It’s a very rare thing for a car brand to launch two models at once, but that’s exactly what Aston Martin has done. Both cars may look similar to previous offerings but the Virage and the Vantage S are essentially unique and fresh. Bespoke flies to Andalucía to discover more.
What do Andalucía and Aston Martin have in common? Well, apart from the fact that the British car manufacturer has chosen this idyllic part of the world for its latest product launches, the answer is Arab ownership. You see in March 2007, at the height of the economic boom, Aston Martin was sold by Ford for 925 million USD to a consortium led by former racing driver Dave Richards, investment banker John Singers, as well as two Kuwaiti investment funds - Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Company – with the Kuwaiti companies owning almost 80 per cent of Aston’s shares between them.
Now go back over one and a quarter millennia. It was in 713 AD that Ronda, the Andalucían town and location of Aston Martin’s dual-car launch, fell to the Arabs. Its modern name derives from its former Arabic designation of ‘Izn-Rand Onda’ (City of the Castle), as it was known during its days as the capital of the Takurunna province. Later, after the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba, Ronda became the capital of a small kingdom, the taifa of Ronda, and it was during this period that it received most of its Islamic architectural heritage. Then in 1065, Ronda was conquered by the taifa of Seville led by Abbad II al-Mu’tadid. Interestingly, both the 13th century poet Salih ben Sharif al-Rundi and the 14th century Sufi scholar Ibn Abbad al-Rundi were born in Ronda. Finally, after almost three quarters of a millennium, the Islamic rule of Ronda came to an end in 1485.
Of course, Aston did not choose Andalucía because of this connection but it certainly makes for some interesting reading. We would guess that a more influential factor was a certain Ronda-based attraction built in 2002. It goes by the name of the Ascari Race Resort and it’s a private, members-only racetrack owned by Dutchman Klass Zwart who made a fortune from inventing horizontal drilling processes for offshore oil rigs. Many may be more familiar with the name Ascari as a former Italian Formula One world champion, or even Zwart’s now-defunct UK-based supercar marque, but for those in the know, this 5.4 kilometre circuit is the longest in Spain and it actually replicates the best sections from the world’s most amazing tracks: Laguna Seca, the Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone among others. With its 26 exhilarating turns, Spain’s very own former world F1 champion, Fernando Alonso, describes the circuit as, “the most demanding racetrack in the world.”
The good news is that you can join the reclusive oil industry entrepreneur in his private kingdom. The bad news is that it will cost you and your family a one-time payment of 320,000 USD for a 25-year membership. There’s an additional yearly fee of 15,000 USD for the next 24 years. What you get for this sizeable sum is access to the track for fifteen days of the year and the right to stay at the resort he has built alongside the track – this will prove essential in keeping the wife and kids happy. Before you start booking the in-laws too, you should be aware that all the facilities come at an extra cost. Therefore, in order to keep it simple, let’s just say that what you get when you make out that cheque is entry to the world’s greatest petrol-head destination.
Which brings us to the current launch: Aston Martin’s new cars are the V8 Vantage S and the V12 Virage. They look pretty familiar don’t they? Well that’s because they are. The Vantage S is a more hardcore and driver-focused version of the V8 Vantage in exactly the same manner as a GT3 is to a 911. The name works, the idea works. Confusion however starts to set in with the Virage. Given that it has a new name, you’d think it was a new model, yet it looks startlingly similar to the DB9 and DBS. That’s apparently the point. Aston decided there was a gap to fill between the enduringly elegant and civil DB9 and the overtly sporting and visceral DBS. Yet where the horsepower numbers slide perfectly between those of the DB9 and DBS, the Virage’s cost is 20,000 USD more than a DB9, but a hefty 55,000 USD less than a DBS. This leaves us with the almost certain conclusion that there is going to be a Virage S in the near future. Yes we are getting confused too.
What Aston Martin has managed to do, is wring out 12 separate vehicles from a single-bonded aluminium chassis. The ingenious flexible building block can be elongated (as was done for the Rapide 4-door), shortened (in the case of the V8 Vantage), and it works for both coupé and convertible variants. Let’s count the models together shall we? There’s the Rapide, DBS Coupé, DBS Volante, Virage Coupé, Virage Volante, DB9 Coupé, DB9 Volante, V12 Vantage, V8 Vantage S, V8 Vantage S Roadster, V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage Roadster. If Aston does indeed produce a Virage S and Virage S Volante, and we add them to the little Cygnet and the audacious One-77, then Aston makes a whopping sixteen separate cars. For a brand that only produces 6,500 units a year; that is a lot of models. You can tell their ceo used to work at Porsche once upon a time, can’t you?
