The Virage name, first used in 1988, was given to this car, which was in production from spring 2011 until autumn the following year.
THE COMPANY WAS bought by an investment consortium, mainly from Kuwait, under the chairmanship of David Richards, the chairman of Prodrive, with Ulrich Bez remaining the CEO. Dr Bez’s influence is shown both in the return to racing with the DBR9, and in the development of the road cars using the V8 and V12 engines. Continuity of the models in production was maintained.
In July 2007 V12 Vanquish production finished at Newport Pagnell and the factory closed, although Works Service remained; production was now exclusively at Gaydon. A new model was announced in August: the DBS with the familiar V12 engine now producing 510 bhp; for the first time carbon fibre was used for some of the body panels. It was developed from the DB9 and used VH architecture. The DBS was initially a two-seater; rear seats soon became options. The convertible Volante version was introduced in 2009. Production finished in 2012 by which time 2,533 coupés and 852 Volantes had been built.
Development of the successful V8 Vantage continued with the engine being enlarged to 4.7 litres for both coupé and roadster in May 2008; later the same year production of the V8 Vantage reached 10,000 cars. In 2011 the V8 Vantage S was announced with an uprated engine, seven-speed transaxle and improved aerodynamics. More racing versions became available in 2008 with the V8 Vantage GT2 in January and the 4.7-litre GT4 replacing the N24 in November. At this time AML could supply cars for all four GT classes.
David Richards (on the left) and Dr Ulrich Bez outside the Gaydon factory.
AML’s entries in the top class of racing switched from the DBR9 to the Lola-Aston Martin LMP1 in 2009 and 2010; these closed cars used the 6-litre V12 engine. At Le Mans in 2009 one car finished fourth overall and was the first petrol-powered car behind the diesel-engined Audis. The replacement for 2011 was the all-new AMR-One, an open car with a specially designed petrol engine; however, it had reliability problems at Le Mans and did not race again.
A new four-door, four-seater sports car called the Rapide was introduced early in 2010. The Gaydon factory was at full capacity, and initial production was by Magna Steyr in Austria; this was later transferred to Gaydon. The Rapide was based on a lengthened DB9 and had folding rear seats and a tailgate. The engine was a 470-bhp version of the 6-litre V12 unit. In May 2010 a Rapide came second in its class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race. Three years later the Rapide S was announced with a restyled front and numerous other improvements. Later in the year a hydrogen-powered Rapide raced at the Nürburgring. The Rapide S remains in production.
A new version of the Vantage went into production in April 2009, having been announced a year earlier. It had the 6-litre V12 engine which produced 510 bhp. The V12 Vantage Coupé, like the V8 version, uses VH architecture. The main external features are extra air vents on the bonnet and a rear spoiler. A racing version soon appeared and won its class in the 2009 Nürburgring 24 Hours race. In May 2011 a Zagato-bodied version of the V12 Vantage was announced; two prototypes raced at the Nürburgring, one winning the class. Production of the V12 Vantage Zagato was limited to 101 cars, but the V12 Vantage coupé remains in production.
The 2007 DBS, the ‘flagship’ of the range.
A V12 Vantage factory demonstrator, 2009.
The One-77 hypercar went into production at Gaydon late in 2010, following the gradual release of information to the media; production was limited to seventy-seven cars and deliveries started the following year. The cars had a carbon fibre monocoque and aluminium body panels; the 7.3-litre V12 engine was front-mounted and produced 750 bhp; and the top speed was 220 mph. Every aspect of the One-77 was state of the art. The UK price for a One-77 was about £1.2 million plus taxes; all were soon sold.
The 2011 V12 Vantage Zagato.
Two One-77s being built in a special section of the Gaydon factory.
Buyers of the One-77 could choose from a wide range of options, and soon similar choices were available through the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ bespoke service for all new AML cars – the name was perhaps inspired by ‘Q’ in the James Bond films. A huge range of colours and materials was available for customers to tailor a car to their personal requirements – an approach that Aston Martin has used through much of its long history. In 2011 AML was proclaimed the ‘Coolest Brand’ for the fifth time, and in 2013 it came second.
