Aston Martin Virage

What‘s it? Its name can be familiar to anyone who are able to remember as far back as Aston Martin’s more prosaic Newport Pagnell era, however the Virage is, actually, a largely new GT car from Aston, one that’s intended to plug the gap involving the DB9 and the greater hardcore DBS. Priced with a whisker under £150k, it uses either an uprated version from the DB9’s 6. 0-litre V12 or perhaps a mildly detuned version from the DBS’s similarly sized unit, depending which way you view such claims. In either case, It‘s 490bhp at 6500rpm and 420lb ft at 5750rpm at its disposal, sufficient to launch it to 60mph in 4. 6sec and to some top speed of 186mph. Dynamically, the Virage Isn‘t intended to become as driver-orientated like the DBS - Aston instead preferring to call it a gentleman’s GT car. Which explains why so most of the processes designed to perfect the Rapide’s excellent - and sedate - chassis and suspension happen to be revisited to make the underpinnings of the car. That causes it to be a refined GT car first and also a sporting one second – although, having said it does feature numerous styling features which are remarkably much like those from the DBS, even if they should clothe a car that‘s clearly less thrusting in its personality. What’s it like? When you have never driven a modern VH platform Aston before, the Virage will seem sensational in nearly everything it will. That will put it briefly, this car includes a fantastic blend of performance, handling, ride, steering and braking composure – the like of which anyone who experienced the initial Virage coming from the 1980s will find genuinely a challenge to believe. But when you’re acquainted with how good (and just how similar in feel ) Aston’s recent creations are, There‘ll be either a reassuring sense of déjà vu or, perhaps, a tad of predictability inside the way it goes later on. Whatever your take upon the situation, the Virage represents an enormous improvement during the DB9 and it is, in your opinion, a far better car to drive compared to the DBS in many ways. The lessons learned by Aston when creating the Rapide have clearly been passed onto the Virage ; you are able to detect this coming from the way it rides - beautifully but additionally more quietly compared to the DBS - towards the way it steers and handles. Everything in regards to the Virage dynamically includes a measured, cohesive polish inwith it that‘s strangely absent coming from the harder edged DBS. But in real terms It‘s barely any slower than its more costly cousin. The DBS can be some 100kg lighter because of its more exotic construction materials, but such a lot better sorted is that the Virage’s chassis – and it is excellent new Sportshift six-speed paddle-shift gearbox – that over give-and-take roads there could be very little inside it. Yet simultaneously the Virage would use less fuel, pump out less CO2 emissions and become considerably more luxuriant to travel in. There’s even a brand new sat-nav system that replaces the yesteryear item from the DB9 / DBS, while the remainder of the interior is styled to provide a far more tasteful balance (compared to the slightly vulgar DBS ) between sporting and luxury. Also new will be the wipers, and also the carbon ceramic brakes (that standard fitment ), and also the wheels and tyres that adorn them. Should I buy one? Were you to feature the Virage’s carbon ceramic brakes alone towards the spec of the DB9, this would raise the value of the car to some theoretical £135, 000. In case you then add the Virage’s vastly superior suspension, its more powerful engine and it is extensively better-equipped cabin, the value of £150k suddenly seems like pretty good value. So although there might be a whiff of familiarity in regards to the Virage – not simply in name but in its concept and execution – this really is, without question, a really fine GT car. And when they’d called it the DB10, well, it could happen to be more appropriately still. Aston Martin ViragePrice : £150, 000 (est ) ; Top speed : 186mph ; 0-62mph : 4. 5sec ; Economy : 18. 8mpg ; CO2 : 349g / km ; Kerb weight : 1785kg ; Engine : V12, 5935cc, petrol ; Power : 490bhp at 6500rpm ; Torque : 420lb ft at 5750rpm ; Gearbox : six-speed auto Aston Martin Virage