As much as we love the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage, we still have a soft spot for the old, more muscular-looking 1990s version. On the surface it may look like a Virage, but the only panels it shares are the roof and doors. Under the hood sits a twin-supercharged 5.3-liter V8 engine producing 550-hp and 550 lb-ft of torque, which, at the time, was the most powerful engine ever fitted to a production car. As a result, back in the 1990s the V8 Vantage was capable of rocketing from 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds and reaching a top speed of 191 mph.

Those performance figures are still impressive, even for modern standards. To handle all that grunt, Aston fitted a modified ZF transmission from the Chevrolet Corvette. A more powerful V660 version was also launched with over 600 hp, but what we're looking at here is the regular V550, one of only 240 ever made which makes them extremely sought-after to collectors. And just to make it even more desirable, this one was formerly owned by none other than Sir Elton John, and will soon be sold at the upcoming Silverstone Auction later this month. Clearly, the music star has excellent taste in cars, having also owned a rare 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona which was also auctioned last year.

The Rocket Man's hand-built V8 Vantage was delivered new in 1997 as a right-hand drive model, and is expected to fetch over 250,000 GBP (around $347,500) when it goes under the hammer. Finished in Black with a black leather interior, chassis #70174 is fitted with a manual gearbox. Inside, Silverstone Auctions says the 'new car' smell still lingers, with the cabin finished in polished figured Walnut and cashmere-soft leather. It even comes with a Motorola phone and an uprated audio system. This rare V8 Vantage has been thoroughly maintained so it's in truly immaculate condition and comes complete with its original service books and invoices.

Invoices show considerable expenditure at respected marque specialist Rikki Cann in 2016 and a full service in 2017. "As well as enjoying celebrity ownership, this stunning V8 Vantage has been maintained regardless of expense and has a mere 8,663 miles on the clock, that's equivalent to being driven about 400 miles only a year!" said Adam Rutter, classic car specialist at Silverstone Auctions. "Our Race Retro auction is a rare opportunity to own one of the last coach-built Aston Martins. If that wasn't enough, then throw in the fact it was ordered new by Sir Elton John, and you have a truly special car."