Virage or DB7 Vantage?
Discussion
Apologies for crashing your forum, but I'm flirting with the idea of getting an Aston, and so am looking for some armchair critics to part with some of their wisdom. I don't really want to spend more than £30k, and both of the above slip into my price range.
Virages don't seem to be very popular, considering they were hand-built. Is this due to lack of numbers made, or are they expensive to keep running? Are they reliable, or is it just that the drive is not on a par with other cars of the era?
DB7 Vantage. I've only picked up on these, as they were the successor to the above, and you seem to get a lot of metal for the money. As above, is there an achilles heel to these cars, or are they just out of favour due to the amount of juice they use?
Thanks in advance....
Virages don't seem to be very popular, considering they were hand-built. Is this due to lack of numbers made, or are they expensive to keep running? Are they reliable, or is it just that the drive is not on a par with other cars of the era?
DB7 Vantage. I've only picked up on these, as they were the successor to the above, and you seem to get a lot of metal for the money. As above, is there an achilles heel to these cars, or are they just out of favour due to the amount of juice they use?
Thanks in advance....
The cost of petrol is rarely an issue for people who buy these cars. They're usually not purchased as daily drivers, and they're not bought to nurse between filling stations 
The DB7 Vantage is a great grand tourer, I have one myself - but you need to buy one with a good provenance & maintenance history, then be prepared to spend a grand or two a year on maintenance. As people say, the definition of an optimist is someone who thinks that they can almost afford an Aston.
The DB7 Vantage is a great grand tourer, I have one myself - but you need to buy one with a good provenance & maintenance history, then be prepared to spend a grand or two a year on maintenance. As people say, the definition of an optimist is someone who thinks that they can almost afford an Aston.
Thanks. I'm used to spending on keeping cars in fine fettle, so am fine with that.
After a bit more searching around here, I see that my question is not unique, so I apologise for that.
I'll do a bit more reading on your specialist forums, though at present, I'm leaning towards a manual Virage. Is that a no-no?
After a bit more searching around here, I see that my question is not unique, so I apologise for that.
I'll do a bit more reading on your specialist forums, though at present, I'm leaning towards a manual Virage. Is that a no-no?
The Virage never recovered from being considered bland when it came out. If you had no experience of the previous V8 then it was a great car but if you were steeped in Aston folklore it wasn't very much. The early ones also had problems with a new rear suspension which was later replaced.
Aston Martin got over the problem by using the Virage as the basis of the twin supercharged Vantage which brought the glory days back. They then used the styling cues from the Vantge to rebrand the Virage as the V8 Coupe.
The DB7 on the other hand was not hand-built but hand assembled (!) and quite openly based on the XJS. For this reason it was unloved by long standing Aston aficionados, but loved by people who wanted a reliable Aston with few quirks.
Virage: lovely and underrated.
DB7: lovely but not old-school.
Aston Martin got over the problem by using the Virage as the basis of the twin supercharged Vantage which brought the glory days back. They then used the styling cues from the Vantge to rebrand the Virage as the V8 Coupe.
The DB7 on the other hand was not hand-built but hand assembled (!) and quite openly based on the XJS. For this reason it was unloved by long standing Aston aficionados, but loved by people who wanted a reliable Aston with few quirks.
Virage: lovely and underrated.
DB7: lovely but not old-school.
Silly question but have you driven them both? The Virage isn't particularly pretty and a cumbersome lump compared to the DB7. Running costs will also be higher - as people are so frequent to point out - the DB7 has a lot of Jaguar and Ford parts. You'll be glad it has when you're servicing a 10-15 year old car!
The Virage is indeed a bit slow, but it is much more exclusive. Because it is handbuilt and
made in small volumes, it will probably increase more in value over the next years, compared to DB7
(except from the Zagato versions and GT/GTA).
I think you need to drive both, because the difference between the cars is huge.
Mine is a Volante, which is great for cruising, but for the thrills I prefer to take the
X-Pack V8 Vantage from 1989, because it is much more entertaining to drive.
And about the cumbersome looks : does it look bad from this angle ?
made in small volumes, it will probably increase more in value over the next years, compared to DB7
(except from the Zagato versions and GT/GTA).
I think you need to drive both, because the difference between the cars is huge.
