Overview

The Aston Martin Virage is a sports car manufactured by Aston martin. The car was introduced in 1989 to replaces the Aston Martin V8. The car was unveiled at the 1988 Birmingham Motor Show. The Aston martin Virage was intended to Aston Martin’s top model with the DB7 slotted below but the DB7 switched to a V12 engine later. The Virage was still an exclusive, expensive and one of the last hand-built Aston Martin model.

Variants

The Aston Martin Virage had a modern look, very distinct from the V8 model it replaced. The De Dion tube rear suspension was dropped in favor of a cumbersome aluminum A-Frame design which was cited to be one of the Virage’s handling downfalls. In the front, the same double wishbone suspension was used. Aston Martin also borrowed some exterior features from other companies. The headlights were borrowed from the Audi 200, the tail lights from the Volkswagen Scirocco and the steering column, climate control panel, and dash switches were provided by Ford, which purchased Aston Martin soon after the debut of the Virage.

At its introduction the Aston Martin Virage was equipped with a 5.3-Liter V8 engine that produced 330 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque which was mated to a five speed manual transmission. The Virage sprinted to 60 mph from standstill in 6.6 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds. The maximum speed reached was 167 mph and fuel consumption was 16 mpg.

In 1992 the Aston Martin Virage Volante and the Aston Martin Virage Vantage were introduced to the market. A conversion to a 6.3-Liter V8 engine was also introduced this year. This engine produced 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. It reached 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.4 seconds. Factory declared maximum speed was 168 mph but the Vantage could easily reach 180 mph. Other significant changes were ventilated brakes, wider bumpers, low sills and air dams and side air vents.

A year later the 5.3-Liter V8 received twin superchargers and power went up to 550 horsepower and 549 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-Liter Supercharged V8 engine was now the most powerful engine available in the lineup and in performance test the car accelerated from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 12.2 seconds. The maximum speed reached was 186 mph and fuel consumption was 11 mpg.

A Shooting Star (wagon) version was also offered but in a very limited number. Unlike previous Shooting Star model, the Virage shooting star was produced in-house by the company’s Works Service. It is estimated that only four Aston Martin Virage Shooting Star models were ever built.

The Virage name was dinscontinued in 1996 and until the end of production the car was known as Aston Martin V8 although many reffered to it as the Virage.

Additional Information

In 1999 at the Geneva Motor Show, Aston martin unveiled the V8 Vantage Le Mans to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Aston martin’s victory at that race. Only 40 limited edition V8 Vnatage Le Mans cars were built, one for each year.

The engine delivers 604 h and 600 lb ft of torque, whilst the suspension was also reinforced with special Koni shock-absorbers and stiffer anti-roll bars. The bodywork featured a blanked-out front grille and modified side vents - replicating the side vents of the Le Mans winning DBR-1 - as well as bigger front spoiler and rear skirt. The interior was reworked with a gigantic rev-meter, a special Titanium finish on some parts, and all possible options such as heated windshield, parking radars, traction control, heated electric seats, and full Connolly leather upholstery with matching Wilton pure wool carpets. The keyholder was in sterling silver and a map from Newport-Pagnell to the legendary Le Mans track was provided in the delivery documents, for owners who would like to do the pilgrimage. Each "Le Mans" was made upon special commission and fitted with a number plate indicating also the name of the first owner.