FIRST DRIVE ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE:Aston Martin slots its new Virage model in between the DB9 and DBS. KYLE FORTUNEtakes the wheel and finds that it makes both its relations redundant
STUCK WITH the dilemma of choosing between buying a DB9 or a DBS? Must be a nice problem to have, and Aston Martin has made it a little bit easier by introducing the Virage, a model designed to slot between its two relatives. The name’s not new, having been used before by Aston in the late 1980s. A quick look at the Virage could leave you thinking that the car’s not new, either.
It’s all in the detail. The shape is familiar, with the long, elegant bonnet and beautifully- proportioned rear immediately recognisable from the DB9.
There are new headlamps though; LED lights donated from the four-door Rapide. Their installation sees a re-profiling of the front wings, which feature revised air vents with the integrated indicators sitting above the grilled outlet.
The slats on the Virage’s front grille are also subtly altered, as is the profile of the familiar Aston Martin air intake. There’s a new detail line along the underside of the Virage’s flanks too, while a revised exhaust housing sits below a new rear bumper.
The whole thing is complemented by a set of new alloys, behind which Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes reside – as standard. These are all subtle changes, but Aston’s designers have created a car that retains all the DB9’s beauty and elegance, yet looks fresher and more contemporary.
That’s true inside too, not least as Aston Martin has finally binned the ancient Volvo-sourced sat-nav and developed its own system in conjunction with Garmin. Otherwise the switchgear is all familiar, with the same strange back-to-front rev-counter (which is tricky to read in the sun) and the fine fit and finish of a car that’s been largely hand assembled by craftsmen and women.
The changes continue under the bonnet, with the 6.0-litre V12 engine gaining 20bhp to offer a maximum output of 490bhp. That’s plenty by any measure – and enough to allow the Virage to reach 100km/h in 4.6 seconds and a 300km/h maximum. Those numbers aren’t hugely dissimilar to the DB9’s, but the Virage does feel different enough from the DB9 to feel distinct, with a bit of a harder edge and greater precision about the way it drives.
The differences are found in the minutiae. The Virage’s steering feels sharper, quicker and more eager to turn in. Its greater agility changes the car’s character subtly, from a sporting GT to a, erm, slightly more sporting GT. That’s as much a compliment to the DB9 as it is a criticism of the Virage, but the new car aces its older relative in the way it rides.
Lessons learned while developing the suspension of the Rapide have apparently been adopted in the Virage. The way it’s able to smother bumps while retaining fine body control and roll-resistance is fantastic.
Aston has fitted a newly-developed Adaptive Damping System, which alternates between 10 different settings that span its two default (driver selected) Normal and Sport modes. In either the Virage can carry its easily-gained pace with real competence.
That ability to carry its pace with impunity is where the Virage really demonstrates how far Aston Martin has come in recent years. The engines have never been lacking, and the six-speed Touchtronic II automatic is one of the sweetest changing self-shifters out there.
The sound from the V12 is subtly muted inside, while the gearbox is quick to react to inputs at the paddles. Hence it’s more satisfactory to change up for yourself than let the electronics do so when the big 6.0-litre engine reaches its redline.
The changes are enough to make both the DB9 and its more hardcore DBS relatives redundant, as the Virage spans the divide between them so well it betters them both. It retains the GT character of the DB9, yet is fast enough to keep up with a DBS on real-world roads.
Start doing the specification maths and the Virage adds up to a greater whole too, with a CCM-equipped DB9 coming within a whisker of the Virage’s anticipated €275,000 price tag. That’s still significantly less than the price of a DBS.
Not that many Irish buyers will be making that decision of course, but should you be in that enviable position, then Aston Martin has certainly made it easier – by simply removing its relatives completely from the equation.
FACTFILE
Engine5,935cc 12-cylinder petrol putting out 490bhp at 6,500rpm and 570Nm of torque at 5,750rpm, rear-wheel drive
0-100km/h4.6 seconds
Maximum speed300km/h
Fuel economydata not available
Emissionsdata not available but expect it to be band G with motor tax of €2,100
Price€275,000 (estimated)
Available in IrelandSummer 2011 (there is no official Aston Martin dealer in the Republic)