Mine is a Volante, which is great for cruising, but for the thrills I prefer to take the
X-Pack V8 Vantage from 1989, because it is much more entertaining to drive.
And about the cumbersome looks : does it look bad from this angle ?
DickyC said:
The Virage never recovered from being considered bland when it came out. If you had no experience of the previous V8 then it was a great car but if you were steeped in Aston folklore it wasn't very much. The early ones also had problems with a new rear suspension which was later replaced.
Aston Martin got over the problem by using the Virage as the basis of the twin supercharged Vantage which brought the glory days back. They then used the styling cues from the Vantge to rebrand the Virage as the V8 Coupe.
The DB7 on the other hand was not hand-built but hand assembled (!) and quite openly based on the XJS. For this reason it was unloved by long standing Aston aficionados, but loved by people who wanted a reliable Aston with few quirks.
Virage: lovely and underrated.
DB7: lovely but not old-school.
Thanks. Over the past couple of days, I've realised that it's actually the V8 coupe that has taken my interest, rather than the earlier Virage.Aston Martin got over the problem by using the Virage as the basis of the twin supercharged Vantage which brought the glory days back. They then used the styling cues from the Vantge to rebrand the Virage as the V8 Coupe.
The DB7 on the other hand was not hand-built but hand assembled (!) and quite openly based on the XJS. For this reason it was unloved by long standing Aston aficionados, but loved by people who wanted a reliable Aston with few quirks.
Virage: lovely and underrated.
DB7: lovely but not old-school.
It's only when you start digging, that you see there's more than one model.
stats007 said:
Silly question but have you driven them both? The Virage isn't particularly pretty and a cumbersome lump compared to the DB7. Running costs will also be higher - as people are so frequent to point out - the DB7 has a lot of Jaguar and Ford parts. You'll be glad it has when you're servicing a 10-15 year old car!
Not a silly question, and the answer is 'no.'Firstly, I don't want to waste someones time, trying a vehicle I have no intention of buying, and secondly (this may sound a little perverse) if I decide to get a V8 coupe yet the V12 drives better, I may be always yearning for the one I haven't got.
I therefore decide what I want, find likely candidates, short list them, view, and once I have chosen, I will test drive. There has only been one time when the drive was so terrible that I dismissed the car, and went searching for something completely different.
As to running costs, I assumed that the Virage/V8 Coupe would use generic parts from specialist suppliers. Is this not the case? I'm used to four figure service bills (not that I like them) but will baulk at five figure ones!
koen said:
The Virage is indeed a bit slow, but it is much more exclusive. Because it is handbuilt and
made in small volumes, it will probably increase more in value over the next years, compared to DB7
(except from the Zagato versions and GT/GTA).
I think you need to drive both, because the difference between the cars is huge.
Mine is a Volante, which is great for cruising, but for the thrills I prefer to take the
X-Pack V8 Vantage from 1989, because it is much more entertaining to drive.
And about the cumbersome looks : does it look bad from this angle ?
I'm not worried about 'slow.' It's all about the journey, not just getting to the destination. made in small volumes, it will probably increase more in value over the next years, compared to DB7
(except from the Zagato versions and GT/GTA).
I think you need to drive both, because the difference between the cars is huge.
Mine is a Volante, which is great for cruising, but for the thrills I prefer to take the
X-Pack V8 Vantage from 1989, because it is much more entertaining to drive.
And about the cumbersome looks : does it look bad from this angle ?
I have the use of a car to track, when I want thrills.Your car looks good, but we already have one rag-top at home, so any new car will be a FHC.
Thanks for all your views...
The DB7 is much easier to drive than, well, pretty much any earlier Aston! Richard Williams, he of RSW in Cobham, said of the DB7, "It flatters your driving," which is very well put.
This from the man who did a lot of development work on the Virage for Aston Martin, by the way.
The Virage started from a fairly clean sheet with a company on a small budget. The DB7, as has been said, came directly from the well-sorted XJS when AML had Ford money to play with.
The V8 Coupe was the Virage after Ford were involved and benefitted from their involvement. As long as you don't want to drive it like a hot hatchback, you'll be fine.
This from the man who did a lot of development work on the Virage for Aston Martin, by the way.
