Aston Martin launches the V8 Vantage S and Virage

With the very powerful forces that were captured today, it proves the point that car manufacturers in Singapore are hitting the right spot, capturing attention from both the media as well as their customers. Aston Martin Singapore, one of the most exclusive brands in the motoring scene, launched two of its beautiful new born in its showroom – the V8 Vantage S and the Virage – strengthening its line-up in an already powerful and mind-blowing stable.

The automaker is certainly making the effort to engage everyone close to them with this launch. Apart from flying its counterparts in from the UK and Japan, Aston Martin also invited the media for a private viewing and a dinner set-up ready to fill its customers’ bellies.

V8 Vantage S

Heavily influenced by the Vantage GT4 race car, the V8 Vantage S, as its name suggests, is a sporting car that’s aimed at the keenest purist. The 4.7-litre V8 powerplant has been designed and engineered to deliver a maximum of 430 horses at 7,300rpm and 490Nm of torque at 5,000rpm, making it one of the most impressive cars in its class on paper. But the icing on the cake has to be the new seven-speed Sportshift™ II automated manual transmission specifically designed for the car to deliver the most engaging and intense driver involvement.

On the outside, the Vantage S is instantly recognisable as a true blue Aston Martin, characterised by its menacing stance conveying its agility and capability to outrun every sports car. Upfront, a new lower front bumper finished in perfectly-aligned carbon fibre houses a larger air intake feeding the engine and front brakes while the splitter combined with the extended deck lid ‘flip’ work in harmony to provide increased down force at speed.

On the inside, the Vantage S features a ‘Sport’ button which quickens the gear changes and gives the driver a more aggressive throttle response that warrants the ‘S’ badge while also opening the exhaust bypass valves across most of the engine speed range perfectly. The door inserts also sport a distinctive three-track stitching detail and feature folded leather behind each track of the stitch detail – suggestive of the gills of a shark, hinting at the power and agility of the car. And as with every Aston Martin, the V8 Vantage S doesn’t disappoint with its very distinctive and highly respected exhaust note.

Virage

Supremely elegant yet understated as a sports car, the Virage is powered by an effortlessly muscular 6.0-litre V12 engine that pumps out a peerless 490bhp and 570Nm of torque on the tarmac. Apart from its dynamics being tuned to deliver an engaging and more refined driving experience, the Virage is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic II automatic transmission mounted on the transaxle which contributes to a perfect 50:50 weight balance. With such powerful forces at play, the luxury sports GT will be delivered with Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes as standard, delivering progressive and tremendous stopping power.

Styling wise, the Virage sits low and wide asserting the power which lies beneath while the single bi-xenon headlamps follow the lines of the car’s flanks to give a more crisp and modern look from the front. Comparing it to the Vantage S, the Virage can be differentiated through the longer headlamps too. A new aluminium metal front grille, inspired by the One-77, features five horizontal vanes which are chamfered. The new front bumper is pure and relieves the car of any visual complexities contributing to the simplicity of design. The 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.

Similarly to the Vantage S, the Virage also has a ‘Sport’ button which 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.