2012 Aston Martin Virage: Automotive Haute Couture - Ignition Episode 19
On this episode of Ignition
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [ENGINE REVVING]
00:07 This week on Ignition, we try on the newest
00:09 in automotive high fashion.
00:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:38 You really have to admire the people at Aston Martin.
00:40 Years ago, they came up with this stunning design.
00:43 And ever since, they've been doing variations on that theme.
00:46 Are they afraid of change?
00:47 Are they lazy?
00:48 I'd argue that it doesn't really matter,
00:50 especially when you have cars that look like this one does.
00:54 See, every time Aston Martin introduces a new car,
00:57 the design is similar but always improved.
01:00 This new one's called the Verage.
01:02 Now, it's a French word I have no idea
01:03 how to pronounce correctly.
01:04 But it means curve.
01:06 But would you just look at this thing?
01:08 It's stunning.
01:10 The story behind it is the familiar one of an automaker
01:13 never leaving a potential niche unoccupied.
01:17 Aston Martin designed the Verage to slot
01:19 between the DB9 and the DBS.
01:21 If you have no idea what that means, you're not alone.
01:23 Those cars are very similar.
01:24 So let's walk through it.
01:26 The DB9 is the luxury grand tourer of the group,
01:29 while the DBS is the sports car.
01:31 It's also the one Bond drove in Casino Royale briefly.
01:34 The Verage then wants to have some of the luxury elements
01:36 of the DB9.
01:37 But it also wants to have some of the sporty elements
01:40 from the DBS.
01:40 So it has a 5.9 liter V12 that makes 490 horsepower.
01:45 That's less than the DBS, but more than the DB9.
01:48 It costs about $210,000.
01:51 That's less than the DBS, but more than the DB9.
01:54 You see where this is going.
01:56 I'm curious, though, if it will fit between those two
01:58 at the test track.
01:59 Launching the Verage goes like this.
02:07 You turn traction and stability control off
02:09 by holding the button down for about 10 seconds.
02:12 Press the sport button to get that nice V12
02:15 rasp through the exhaust.
02:16 Now, to get off the line, you put your left foot
02:18 on the brake, and you roll on the throttle with your right
02:20 foot.
02:21 You don't want to do it too much, though,
02:22 or else you'll get too much wheel spin,
02:23 and it'll shift prematurely.
02:25 So it's finding the sweet spot.
02:26 Let's see if we can do that.
02:27 Off the brake.
02:32 That feels good.
02:35 And you're off.
02:36 60 miles an hour, 4.2 seconds.
02:38 And that sound is quite nice.
02:44 Quarter mile, 12.6 seconds at over 110 miles an hour.
02:49 And that time, would you believe it,
02:51 falls right between the DBS and the DB9.
02:53 For our 60 to 0 braking test, you
02:58 want to make sure there's enough heat in the rotors.
03:00 These carbon ceramics like being warmed up first.
03:03 But let's see what we can do.
03:04 [TIRES SQUEALING]
03:06 Stops very quick, indeed.
03:08 Our best stop from 60 is 99 feet.
03:10 And that's shorter than both the DBS and the DB9.
03:15 We don't really know why.
03:16 So we begin the figure 8 test with the Aston Martin Verage.
03:24 And initial impressions are surprisingly good.
03:28 This is a big, heavy car, let's be honest.
03:32 But it responds quite nicely.
03:36 It's easy to underestimate how capable this car is,
03:41 because it's big.
03:44 And a lot of the sensations are muted.
03:46 The brakes, for example.
03:48 Pedal feel is OK, although the stopping power is immense.
03:52 Steering feel is OK, although it'll turn in quite nicely.
03:59 And the engine sound, I mean, it's there.
04:01 But it's not all encompassing.
04:04 So you get this sort of separated sensation
04:06 from the rest of the car.
04:07 And it's extremely capable.
04:09 But it doesn't communicate that much to you.
04:11 So you're always going a lot faster than you think you are.
04:15 And then you look down the speedometer,
04:16 and you're like, whoa, I'm going pretty fast.
04:19 And oh, now I'm sideways.
04:22 Like that.
04:23 [LAUGHS]
04:25 [TIRES SQUEALING]
04:29 You can just do big power slides all day.
04:34 [LAUGHS]
04:36 Maybe it's a little too easy to power oversteer,
04:41 especially if you're trying to set a lap time.
04:43 [TIRES SQUEALING]
04:46 [LAUGHS]
04:58 It will make absolutely beautiful slides.
