V12 Engine

Aston Martin's revered hand-built 6.0 liter V12 engine produces 490 hp (365 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque and through its carbon fiber prop shaft, is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle contributing to perfect 50:50 weight balance.

Suspension

The Virage's dynamics have been tuned to deliver an engaging yet more refined driving experience, where the driver can extract the maximum performance from the car with greater ease. A newly developed Adaptive Damping System (ADS) intelligently 'reads' the road to provide optimum road holding, adapting to different conditions. The system now selects up to five different stiffness settings within normal mode, and a further five stiffer settings within sport mode.

Aiding driver control, a 'Sport' button on the facia allows the driver to select a sharper throttle response and faster gear changes while also holding the gears without automatically shifting up at the revolution limiter.

Carbon Ceramic Brakes as Standard

Virage will be delivered with Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes as standard - bucking the trend in this market - offering progressive and tremendous stopping power. Powerful, resistant to fade and much lighter than conventional cast-iron discs, the CCM braking system means that not only is the overall vehicle weight reduced, but the weight saving at each wheel means that a better balance between ride comfort and handling can be struck. Lower rotational mass also provides improved acceleration.

Lightweight Architecture

Virage capitalizes on the technology from the DBS and unites it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. Aston Martin's own bonded aluminum 'VH' architecture that forms the backbone of the marque's sports cars, takes inspiration from the aerospace industry where weight reduction is the ultimate goal. Strong yet light, the inherent properties of modular aluminum lend themselves perfectly to an extremely rigid and versatile platform which allows the production of a Virage coupe and Volante.

Standard Equipment

Standard equipment includes heated seats (Sports seats only), cruise control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephone preparation and the powerful 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II® and full iPod® integration.

What's in a Name?

viragem. (French Noun)

1. bend, turn, curve
2. change, shift (in orientation)

Aston Martin's use of nomenclature beginning with a 'V' dates back to the optional 'Vantage' engine on the 1950s DB2. So when the DP2034 (an internal design project number) had to be found a name in 1985, the hunt began for an evocative word to carry on this tradition. The call went out to the factory's craftsmen, its customers and to the Aston Martin Owners Club, ending in the collation of hundreds of suggestions. Eventually the then Chairman, Victor Gauntlett, and his Directors chose Virage to be the moniker of an all new car destined to open a new chapter in the company's history.

The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now, available from Aston Martin's global dealership network spanning 132 dealerships in 41 countries. Pricing for the new Virage will be confirmed at the Geneva Motor Show where it will be joined by two further new cars; the V8 Vantage S and the new Tailor-Fit Cygnet city car, all of which will be brought to production in the UK by Aston Martin in 2011.

Aston Martin Virage: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications