Virage, a French word that suggests a bend or shift in orientation, is the name of Aston Martin’s latest sports car. The Virage slots between the DBS and DB9 and fleshes out Aston Martin’s line of GT cars. With seating for four, it might be cross-shopped against the Ferrari FF — or a nice house, given its six-figure price.
The Virage comes in a coupe and a soft-top convertible, called the Volante.
Exterior Aston Martin’s familiar six-sided grille sits low across the Virage’s nose; its five aluminum crossbars were inspired by the automaker’s One-77 ultra-exotic. Xenon headlights are standard, and their bezels arc well up the car’s snout-like hood. The C-shaped taillights — another characteristic Aston Martin feature — have silver lenses. Below them, two tailpipes perch above a body-colored lower apron. Exterior features include:
Standard 20-inch alloy wheels
Standard front and rear parking sensors
Five optional wheel finishes
Doors open at a 12-degree incline to mitigate curb encounters
Interior Inside, the Virage’s leather-ensconced dashboard rakes progressively toward the windshield, with a metal panel of radio and climate controls in the center bound by two leather-bound ridges. The engine’s ignition toggle sits above the center controls, flanked by buttons to engage Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive. Behind the two rear seats is just 6.5 cubic feet of luggage space; the convertible Volante drops that to 5.4 cubic feet. Both trunks include a mounted umbrella. If you want, the coupe can be ordered with its backseat removed to save weight, leaving a parcel shelf in its place. Interior features include:
Standard Bridge of Weir leather upholstery
Standard heated seats, navigation system and iPod-compatible stereo
Standard 10-way power front seats
Six optional interior trims
Optional Bang & Olufsen stereo
Under the Hood The rear-wheel-drive Virage employs a hand-built, normally aspirated V-12 engine that’s mounted aft of the front axle. Advanced mechanical features include a carbon-fiber driveshaft, as well as carbon-ceramic disc brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. Aston Martin says the Virage can hit 60 mph in under 4.6 seconds. Other mechanical features include:
490-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-12 with 420 pounds-feet of torque
Six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters
Adaptive suspension with 10 selectable stiffness settings
Standard limited-slip differential
Safety Standard safety features include:
Antilock brakes
Electronic stability system with increased-threshold Track mode