05:01 That is quite fun.
05:04 [TIRES SQUEALING]
05:07 Oh, I just got an indicator on the dash saying,
05:11 high engine temperature, slow down.
05:14 It put me in automatic mode.
05:16 And it's done playing for the day.
05:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:21 [TIRES SQUEALING]
05:24 This Aston isn't so concerned with limit performance.
05:37 But that's obvious just by one glance at the tack,
05:40 where there's no indicated red line.
05:43 The Verage is smooth, fluid perhaps on a road like this.
05:48 Its limits are soft, and they end with a mild understeer
05:51 that feels appropriate for this kind of car.
05:55 It likes 6/7 tenths driving, and everything
05:58 seems to be suited for that style on the road.
06:03 Transmission is a standard 6-speed automatic from ZF.
06:08 And it's fine at what it's supposed to do.
06:11 But it lacks the clearness and clarity
06:13 of a twin-clutch transmission.
06:16 It does the job.
06:18 This thing feels great at a relaxed pace.
06:21 You got that massive 5.9 liter V12 built by Derek,
06:26 as we know, by looking at it, or at least signed off by him.
06:29 And it just sounds wonderful, as you would hope a V12 would.
06:35 If I do have a complaint, it's with the infotainment system.
06:45 It's a Garmin-sourced unit, and it feels like it.
06:49 You figure with a car that costs as much as this one does,
06:53 it would have something unique and special to its own.
06:55 The rest of the interior, though, is gorgeous.
06:57 I could just touch the roof on this thing for forever.
07:02 It's just really nice stuff.
07:03 You get two sport buttons on the dash.
07:09 One sharpens up the powertrain, makes the throttle response
07:11 a bit sharper, makes the transmission
07:13 hold onto gears longer and up until redline.
07:16 The second one firms up the dampers
07:18 and makes the car ride a bit stiffer.
07:20 What I find interesting is that this car comes standard
07:25 with carbon ceramic brakes, and I can't really tell why.
07:30 I mean, they're a bit poser-ish for a car of this type.
07:34 I mean, let's be clear.
07:35 The Verage is no ultimate sports car.
07:38 I mean, a Carrera S would destroy this thing
07:40 on a mountain road or on a racetrack.
07:42 But I'm OK with that.
07:44 The intended function of this car
07:46 isn't speed contests and lap times.
07:49 It's something more than that.
07:51 The joy of owning one of these cars
07:56 isn't just the speed or the thrill of the drive.
07:59 It's also the artistry and the craftsmanship
08:02 that goes into it.
08:03 This interior, for example, boasts
08:05 seven different types of leathers
08:07 from this shop in Scotland called Bridge of Weir.
08:10 The stitching is immaculate, and the smell--
08:12 I can't even express the smell inside of here.
08:14 It smells like what you would expect Ron Burgundy's
08:17 apartment to smell like.
08:18 Aston Martin says it takes 70 man hours
08:21 to complete this interior.
08:23 Now, according to their own figures,
08:24 that's 50 hours more than it takes
08:26 to build the 5.9 liter V12 underneath the hood.
08:30 That effort shows.
08:31 You know, I frequently get asked questions like, why buy X
08:39 when Y is faster and cheaper?
08:42 And I always answer, because it's more than that.
08:46 Why would you spend over $1,000 on a watch
08:48 when you can get a $20 Casio that works just as well?
08:52 Why would someone spend any money on a tailored suit
08:55 when an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans
08:57 cover you up just the same?
08:59 It's because the value of these items
09:01 isn't defined by their function alone.
09:03 No, it's the quality and the workmanship
09:05 that make these things special.
09:07 The same is true with a Verage.
09:09 It's not the speed, though it is decently quick.
09:12 And it's not the handling, which is smooth, precise,
09:15 and enjoyable.
09:16 No, it's the brilliant design, beautiful packaging,
09:19 and sense of top-of-the-line craftsmanship
09:21 that make the Verage a very desirable car indeed.
09:24 Attention, drivers of PCH.
09:30 I am driving an Aston Martin.
09:33 It costs $210,000.
09:36 It has a V12.
09:38 I'm better than you.
09:39 [ENGINE REVVING]
09:41 [LAUGHING]
09:43 Six-pack.
09:45 Nice pastel car.
09:47 There are seven different types of leather in this car.
09:53 It's better than yours, better than you.
09:57 I can't even pronounce the name of this car.
09:59 That's-- ooh, R8.