Aston Martin Virage 2011 Review

Is this the answer to a question nobody asked? One could well argue the new Aston Martin Virage, which slots in between the DB9 and DBS, is a model addition just for the sake of it. Is there really a big enough gap between the DB duo to justify an extra rung in the model ladder? And a coupe/convertible that's very similar in execution?

Granted, it's all but indistinguishable from the DB9/DBS unless you're a devout Aston Martin anorak. Yes, it uses essentially the same engine, transmission and chassis as its V12 siblings. And, yes, there's really nothing startlingly new about it. But the fact still remains that the end result is greater than the sum of its parts – if you'll excuse the well-worn cliché.

Aston execs say the objective in creating Virage was to arrive at a happy medium between luxo GT and focused sports car. In other words, it's designed to be harder than the DB9, but not as extreme as the range-topping DBS. Its price – $371,300 for the Virage Coupe and $399,797 for the drop-top Volante – also straddles the middle ground.

The Virage measures 4703mm from bumper to bumper and 1904mm across the bows, which means it's 7mm shorter but 29mm wider than the DB9. The result is that it's got a tauter, brawnier stance, even though its design language doesn't differ dramatically. If you're not an Aston aficionado you may struggle to pick one from the other, but chief stylist Marek Reichman says that's fine by him. The Virage might not shout its identity, but the clues are all in the details.

Look closely and you'll pick up on the hand-finished steel grille with the vanes profiled like wing sections and more aggressive bumper/spoiler assembly with its neatly integrated carbon splitter. However, the most obvious giveaways that this is the Virage rather than the DB9 is the headlight cluster – which houses bi-xenon beams flanked by a row of LED daytime running lamps – and recessed bonnet vents, which can also be had in a titanium finish.

Meanwhile, the flanks are distinguished by a more rakishly tapered glasshouse and revised fender gills, with the chromed highlight strip being repositioned to the top of the vent. Cast your gaze a bit lower and you'll take in the 20-inch alloys with diamond-turned finish (available in five-spoke and 10-spoke designs). Out back sits the same taillight cluster as the DB9, but the Virage's sportier intentions are signalled by the diffuser integrated within the rear bumper, and peeping out from this is a pair of chromed tailpipes.

Just as the Virage's styling is a new take on an existing theme, so too is the car's mechanical hardware. The familiar 6.0-litre V12 sits well back in the engine bay, and in the Virage it cranks out 365kW and 570Nm. Although the peak torque figure doesn't arrive until 5750rpm, the engine feels punchy and tractable even in the lower rev ranges. It sounds the business too, with a classic V12 wail once you start opening the taps. Performance is adequately brisk for a luxo GT, and Aston quotes a 0-100km/h split of 4.6 seconds and top whack of 300km/h.

A lightweight carbonfibre propshaft carries drive to the rear-mounted six-speed ZF automatic, referred to by Aston Martin as the Touchtronic 2. The six-speeder is reasonably quick on upshifts (particularly in Sport mode), but it's occasionally hesitant to drop down a ratio when you tug on the left paddle in manual mode. This prompts you to pull on the paddle again and can result in shifting down two gears when all you wanted was to drop down by one. The fact is that the six-speed auto is starting to reach the end of its shelf life, and Aston Martin may need to look at packaging ZF's excellent new eight-speeder into its upcoming models.

The grip and balance of the Virage is an eye-opener though, and the car's 50:50 weight distribution over front and rear axles is no doubt a contributor to its agility and 'pointiness'. There's no feeling of nose heaviness, and it points and squirts better than one might have expected for an almost-1800kg coupe. It takes a lot of provocation to overwhelm the grip of the 295/35 Pirelli rear tyres and, even then, the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system is relatively subtle in its workings. The steering (3.0 turns lock-to-lock) is quick and accurate, but if there's a disappointing aspect, it's the lack of feedback it relays.

The latest Adaptive Damping System (ADS) 'reads' the road and adapts to different conditions by selecting one of five different stiffness settings within normal mode, and there's a further five stiffer settings within sport mode. Meanwhile, the 'Sport' button on the facia allows you to select a sharper throttle response and faster gearshifts, while also holding gears rather than automatically upshifting at the rev limiter.

Braking is a strong point, thanks to huge carbon ceramic stoppers (398mm with six-piston calipers at the front and 360mm with four-piston calipers at the rear). The anchors are capable of withstanding a sustained pounding, but the brakes in one of the test cars we sampled were a tad noisy each time they were required to bring the Virage to a halt; slightly annoying for a car with luxo leanings.

As far as the rest of the package goes, it's largely a case of business as usual. The cabin is fitted out with the familiar Aston Martin dials and switchgear, while driver and passenger sit low and are separated by a large transmission tunnel. I don't know why they bothered with back seats, though, as they're all but useless. Overall, though the interior is well laid out and nicely finished.

Of course, you'll spend a lot of time taking in the Virage's exterior before you get anywhere near the cabin as it's arguably the best resolved of Aston Martin's models from a visual perspective. Reichman and Co have nailed the proportions and detailing, even though they haven't exactly made a huge effort to differentiate it from the DB9.

This pretty much sums up the car. It's a bit like last night's dinner reheated but – as is the case with many dishes – it tastes even better the second time around.

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