11:13 am, February 23, 2011
HOT on the heals of the V8 Vantage S, Aston Martin has announced the introduction of the Virage Coupe and Volante.
Harking back to the brutish Virage of the 1990s, the new Virage sits between the DB9 and the DBS. Aston Martin says the new car will provide ‘customers with a car that remains luxurious and understated but delivers increased performance and crucially performance that is always accessible for effortless driving.’
The firm’s revered hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine features in the car producing 490 bhp, mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission. Handling has been tuned to be engaging yet refined, and the Virage will be fitted with carbon ceramic brakes as standard.
The Virage may look like the DB9 at a quick glance, but the new car boasts subtle differences. There’s a new aluminium front grille inspired by the One-77, a new front bumper, and a new modern interpretation of the Aston Martin iconic side strake housing six LEDs. The side sills are also new which carry on around to the rear to the diffuser which houses ‘a body-coloured blade accentuating the width of the car.’
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.’
The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now, available from Aston Martin’s global dealership network spanning 132 dealerships in 41 countries. Pricing for the new Virage will be confirmed at the Geneva Motor Show where it will be joined by two further new cars; the V8 Vantage S and Cygnet city car.
