Imagine yourself sitting on a café's terrace, on a busy city street, on a sunny afternoon. The sidewalk is bursting with passers-by, smiling and laughing, enjoying the beautiful day, just as you are. While you’re admiring fine examples of the opposite sex and fine automobiles drifting through your eyesight, a late-model Aston Martin rumbles by.
Despite you considering yourself a gearhead, differentiating Aston’s models apart is no easy task. Okay, some are obvious, like the pipsqueak Cygnet and the four-door Rapide. The One-77 is a little more distinctive, although it’s so rare you might never see one in your lifetime.
Does this seem to bother Aston Martin? Not at all, since the new Virage looks similar to the Vantage, the DB9 and the DBS. Darn. Not that the family resemblance is an eyesore.
Ok, here’s a recap of the line-up, in order of pricing from least expensive (we’ll avoid saying ‘cheapest’) to most costly: Cygnet, V8 Vantage coupe and Roadster, V8 Vantage S coupe and Roadster, V12 Vantage, DB9 coupe and Volante, Rapide, Virage coupe and Volante as well as DBS coupe and Volante. Still with us?
Under the hood of the Virage is a familiar engine; Aston’s V12 is marketed as a 6.0-litre unit, but it actually displaces 5,935cc. Whatever. In the Virage, it produces 490 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, while the only gearbox available is a paddle-shifted 6-speed automatic which the company calls Touchtronic 2.
With a curb weight under 4,000 pounds (or 1,800 kg) for the coupe, the Virage is said to hit 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reach a terminal velocity of 186 mph or 299 km/h.
In comparison, the Ferrari 458 Italia serves up 577 horsepower, the Porsche 911 Turbo S has 530 while the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera has 570.
Other mechanical highlights on the rear-wheel drive Virage include 20-inch alloys wrapped with Pirelli P Zero 245/35R20 tires up front and 295/35R20 at the rear, double-wishbone front and rear suspension setups with an active damping system, carbon ceramic disc brakes all around with six-piston calipers up front. The car also includes the usual electronic safety gizmos such as traction control, dynamic stability control with Track Mode, ABS, EBD and brake assist.
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| The new Virage looks similar to the Vantage, the DB9 and the DBS. (Photo: Aston Martin) |
Despite you considering yourself a gearhead, differentiating Aston’s models apart is no easy task. Okay, some are obvious, like the pipsqueak Cygnet and the four-door Rapide. The One-77 is a little more distinctive, although it’s so rare you might never see one in your lifetime.
Does this seem to bother Aston Martin? Not at all, since the new Virage looks similar to the Vantage, the DB9 and the DBS. Darn. Not that the family resemblance is an eyesore.
Ok, here’s a recap of the line-up, in order of pricing from least expensive (we’ll avoid saying ‘cheapest’) to most costly: Cygnet, V8 Vantage coupe and Roadster, V8 Vantage S coupe and Roadster, V12 Vantage, DB9 coupe and Volante, Rapide, Virage coupe and Volante as well as DBS coupe and Volante. Still with us?
Under the hood of the Virage is a familiar engine; Aston’s V12 is marketed as a 6.0-litre unit, but it actually displaces 5,935cc. Whatever. In the Virage, it produces 490 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, while the only gearbox available is a paddle-shifted 6-speed automatic which the company calls Touchtronic 2.
With a curb weight under 4,000 pounds (or 1,800 kg) for the coupe, the Virage is said to hit 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reach a terminal velocity of 186 mph or 299 km/h.
In comparison, the Ferrari 458 Italia serves up 577 horsepower, the Porsche 911 Turbo S has 530 while the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera has 570.
Other mechanical highlights on the rear-wheel drive Virage include 20-inch alloys wrapped with Pirelli P Zero 245/35R20 tires up front and 295/35R20 at the rear, double-wishbone front and rear suspension setups with an active damping system, carbon ceramic disc brakes all around with six-piston calipers up front. The car also includes the usual electronic safety gizmos such as traction control, dynamic stability control with Track Mode, ABS, EBD and brake assist.
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| Under the hood of the Virage is a familiar engine; Aston’s V12 is marketed as a 6.0-litre unit, but it actually displaces 5,935cc. (Photo: Aston Martin) |