Aston Martin Virage
Aston Martin had not manufactured a new sports vehicle in decades until the Virage made its début at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show. The Aston Martin Virage is a luxury car made by Aston Martin in the United Kingdom to replace their V8 vehicles. It was a manufacturer of iconic British masterpieces, a Le Mans winner, and the car of preference for James Bond. In 1993, the company added the high-performance Vantage, and Aston Martin changed its base model's name to V8 Coupé in 1996.
History of Aston Martin Virage
Aston Martin Virage Coupé (1989 - 1994)
Orders came into AML when the Virage (the French word for corner) was introduced at a successful car show. The Virage upgraded from catalyzed to fuel-injected 4 valves per cylinder version of the iconic V8. They designed it with Callaway Engineering of Connecticut, USA, based on a reworked Lagonda frame.
Aston Martin Virage 6.3 Liter Coupé (1992 - 1995)
Based on knowledge acquired on the AMR1 Group C race cars, AML Customer Service Division (today known as Aston Martin Works) launched the Virage 6.3 transformation in January 1992. The modification of the £50,000 (£110,255.72 or $145,525.42 today) included powerful brakes, suspension, wheels, tires, and chassis to deal with the increased power and torque. The modification on customers' automobiles entailed considerably more than simply increasing the engine's capacity to 6347cc.
Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake (1992)
A shooting brake (estate) variant of the Virage was available in limited quantities. It made its début at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1992. Unlike other Aston Martin Shooting Brake models, the Virage was built in-house by the company's Works Service, with just six reported to have been made in total.
Aston Martin Lagonda Virage Saloon (1994)
The Lagonda Saloon is a four-door Virage with a long wheelbase produced in minimal quantities in response to client demands, restoring Aston Martin's long-dormant second marque. It was first produced in 1994 by Aston Martin Works Service with a chassis advancement of 12 inches (305 mm), though two customers ordered an 18 inch (457 mm) extension. The four-door Aston Martin Lagonda is the inspiration for the name. The Lagonda Virage is thought to have cost around GB£250,000, and only eight or nine were built, with some being modifications of ordinary Virages. A royal family purchased six of these automobiles.
Aston Martin Virage Limited Edition Coupé (1994)
By 1994, the DB7 would be released, and customers seemed to prefer the elegant Volante and powerful Vantage above the ordinary Virage. This was a concern since some Virage chassis were still sitting unused. The Limited Edition Coupé was launched during the 1994 Birmingham Motor Show to offload the final few automobiles. This attractive Coupé is immediately identifiable by chrome strips next to the trunk lid and front bumper and a one-off V-shaped chrome grille, which are finished in dark metallic 'British Racing' green.
Aston Martin Virage V8 Coupé (1996 - 1999)
Following the discontinuation of the Virage Coupé in 1994, the business produced just two V8 models: the supercharged Vantage and the Volante. The new V8 Coupé, which debuted at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, was added to the lineup. At first impression, the car resembles a supercharged Vantage, to which it pays a great deal. In effect, it's a milder version without the superchargers. The car has a Vintage-inspired front and back appearance, a chrome mesh grille and surrounds, and a less obvious front air dam with two circular driving lamps.
Aston Martin Virage (2011 - 2012)
Aston Martin debuted a new model of the Virage at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The Virage combined the innovation of the DBS with the convenience and sophistication of the DB9 and Rapide to create the Virage. They designed the Virage to fill the gap between the entry-level DB9 and the high-end DBS. After 18 months of development, Aston Martin decided to phase out the Virage's second-generation because its differences, the DB9, and the DBS, were too thin. Only 1001 Aston Martin Virages were built, with 114 (right-hand drive) delivered to the UK, 92 Volantes, 22 Coupés.
Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato Centennial (2014)
The Zagato Virage Shooting Brake was a unique project of Zagato Atelier to honor Aston Martin's 100th anniversary and Zagato's 95th anniversary (Ugo Zagato began his coachbuilding career in 1919). The Centennial Trilogy's third and most recent part is The Virage Shooting Brake. The DBS Coupé Zagato and the DB9 Spyder were both launched in 2013. On September 7, 2014, the Virage Shooting Brake Zagato made its premiere at the Chantilly Art & Elegance Concours d'Elegence (France) and was custom constructed for a European customer.
Price
The 2012 Aston Martin Virage has a starting price of $212,110. The Virage receives the most recent Aston outfit, as well as a 20-hp increase over the DB9's V-12.
Both of these are grand touring Coupés that look amazing wherever they go, and the Volante convertible brings open-air elegance to the equation. The DB9 and Virage, like previous Astons, are heavy, costly, and fall short of expectations.
Features
Aston Martin Virage Coupé (1988 - 1995)
The Virage resembled a cross between a sports vehicle and a three-box particular luxury Coupé in terms of appearance. Its small flat trunk lid was level with the driver's face. A set of squared tail lights from the Volkswagen Scirocco bridged the gap between the trunk lid and the wrapped-around bumper at the rear.
It had a flat front end with rectangular headlamps from the Audi 200 and a grille that was practically straight but not too high. The lower grille on the wrapped-around plastic bumper helped cool the V-8 engine and gave the car a more menacing appearance. The greenhouse began with a raked windscreen, and the shorter roof ended with an extended sloping windscreen at the back. Inside, the leather-clad cabin was luxurious as usual, with hand-made stitching. The wood trimmings on the angled to driver center stack and the door panels occupied additional regions. Although there was hardly enough room for one person, much alone two, the manufacturer built a high-quality bench covered in leather in the rear. Aston Martin introduced a new 5.3-liter V-8 engine and combined it with a five-speed manual transmission under the hood.
Aston Martin Virage (2011 - 2012)
The front grille was influenced by the One-77 model, while they created the bodywork's dynamic lines specifically for the GT segment. The large air intakes with a mesh on the front bumper and the lengthy headlights with LED daytime running lights were part of the expressive Aston Martin design aesthetic. The horizontally oriented V-look tail lights in the back were a first in the industry. The luxury interior included:
- A four-dial instrument cluster
- A leather-wrapped dashboard
- Paddle shifters behind the wheel
They put the temperature control unit settings and the sound system in the center stack. The navigation system sat on top of that, hidden behind a lid.
Specs
Aston Martin Virage Vantage
The rear-wheel drive (RWD) features a 6-speed gearbox and a surcharged V8 cylinder engine. It has a top speed of 186 mph (300 kph) and a curb weight of 4387 lbs (1990 kgs). At 6500 rpm, this engine delivers 558 PS (550 bhp - 410 kW) and 745 Nm (549 lb-ft) of torque, with a maximum torque of 745 Nm (549 lb-ft) at 4000 rpm.
Release Date
The Virage is an Aston Martin Coupé vehicle with two doors and four seats offered from 1992 to 1995 and is now available as a secondhand car.
Aston Martin Virage/Vantage/V8 Coupé/V8 Volante LWB
Production period:
- 1989 - 2000
- 2011 - 2012
Aston Martin Virage/V8 Volante
Production period:
- 1992–1996 (Virage Volante) with 224 or 233 produced
- 1997–2000 (V8 Volante) 63 produced
Aston Martin Virage 2012
- 2011–2012 with 1,001 produced