Wednesday, June 13, 2012

First Impression: Aston Martin Virage


Aston Martin is known for making luxurious, beautiful grand tourers. Aston Martin was looking to find a V12 grand tourer that fits between the DB9 and the DBS. In 2011, Aston Martin started production on the Virage, a V12 grand tourer that fits between the DB9 and the DBS. Aston Martin had previously used the Virage name for a V8 grand tourer.

I recently saw the Virage at the April 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee and also at the 2012 Houston Classy Chassis event. Like the rest of the current Aston Martin range, the Virage is beautiful. It has a more refined styling than the DB9, but the DBS is more refined than the Virage. The Virage is in the middle when comparing its styling to the DB9 and the DBS.

The Virage is powered by a 6.0L V12, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, that produces 490 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 186 mph. Prices for the Virage start at $211,610. The Virage is in the middle when it comes to price and performance.

The Virage has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage. James May of Top Gear reviewed the Virage during Series 17, Episode 2. The Virage has also been featured on Auto Esporte, Fifth Gear, CSI: NY, The Car Show, and Ultimate Factories. The Virage is playable in Forza Motorsport 4 and Forza Horizon.

Final Thoughts: The Virage is a beautiful car, but I do not like it when car companies make a car to fit in the middle between two other cars. The DB9 is a great car, and the DBS is an amazing car. The Virage is better than the DB9, but it is no DBS. When any car company comes out with a new car, that company needs to make the car the best it can be. None of this "in the middle" business. To me, people would only buy the Virage because they want something better than the DB9, but they cannot afford the DBS. I want to like the Virage, but knowing that Aston Martin chose not to make the Virage the best car it can be ruins the Virage for me.

CarJunkie
Photo was taken by a digital camera.
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