When you arrive at Bonhams, you’re on the edge of your seat. You’re ready to do anything crazy to walk away with the most coveted object on wheels – ever. It’s an instant visual. Christmas is coming and what better way to get there than in a V8 X-Pack? What exactly is the Vantage? While the name Vantage has been used on this body style since 1977 to describe the sportier version of the V8, it wasn’t until 1986 that the famous X-Pack was introduced. Aston Martin’s aim was to offer the most powerful car of its time. To accommodate the new version of the V8, which now produced 436 bhp, Aston Martin decided not only to improve the aerodynamics to increase the top speed but also to increase the cooling intakes, the suspension, the size of the wheels and so on. All this gave the peaceful English car a much meaner look and a strong character. Offered at an exorbitant price, quickly overtaken by the Germans, and suffering from an undeserved reputation for fragility, only a few dozen were sold. Rare, exclusive and devilishly sexy, it would be the ideal companion for a Christmas trip to St Moritz and is being auctioned by Bonhams this weekend.