Return of the Virage

“Virage”, one of the most storied names in automotive history has returned. Aston Martin has chosen the 2011 Geneva Auto Show to introduce the new Virage sports car. Available as a coupe or Volante (convertible), the Virage sits between the elegant DB9 and overtly sporting DBS, providing customers with a car that remains luxurious and understated but delivers stunning performance that is always accessible for effortless driving.

“The Virage is a supremely elegant and powerful, yet juxtaposed as an understated sports car,” said Sonny Morgan, managing principal at John Eagle European’s Aston Martin of Austin. “Now this British car maker can provide customers with a class-leading range, each with a different character, yet with the same unique Aston Martin soul and luxury.”

Beautiful, dynamic and prestigious, the Virage combines outright sports car performance with luxury, comfort and refinement. The front mid-mounted V12 engine’s torque delivery provides outstanding performance, coupled with the car’s inherent agility and perfect weight distribution delivering the ideal balance between outright sports car performance and trademark sporting luxury exemplified by modern Aston Martins.

Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “100 years of automotive history has demonstrated that evolution delivers the best solutions in time.

“So it is with Virage; it is the next level of evolution in our VH architecture strategy and it does everything with the perfection that you would expect today. It is the perfect balance of opposites.”

Aston Martin’s hand-built 6.0 liter V12 engine produces 490 HP and 420 lb. Ft of torque. It is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle, contributing to perfect 50:50 weight balance.

“The Virage’s dynamics were tuned to deliver an engaging yet more refined driving experience,” added Morgan. “In the Virage, a driver can extract the maximum performance from the car with greater ease.”

A newly developed Adaptive Damping System intelligently ‘reads’ the road to provide optimum road holding, adapting to different conditions. The system selects up to five different stiffness settings within normal mode, and a further five stiffer settings within sport mode. A ‘Sport’ button on the fascia allows the driver to select a sharper throttle response and faster gear changes while also holding the gears without automatically shifting up at the revolution limiter.

Virage comes standard with Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes, which offers progressive and tremendous stopping power. Resistant to fade and much lighter than conventional cast-iron discs, this system means that not only is the overall vehicle weight reduced, there is also a better balance between ride comfort and handling. Lower rotational mass helps improves acceleration, too.

“The Virage capitalizes on technology created for the DBS and unites it with the comfort and refinement of the DB9 and Rapide,” explained Morgan. “From its One-77 inspired styling cues to its performance enhancements, the Virage is completely different from anything else in the line.”

Aston Martin’s own bonded aluminum ‘VH’ architecture that forms the backbone of the marque’s sports cars, takes inspiration from the aerospace industry where weight reduction is the ultimate goal. Strong yet light, the inherent properties of modular aluminum lend themselves perfectly to an extremely rigid and versatile platform, which allows the production of a Virage coupe and Volante.

The Virage sits low and wide asserting the power which lies beneath; single bi-xenon headlamps follow the lines of the car’s flanks to give a more crisp and modern look from the front. A new aluminum metal front grille, inspired by the One-77, features five horizontal vanes, which are chamfered creating an aerofoil profile.

The new front bumper is pure and relieves the car of any visual complexities, contributing to the overall simplicity of design. The front wings distinguish the Virage from its stable mates housing a new modern interpretation of the Aston Martin iconic side strake housing six LEDs elegantly forming the side repeater. Virage’s side sills carry the simplicity of the front bumper through to the rear diffuser which houses a body-colored blade accentuating the width of the car.

As drivers and passengers open the signature swan wing doors, they are greeted by the aroma of seven hides of the finest Bridge of Weir leather expertly hand stitched by craftsmen. Inspiration was taken from luxury leather goods to produce a pinstripe welt, which flows down either side of the fascia and along the seat and door, drawing your eye through the car.

“In all, over 200 man hours will be spent handcrafting the Virage at Aston Martin’s facility in Gaydon, England,” explained Morgan. “More than 70 man hours will be lavished on the interior alone.”

Simplicity runs throughout the car with the new fully integrated Satellite Navigation system that has been developed in conjunction with Garmin. The new system simplifies operation through the existing four-way joystick mounted on the fascia. A new 6.5 inch high resolution display uses the latest graphics and maps to visually and aurally guide the driver to their destination.

Standard equipment includes heated seats (Sports seats only), cruise control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephone preparation and the powerful 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby^® Pro Logic II^® and full iPod^® integration.

The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now, available from Aston Martin of Austin.