Aston Martin has made some beautiful machines worthy of British secret agents. The cars have seductive lines, are powerful, and have the allure of mystery as a consequence of being used in the James Bond 007 movie franchise. So, it might seem odd that an Aston Martin was converted into a drag racing machine. But, it is not as far out of its element as one might think. This car also has 2,800 horsepower. And, that is more than enough to squash on any villains at the track.

This Aston Martin Virage drag car is street legal

There is a Youtube video that has surfaced on The Late Brake Show channel that tells the story of a V8 Drag Aston. As the story goes, the aluminum-bodied, Aston Martin V8 Virage underwent pricey modifications to become an aluminum and carbon-fiber bodied Aston Martin Vantage racecar. The changes were made to compete in the street-legal Eliminator class at the local drag strip. To do so, the car needs to be able to drive public roads, which this Aston does. 

Drag racing is more about winning than being street legal. So, being street legal is only part of the expectation for this Aston Martin. The other expectation is that the car wins at the track. To that end, the engine was modified with a single turbo and a two-speed manual gearbox. After a bit of tuning, the powerplant was dialed into 2,800 horsepower… 2,800 horsepower! And, of course, a safety cage and parachutes were installed. 

But, how fast can 2,800 horsepower really be?

How fast is this Aston Martin? The car broke into the 6-second range at the local quarter-mile track. It did so at 207 mph on street tires. It is only the second car in England to reach the 6-second range for the street legal class. 

In the video (posted above), the driver, Mark Todd, discusses his adventures in the car. For instance, this car may be street legal, but it has so much power that it is challenging to drive on public roads. The back end keeps losing traction and wanting to step out on him. The video about the car is posted below. 

Born from a factory-backed Aston Martin Race program

The strangest part of this whole story is that this drag-Aston was the offspring of a factory back effort to take on drag strips. That’s right! The British carmaker actually financed the start of this program. After a while, though, the program was dropped. But, who would have ever thought that Aston Martin would go drag racing? Not me. However, Mark Todd found out about the car and purchased it to fulfill that drag-aston build. The rest is history.

Aston Martins are known for doing sensational things on movie screens. They have been seen launching missiles, engaging invisible cloaks, releasing smokescreens, and launching helpless passengers from ejector seats. They epitomize class, have sleek curves, and produce plenty of horsepower. Ultimately, they are everything a secret agent needs. But, this one, in particular, is everything that’s needed for a pilot at the drag strip. That is power and control.