How are the two newest cars from behind the wheel? I’ll start with the Virage. In the looks department I’d say that I prefer the sharpness of the DB9’s lines and the overall aggression of the DBS. This model is certainly no hideosity but the black plastic front splitter (why isn’t it carbon?), strangely chiselled lower front snout and badly shaped Rapide front headlights (the LED’s may be cool but the old lights were way prettier) let this car down a little. From behind the wheel it’s also not all that fantastic. Dynamically, the Virage is not intended to be as driver-orientated as the DBS. Instead Aston prefers to call it a gentleman’s GT car, which explains why so many of the processes used to perfect the Rapide’s excellent (but more sedate) chassis and suspension have been revisited to create the underpinnings of this car.
So the Virage is an excellent tourer with a potent V12, great ceramic breaks and all the luxury you could ever desire (including a much improved GPS.) I could imagine effortlessly driving this car for long distances but the downside is that when compared to the DBS, there was a loss in soul. That’s a huge concern considering the brand’s marketing department previously condensed modern day Aston Martin into three keys words: power, beauty and soul.
One of the most obvious points of comparison must be the aural properties of both cars. Put the windows up and try to have a spirited drive in the Virage and you’ll be greeted by the whine of the gearbox instead of the symphonic tempest you get with the DBS. But, before I go too far in my gripes, I have to tell you that there is a solution: the Virage Volante. By chopping the roof off, suddenly the Virage makes a lot more sense. The improved ride, the quieter insulation, the well balanced set-up, all offer a measured, cohesive polish that suit the character of a drop-head far more than the coupé. Yes I still want a DBS, and it’ll be in coupé form, but the Virage Volante just made Aston convertibles a very tempting prospect indeed. Try the coupé and the convertible back to back and see for yourself.
Luckily just before my enthusiasm was curbed too much I was handed the keys to the smaller Vantage S. Now, the V8 was always a great car but there was something far sexier about the V12’s. That being said, this car is not at all what I expected. It’s awesome. After a few crazy laps on the Ascari circuit I have to admit that Aston Martin has got it right with this car. In terms of aesthetics there’s a new actual carbon-fibre front splitter, a more aggressive sill treatment, more pronounced rear spoiler and a carbon diffuser. Inside there are some very comfortable carbon fibre race seats. And, apart from adding ten horses to the now 430bhp 4.7-litre engine, the biggest alteration is the new seven-speed robotised manual gearbox. This single-clutch unit is air-cooled, saving a valuable 16kg and because it has more ratios, the S sits in the power band more often. When you do need to change a gear, you can do it in an instant.
This GT3 of Vantages has been designed to engage the driver and boy, does it do that. The steering has been quickened, the front brakes are larger, the suspension has been recalibrated with new springs and dampers and, strangest of all, both the front anti-roll bar and rear springs have been softened up. The final result is a car you can control even at breakneck speeds. It’s raw, it’s visceral, it’s pumped, it’s bloody loud but it’s also so unbelievably well balanced, compliant, comfortable and civilised that this could just be the perfect daily-runner sportscar. Porsche eat your heart out, Aston has your number! Yes, you guessed it: I want one of the Vantage S’s in my dream garage. It’ll be right next to my DBS.
What a beautiful place Ronda is and what a great time I had toying about with these remarkable Astons. As I contemplated my conclusions I could not help but wonder if I like the direction Aston is heading. Yes, it’s a fine thing for the company to alter the characteristics of its existing models but are the final results worth it? In the case of the V12’s, I would say no, not unless you’re looking for a convertible, in which case I can vouch for your purchase. If you were hoping for a coupé then I’d recommend you save up and get yourself a DBS, which remains the most magnificent car in the world. But in the case of the Vantage S, Aston has made a car that is greater than even its most passionate fans could have dreamed of. This car is a proper Porsche killer. You see, not only is this car lightning quick but you can also utilise almost all of that speed. It’s exacting, yet flattering. And best of all, if you were to buy this car, you’d probably have a grin on your face every time you have the pleasure of driving it. Can we Arabs take some credit for helping Aston make such a landmark vehicle? I’d like to think so.
