2012 Aston Martin Virage Review
Close your eyes and picture it: You're in Monaco, cruising along Quai Albert 1 and you're behind the wheel of a brand-spanking-new car. What car would that be? What car could possibly fit any better in a background littered with bazillion-dollar yachts and buildings?
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That's right, an Aston Martin.
But not just any Aston Martin. A 2012 Virage.
Feels good, don't it? Believe me, it's better than you think.
The simple mention of the name Aston Martin can conjure up emotion, performance and exclusivity. It is difficult to dissociate the two, but James Bond also comes to mind hence Monaco and la Côte D'Azur.
All this good stuff is synonymous with the famed British brand that will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in less than two years. Let's take a few moments to explore each element that make up what Aston Martin stands for.
We begin with emotion. Each Aston Martin is closely related to one another, some having even criticized the ostensible inbreeding, and all are more attractive than the other. From the basic (ha!) Vantage to the very most ultimate DBS, all share a glorious flowing shape that is above any type of criticism. Even Jeremy Clarkson likes it.
The most distinctive features are the predatory front fascias and the part where the roofline meets the rear haunches. Occasionally, car designs fall flat in one respect or another. No so with the Aston. Regardless of angle, colour or location of the sun, these cars are exceptionally beautiful.
In fact, my time at the wheel of the Virage clearly demonstrated that the average Jane and Joe cannot help themselves but to do a double take or stare. I've driven Porsches, Mercedes and Lotuses, but never had I been the recipient of so many gawks.
The Virage is the discerning man's or woman's Aston Martin. It slots in above the DB9 as the uber luxurious car from that lineage. The 20” wheels are stunning, no less, as are the multiple curves on the Aston's body, but where the car really feels special is when we climb aboard. First though, you get to open the unique and curb ding-saving swan doors. A pure delight to behold, especially when standing behind the car.
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Here, craftsmanship is second to none, equal perhaps to what leaves the factory in Goodwood near Chichester, Sussex, England. In the cabin, what you see is what you get. Real wood, metals and alloys adorn every square inch. The finest hand-stitched hides cover the seats which, in this car, are destined more for long-distance cruising than hammering out apexes.
The centre console is the crown jewel of the passenger's quarters. Flowing smoothly from the upper portion of the dashboard, it carries with it a pop-up navigation screen and drive-control buttons in the middle of which we find the key holder. The glass-encrusted buttons are fit to be worn on fingers as rings, especially the centrally located start button. Below them, HVAC and audio switchgear for nothing less than a Bang & Olufsen audio system.
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I can't go on without making note of the famous gauges of which the tachometer climbs counter-clockwise. Ahead of said gauges and behind the perfectly hand-formed wheel are the paddles that control the 6-speed automatic gearbox.
This leads in to performance. The Virage features a creamy 5.9L (5,935cc, they market it as a 6.0L) V12. Soul penetrating with 490 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, this mastodon is smoother than a baby's behind. Pulling comfortably from not, the Virage can rocket to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, but is just as comfortable lugging around at 10 km/h in the middle of the downtown core. Power delivery is resolutely linear and is scarcely noticeable from the piloting position.
Barely audible under normal acceleration, the V12 becomes especially vocal when the Sport button is depressed. In your lifetime, you must travel through a tunnel with the V12 at WOT at least once. Nothing compares.
In regular “D” mode, the Touchtronic 2 rear mid-mounted transmission settles the car into Grand Touring mode. Pull on one of the flappy paddles and the driver becomes owner of the big V12. The daily driveability of this car is limited only by its ground clearance and occasionally difficult sight-lines. The independent suspension along with the Adaptive Damping System keep comfort levels in check. As with the Sport button, the suspension has a pre-programmed, more aggressive setting that comes to life when the strut logo button is pushed in.
Even in full mental mode, the Virage remains a GT more than a performance car. For that type of pleasure, consider the new V8 Vantage S which is insanely sweet. A Coupé for me, please.
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Even if the Virage is better at carving mountain passes than through Silverstone, this Aston Martin is equipped with the necessary goodies to make it all come to an end. Enter massive 398-mm front and rear 360-mm carbon ceramic brakes with, respectively, 6- and 4-pot calliper brakes. The top speed is 298 km/h (186 mph) after all, and it is obvious that they can kill high rates of velocity in no time at all.
On the subject of exclusivity, the Aston Martin Virage, or any Aston Martin for that matter, screams originality, uniqueness and envy. After all, with a price tag of $224,100 for the Coupé and $244,350 for the Volante, you're not likely to see many around.
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Your jaw may have hit the floor, but one has to remember that each and every one of these cars are painstakingly hand-built over a period of 190 hours, which does not include the paint job, also done by hand. In fact, while discussing the car with Beth Paretta, Operations Manager for Aston Martin The Americas, she remarked that the Gaydon factory, where the cars are assembled, has no robots. Must visit...
If you're not convinced that you are likely not to have a neighbour who’ll own an Aston Martin, consider this: Only 130 of these British peaches are delivered in Canada per year, to four dealers across the land. What's more, only 30 of those are DB9s or greater, such as the Virage and DBS.
Aston Martin is keen on being authentic, and will remain so, as this is what makes them a very attractive brand. The Virage is a splendid car and will never let the owner down, where emotion, performance and exclusivity are concerned. Fact is that the car will still be all these things 50 years from now. That is the way of the Aston Martin.
We’d like to thank Decarie Motors and Aston Martin The Americas for the opportunity to drive the Virage.
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