Aston Martin, the British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, has introduced a new brand of sports car - the Virage.

The Virage’s front mid-mounted V12 engine’s torque delivery provides outstanding performance, coupled with the car’s inherent agility and perfect weight distribution, a statement said.

“One hundred years of automotive history has demonstrated that evolution delivers the best solutions in time,” said Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO.

“So it is with Virage; it is the next level of evolution in our VH architecture strategy and it does everything with the perfection that you would expect today. It is the perfect balance of opposites.”

Aston Martin’s hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine produces 490 bhp (365 kW/497 PS)  and 570 nM (420 lb. Ft) of torque and through its carbon fibre prop shaft, is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle contributing to 50:50 weight balance.

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.

Virage will be delivered with carbon ceramic matrix (CCM) brakes as standard.

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.

Virage capitalises on the technology from the DBS and unites it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide, the statement said.

Aston Martin’s own bonded aluminium VH architecture that forms the backbone of the marque’s sports cars. Strong yet light, the inherent properties of modular aluminium lend themselves perfectly to an extremely rigid and versatile platform which allows the production of a Virage coupe and Volante, according to the statement.

The Virage features single bi-xenon headlamps and a new aluminium metal front grille. The front wings distinguish the Virage from its stable mates housing a new modern interpretation of the Aston Martin iconic side strake housing six LEDs forming the side repeater.

Virage’s side sills carry the simplicity of the front bumper through to the rear diffuser which houses a body-coloured blade accentuating the width of the car.

As drivers and passengers open the signature swan wing doors, they are greeted by the aroma of seven hides of the finest Bridge of Weir leather expertly hand stitched by craftsmen.

Each Virage will have 70 man hours of expert craftsmanship lavished on the interior alone. In all, over 200 man hours will be spent handcrafting the Virage at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England as it becomes the tenth major production car to be built there in the space of less than eight years.

The new fully integrated satellite navigation system has been developed in conjunction with Garmin. The new system simplifies operation through the existing four-way joystick mounted on the facia, with a new 6.5 inch high resolution display uses the latest graphics and maps.

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.

The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now, available from Aston Martin’s global dealership network spanning 132 dealerships in 41 countries, the statement added. – TradeArabia News Service