The Virage started from a fairly clean sheet with a company on a small budget. The DB7, as has been said, came directly from the well-sorted XJS when AML had Ford money to play with.
The V8 Coupe was the Virage after Ford were involved and benefitted from their involvement. As long as you don't want to drive it like a hot hatchback, you'll be fine.
ARAF said:
So, one with "£30k in bills over the past two 1/2 years" would that be classed as normal? Should you budget £15k pa to keep one on the road? 
Like with all cars, some owners are perfectionists and others aren't. Being a perfectionist with an Aston is just more expensive.There are people who run Astons and you wonder how they do it. You know instinctively they aren't spending that sort of money.
Consider joining the AMOC and talking to more owners.
ARAF said:
Firstly, I don't want to waste someones time, trying a vehicle I have no intention of buying, and secondly (this may sound a little perverse) if I decide to get a V8 coupe yet the V12 drives better, I may be always yearning for the one I haven't got.
It's all part of deciding what to buy - explain that to a private seller or just find a dealer with one. It will be a very expensive mistake if you buy without trying both and getting to know exactly what they're like to own and drive.stats007 said:
It's all part of deciding what to buy - explain that to a private seller or just find a dealer with one. It will be a very expensive mistake if you buy without trying both and getting to know exactly what they're like to own and drive.
That's all part of the journey. I've found a 2-wheels valhala, so now I need to find 4. As to "not trying being an expensive mistake," the saying I go by is "ignorance is bliss" - if I don't know what I am missing, then I'm happy.I guess that the DB7 Vantage will be a better drive than a V8 Coupe, but will it take me on the same journey? (metaphorical) and be more satisfying?
I'm sure that many will not understand, but I'm equally sure that, as with other marques, some will know exactly what I am on about.
DickyC said:
The handmade cars have more soul, if that's what your after.
Yes, I agree, and that's were I am looking. Little niggles are a quirky bonus, rather than a nuisance.Next question, is water ingress. Not a problem on my Series 3 Landy, but that doesn't have carpet, let alone electronics (anywhere). Does the cabin on a V8 Coupe get damp, and where are the usual problem areas?
ARAF said:
Next question, is water ingress. Does the cabin on a V8 Coupe get damp, and where are the usual problem areas?
Ah, this is where you need to find a V8 Coupe owner. However, I will say that a lot of the problems of owning a thoroughbred are to do with its ability to cope with real life. The Virage and its derivatives are the cross-over cars between the two Aston Martin worlds of then and now - pre and post Ford - and were probably better able to cope than the earlier cars.
The DB7 and later cars are 'real world' machines and are quite capable of living outside, for example. The earlier cars would really prefer a cossetted life.
ARAF said:
As to "not trying being an expensive mistake," the saying I go by is "ignorance is bliss" - if I don't know what I am missing, then I'm happy.
Without wishing to appear rude that's rather a bizarre attitude! It also sounds like you've made up your mind already - you like the idea of a handbuilt Aston and think you'll be buying into an ideal with the Virage or V8 Coupe. The reality is very different. That's not to say I haven't let my heart rule my head in previous purchases (Cerbera, Maserati) - it had to be done but probably not again.ARAF said:
As to "not trying being an expensive mistake," the saying I go by is "ignorance is bliss" - if I don't know what I am missing, then I'm happy.
stats007 said:
Without wishing to appear rude that's rather a bizarre attitude! It also sounds like you've made up your mind already - you like the idea of a handbuilt Aston and think you'll be buying into an ideal with the Virage or V8 Coupe. The reality is very different. That's not to say I haven't let my heart rule my head in previous purchases (Cerbera, Maserati) - it had to be done but probably not again.
I'm not sure it's heart ruling head. After all the Virage derivatives are the last of the low-volume cars and are changing hands for a fraction of their original purchase price. I remember when you could get a DB6 for similar money, but look at them now. It's not a valid investment plan, but it helps me justify having a superfluous car.I can't deny that an Aston was on my boyhood wish list, so yes, I must be trying to buy into the idyll. I could look at earlier cars, but am not a fan of the basic shape of the DBS.
As to the crazy attitude, you never miss what you don't have. I think that the DB7 shape has dated quite quickly, so would rather remove that from my shortlist.
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