Sitting between the DB9 and DBS, it's also a new chapter for Aston.

Combining outright sports car performance with luxury, comfort and refinement, the new Virage is to fill the gap between the hard-edged DBS and the luxurious DB9.  The hand-built 6.0 litre V12 engine produces 490bhp and 570Nm of torque, all of which is transmitted through a carbon fibre prop shaft to the six-speed Touchtronic II gearbox for the perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

The Virage also gets Aston's new Adaptive Damping System (ADS) that senses road conditions and sets itself in five different stiffness settings in normal mode, and a further five stiffer settings within sport mode. The sports mode also sharpens the throttle response, speeds up gear changes and holds them until the rev-limit. The Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes come as standard, offering progressive and tremendous stopping power while reducing weight at the same time.

The Virage's backbone is formed from the ‘VH’ architecture which is light yet rigid, which is why the Virage will come in coupe and Volante (cabriolet) variants at launch, instead of being introduced as a coupe first. In coupe form, Virage is available as a 2+2 seater or a 2+0 which replaces the rear seats with a parcel shelf.

It takes more than 70 hours to stitch the Bridge of Weir leather together for the luxurious interior, joining glass buttons, polished wood and aluminium finishes. Other creature comforts include heated sports seats, cruise control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephone preparation and a powerful 700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System and full iPod integration.