Friday 14th September 2012
Aston Martin to stop Virage production
18 months after everybody else, Aston realises Virage is too similar to DB9
Remember the Aston Martin Virage? Created to be Aston's best-of-both-worlds supercar, it was meant to amalgamate the long-legged GT characteristics of the DB9 with the more sporting bent of the DBS. It would split the 9 and the S on power output, and sit (conveniently) between them on price. There would be an Aston GT for everyone. Hurrah!
But there were a few mutterings that the Virage was a DB9-alike too far. Now it would appear that even Aston Martin sees the Virage as expendable. After just 18 months on sale, Virage production is to cease to make way for a facelifted, uprated DB9 (that looks like a Virage) coming out next year.
The very vivacious Virage Volante
Just 1,000 Virages have been made so, despite being based on one of Aston's most successful cars, it will remain fairly rare. All the more reason to search for a
Virage in the PH Classifieds before the residual values go bonkers.
Despite the premature end to this Virage's life, the name is expected to make a return before too long. The DB- prefix is however likely to be dropped soon in a move towards full model names (see the DBS becoming the Vanquish), so perhaps there will be a second Virage resurrection in the future.
Meantime, if any PHers can think of alternative names beginning with V that might do the job without causing offence, please send them directly to AM.
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cjgreaves41
Original Poster
96 posts
24 months
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brakes
59 posts
9 months
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Take your pick:
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villian by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengence; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
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Bash Brannigan
148 posts
56 months
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Valkyrie - DB9 with an eye patch?
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Jack4688
11 posts
22 months
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Aston Martin Vengeance. That sounded much better in my head...
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beetroute
40 posts
76 months
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UH-Matt
1,903 posts
109 months
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Twoshoe
146 posts
53 months
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Verysimilartoalltheothers
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crosseyedlion
491 posts
67 months
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As someone who's been obsessed with cars since I could walk.....I didn't even know of this cars existence! To me it looks just like a face-lifted DB9...And the DBS looked like a DB9 with a bodykit. I suspect this is Astons problem, Producing the same car over and over. A badge does not make a new model.
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Codswallop
3,872 posts
63 months
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That's a shame - the Virage is by far and away the best looking VH platform Aston Martin imo. Wouldn't it have made more sense to drop the far older, plan Jane DB9 and have the Virage continue on for now?
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Dusty964
5,370 posts
59 months
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I would dearly love to see Aston recreate a more modern version of this-  a/. Because they look and sound fantastic, and b/. to get a different look into the line up
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AC43
1,963 posts
77 months
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Charlie Michael
2,192 posts
53 months
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The new Aston Martin Vapid. 
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ZesPak
11,484 posts
65 months
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1000 made?
They could have better pulled an "Alfa 8C", and ask double the price, current owners do have a pretty rare car!
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justin220
2,526 posts
73 months
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Oddball RS
1,191 posts
87 months
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Stick with the DB numbers you retards!
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Schermerhorn
1,183 posts
58 months
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Mr2Mike
9,424 posts
124 months
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crosseyedlion said: I suspect this is Astons problem, Producing the same car over and over. A badge does not make a new model.  Porsche could possibly be accused of something similar.
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leon9191
673 posts
62 months
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Vintage, as in the platform.
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Salom
216 posts
45 months
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Vestige (A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.)
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HeMightBeBanned
124 posts
47 months
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I can't help thinking that Aston have a real problem with too many cars that look too similar and have a variation of a gas guzzling V12. I went for a test drive in a V8 Vantage a little while ago and got given the latest brochure with both V8 and V12 Vantages, DB9, DBS and Rapide. A few friends and family looked at the brochure and were utterly mystified as to the proliferation of cars that were all "the same" (their words).
Yes, many manufacturers have a 'family' look to their model ranges but Aston take it too far. Especially given that their cars have shared front and rear lights and largely identical interiors.
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