Used Aston Martin Virage
A History Lesson
The Aston Martin Virage was first introduced in 1988 and was later joined by the Vantage, which was basically a higher performance version. From 1996 the Virage was known simply as the Aston Martin V8. Some 1,050 models were produced by the year 2000 and a new version was reintroduced in 2011. Powerful and elegant, the Virage has all the hallmarks so characteristic of the Aston Martin range, combining both luxury and soul to provide drivers with a class-leading range.
Bang for Your Buck
With an appearance that is reminiscent of the magnificent Lagonda, the Aston Martin Virage offers beauty, refinement and prestige. Fitted with a 32-valve 5.3 litre V8 engine the Virage has been championed for its seemingly endless acceleration. For the most part, the car was fitted with automatic transmission and the five-speed manual version is a rare find as is the six-speed manual version that was offered as a very rare option.
What You'll Pay
Obviously, the later generation Virages that were produced from 2011 are far more readily available on the market. These will set you back just over £100,000 if you opt for a private seller, while the wiser choice of buying one from a specialist dealer will probably cost you at least an extra £10,000. An original generation second hand Aston Martin Virage will be harder to find and you can expect to pay around £70,000 for a decent example.
What to Check
As with most older Aston Martin's the most common problems lie with the electrics. However, the most important thing you need to look out for is any sign of bodywork damage. The panels on the Aston Martin Virage are notoriously difficult to repair -- in fact many agree a damaged Virage could never be restored 100% -- and new panels are fairly rare and extremely expensive. Other areas that need to be carefully checked are the rear axle, the gear box and the differential, all of which tend to give the most problems as far as the mechanics are concerned.
Parts
Parts for the newer generation are obviously still widely available from the Aston Martin company itself. However, as you might expect even the later model parts are not cheap. For the older generation version many parts were provided by other companies. For example, the headlamps and tail lamps were provided by the Audi 200 and the Volkswagen Scirocco respectively, while parts such as the control panel, dash switches and steering column were provided by Jaguar, Ford and General Motors. These specific parts then are relatively affordable.
How It Drives
The Aston Martin Virage's dynamics were specifically designed to offer both a refined yet engaging driving experience. According to most opinions the company were more than successful with this aim. The most powerful version, that is the 6.3 litre is capable of 175 mph and can go from 0-60 in little over 6 seconds.
However, some criticism has been made with regards to the car's comfort. Some believe that too much emphasis was placed on the handling performance of the Virage and an overall lack of comfort was a result of this. Aston Martin have now announced that production of the new generation Virage will soon be discontinued after only 18 months.