AML introduced the Cygnet in 2011. This was a city car based on the Toyota IQ but with extensively revised bodywork and interior, all to Aston Martin’s usual high standards, leaving the mechanical units unchanged. The wide two-door body gave roomy accommodation to the front passengers but rather less in the rear. Cygnets were produced at Gaydon until late 2013, by which time nearly 1,000 had been built.
The Cygnet; this car was shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
Another new model, announced early in 2011, was the V12 Virage, fitting between the DB9 and the DBS. It was a two-door coupé available with either an additional two seats or a shelf at the rear. The open Volante version soon followed and was only available with two-plus-two seating. The Virage had a 489-bhp version of the 6-litre V12 engine and a rear-mounted six-speed transaxle. Production finished in October 2012 after 1,100 cars had been made.
In August 2012 the V12 Vantage Roadster was announced. This was essentially the V12 Vantage with a roadster body. Almost a year later a new version of the V12 Vantage Coupé was announced, the V12 Vantage S. This car is currently the fastest road-going Aston Martin, apart from the One-77, with a top speed of 205 mph. The revised engine produces 565 bhp. The seven-speed automated manual transaxle is controlled with paddles behind the steering wheel. The coupé and roadster versions of the Vantage remain in production. In parallel with the road cars, AML continues to produce competitive racing cars based on the V8 and V12 Vantage for the GT Pro and GT Am classes.
In mid 2012 a new car was announced using the name Vanquish; deliveries started in late 2012. It uses the latest version of Aston Martin’s flexible VH architecture and has body panels formed from carbon fibre. The rear spoiler is an integral part of the boot lid. The car has a revised 6-litre V12 engine producing 565 bhp, and in the most confident fashion marks 100 years of Aston Martin. In May 2013 the Vanquish Volante was announced with deliveries starting by the end of the year; mechanically it is the same as the coupé. An unusual feature is that the windscreen is full height so that the glass runs up to meet the folding roof.
The 2012 Vanquish.
By September 2012 the DB9 had been in production for over eight years, during which time it had received numerous specification enhancements. A series of major changes were then introduced, and these included improvements to the bodywork, uprating the engine power to 510 bhp, fitting a new six-speed automatic transaxle, and improved brakes and suspension. The revitalised DB9 remains in production.
Late in 2012 the Italian equity group Investindustrial purchased a 37.5 per cent stake in AML, thus providing some much-needed capital. The following year news emerged of a technical collaboration between AML and Mercedes-AMG. By December the two parties had signed an agreement for technical cooperation; Mercedes would receive non-voting shares in AML.
In its centenary year AML announced an innovative concept car, the CC100 Speedster. It was not intended for production, but as a celebration which looked back to the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1, and forward to future Aston Martins. The CC100 has an open carbon fibre body, no hood, two faired headrests and large cut-outs below the doors. It is fitted with the familiar 6-litre V12 engine and six-speed transaxle, and uses VH architecture. The car first appeared in May 2013 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race meeting and the following month at Le Mans to mark AML’s centenary. The design was directed by Marek Reichman.
The CC100 Speedster.
The factory racing activity continued in 2013 and resulted in a win in the World Endurance Championship for the GTE Am team. At Le Mans one of the GTE Pro cars came third and a GTE Am car finished sixth.
Throughout 2013 events took place around the world to mark one hundred years of Aston Martin and the production of about 65,000 cars, most of which still exist. In July there was the timeline display of 101 cars in Kensington Gardens, London; AML published a special yearbook; the AMHT commissioned two model collections from SMTS; the AMOC organised numerous events. AML remains an iconic car manufacturer with an enthusiastic following around the world. The year 2013 was a memorable celebration of the centenary of a great car company.
The five Team cars at Le Mans in the pit lane, 2013.