Driven: Aston Martin Virage
We've already tried the Virage abroad, but what's it like in Blighty?
The general feeling in the PH office was that the Virage was Aston Martin's last chance. Several members of the PH team (including myself, I'll happily admit) have had (how to put this politely?) lukewarm experiences in DB9-type cars over the past couple of years and, while we love so much about Aston, we were losing a little faith.
But we'd heard good things of the Virage (not least from a certain Mr Steve Sutcliffe), so we were hopeful.
And you know what? It didn't disappoint. In fact everyone in the PH team who drove it, almost without exception, declared it the best Aston they'd driven for ages - better than a DB9, better even than a DBS.
Funny thing is, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes driving the Virage such a demonstrably nicer experience. Perhaps it's the sum of a plethora of small changes. As we said when we drove the car in Spain, the Virage gets re-tuned suspension with the latest adaptive damping trickery, there are carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, and the 'Touchtronic' gearbox (a 6-speed ZF auto rather than any sort of automated manual system) has been effectively revised. There's also a sport button, which sharpens up the throttle response and gives you more eager ratios.
Like we said, they're all small changes, but they add up to make the Virage an assured, engaging GT car, one that's both fun and refined. If there's one flaw in its dynamic range, it's that the ride can be a bit uncompromising on the bumpiest of B-roads. Oh, and if we're being truly pernickety there's more wind noise around the door mirrors and A-pillars than you might expect of a GT car, but these are more niggles than criticisms.
Basically, the Virage is now dynamically the car that the DB9 has always been so close to becoming. And that's great.
The same is arguably true of the design. The new sills, tweaked bow and stern, and redesigned headlights help sharpen-up the looks (to these eyes at least) most effectively. If the basic shape hadn't been around for so long it would be easy to be bowled over by it. Inside, too, it's a case of subtle, but significant, improvement.
The switchgear and infotainment system isn't really the most intuitive of beasties, for example, but the new sat-nav, developed in conjunction with Garmin, is a dramatic improvement over the elderly Volvo-derived unit Aston drivers previously had to endure.
Likewise, the new glass buttons (instead of plastic) for the various drive options and the 'welt' stitching (which looks like piping, but is better, apparently) are an improvement over what has gone before.
In short, the Virage is a fine update of Aston Martin's VH architecture. Aston privately admits that, although the DB9 will continue on sale, the Virage is likely to usurp a large proportion of its sales. On the basis of our time with the new car, we can fully understand why that might be.
Pics: George F Williams
A GT car simply should'nt crash and bang.
...And yes, it sits slap between DB9 and DBS. DB9= c.£120k, DBS= c.£180k. Virage = £150k
I think the issue is Aston cannot afford the R+D costs of designing a brand new model, or perhaps the risk of a pottential failure. I believe they only spent something in the region of £8.5m on R+D last year. Not really enough to develop a complete new model.
I personally love the Virage, the little refinements over the DB9 make it a fantastic car. Just the little bits like the electric seat buttons are metal as opposed to plastic. All adds up to create a great car. The buttons for the gearbox aren't actually glass/sapphire crystal as stated in the article, but clear plastic. The 3 stage DSC on it is a bit pointless too, I can't see track mode being used a right often.
Still, you do get more for your money than the DB9 so it is only fair they charge more.
And you mention its better than the DBS but dont mention why?
Partly that might be down to the Virage's more GT-oriented brief, partly I think it might be that the adaptive dampers and gearbox are now half a generation ahead of those in the DBS.
Also, I think that the Virage makes a better job of being a super-GT than the DBS does of being - er - whatever it is that a DBS is actually supposed to be...
I first saw the Virage in Geneva and was underwhelmed by the styling (and ridiculous orange launch colour; if the car looks similar, paint it a silly colour to differentiate it). Subsequently I saw a Virage Volante (in black) alongside a DB9 Volante and it looked really great, much more contemporary and modern. In fact I decided not to buy the DB9 Volante as a result (and because the DB9 auto gearbox is an antique compared to any DSG gearbox).
And you mention its better than the DBS but dont mention why?
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