vantage (V580X) Description

In production: January 1986 – September 1989

Chassis numbers: 12507 to 12701

The introduction of Weber electronic fuel injection across the V8 range in January 1986 was not adopted by the Vantage as the current technology was unable to deliver the power expected of the flagship of the range. Vantages continued to happily breathe through their four twin-choke, down draught 48 IDF Weber carburettors and from early 1986, the more powerful engine from the Zagato began to be installed into the regular bodyshell. The 410-420 bhp V580X engine, with suffix /X, for eXtra performance, was initially developed for use at the higher altitudes of South Africa and further developed for the limited edition Zagato. A few months later, at the 1986 British International Motor Show, was the premiere of a Vantage with the combination of V580X engine, larger diameter wheels and subtlety revised coachwork, the swansong of the Vantage; a derivative that we now know as the ‘X-pack’. The show car, chassis 12528 was the example with the larger 16 inch wheels, variable rate springs with re-calibrated Koni shock absorbers and wider wheel arches that extended around the car. The wheels that were initially fitted, Compomotive three-piece alloys, were subsequently found less than suitable as they had a habit of splitting after hitting kerbs. These were replaced initially with OZ Ceres, then MSW and finally by Ronal light alloy wheels all with Goodyear 255/50 ZR 16 Eagle tyres.

Whilst the ZF five-speed manual transmission was the default choice for the enthusiastic driver, the automatic TorqueFlite became an official, certified, option for the first time in late 1987. Fifteen automatic ‘X-packs’ were built, the earliest being 12587 and such cars had engine numbers with the suffix /XA.

Some even more powerful engines were built, a further development of the X-pack with carburettors carefully modified to 50 mm, larger 4 inch diameter air trunking, deleted air pumps and larger diameter exhausts. These engines, known as 'big bore', were able produce 432 bhp at 6000 rpm and 395 lb.ft torque at 5000 rpm.

During three and a half years of production starting with chassis number 12507, 131 full specification ‘X-packs’ were built and sold made up of 95 right hand drive for the UK and 36 left hand drive for mainland Europe and the Middle East. There were also six cars built to V585 ‘cosmetic’ specification, outwardly the same as the ‘X-packs’ but with the Federal specification V585 efi engine. Five of the ‘cosmetics’ were sold in Japan and a single car in the USA. The single US car and also cars supplied to customers in Saudi Arabia were fitted with the 5 mph impact bumpers.

V8 Vantage (V580X) Specification