The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and then the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.
The V8-powered model was intended as the company’s flagship model, with the 6-cylinder DB7, introduced in 1994, positioned below it as an entry-level model. Although the DB7 became available with a V12 engine and claimed a performance advantage, the Virage remained the exclusive, expensive and hand-built flagship of the Aston Martin range. It was replaced in 2000 with the Vanquish. By the end of the 2000 model year, 1,050 cars in total had been produced. The V8 Vantage name reappeared on a new entry-level model in 2005.
A new Virage model was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, to fit into the middle of Aston Martin’s then current lineup but was discontinued in 2012 due to many similarities between the brand’s other models.
Virage (2011–2012)
A new generation of the Virage was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show by Aston Martin. The Virage capitalised on the technology from the DBS and united it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. The Virage was intended to sit in the narrow slot between the basic DB9 and the flagship DBS. Aston Martin announced that the second generation of the Virage would be discontinued after 18 months of production, as the distinctions between it, the DB9, and the DBS were simply too slim. With only 1001 Aston Martin Virage produced, UK deliveries were 114 (right-hand drive) of which 22 were Coupés and 92 Volantes.
The car has a 2-seat or 2+2 seating configuration. The Virage’s 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine has a power output of 497 PS (366 kW; 490 hp) and 570 N⋅m (420 lb⋅ft) of torque.
It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), while the Virage Volante is limited to 295 km/h (183 mph). The Virage was available in two bodystyles: Coupé or Volante (convertible).
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