Production Aston Martin Rapide Images Leaked

January 30, 2009 10:30 AM

What appears here are the first real pictures of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide, leaked from official sources. A couple of teasers have recently crept up but none as clear as these. Aston Martin could debut the Rapide at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show which kicks off during the first week of March. There isn't much new that can be seen on these shots that we haven't seen before. The dark glass roof is there, the shiny wheels, two tailpipes and side air intakes can all be easily spotted.

Just to recap, the Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door coupe sedan/ saloon which can sit only four people. Its segment is fairly new in that it will compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Porsche Panamera and the upcoming Audi A7. If BMW and Lamborghini do eventually turn concept to metal we will add the CS and Estoque respectively to that growing list. Power sources are not yet known but the new 4.7-litre V8 that powers the V8 Vantage 420 is a strong candidate for the job. It produces 420hp (313kW) and 470Nm.

Manufacturing of the Rapide begins later this year and will peak at 2,000 units a year. The first customer deliveries are expected in early 2010.


Source: autocar

The 180-mph super-sedan that Aston Martin will pitch against the Porsche Panamera has been revealed for the first time.

This is the first official image of the Aston Martin Rapide, downloaded from the final version of the car's computer design drawings.

First seen at the 2006 Detroit auto show, the production Rapide is nearly identical to the 196.9-inch-long concept. It uses a long-wheelbase version of the DB9's aluminum platform.

Most noticeable of the styling differences is the exaggerated swage line running along the front wing and door, similar to a feature proposed but not used on the V8 Vantage when Henrik Fisker ran Aston design.

Otherwise, the Rapide's skin follows the handsome, swooping look of the concept but with crisper shoulders and hood creases. Insiders say this shows the future styling direction favored by design chief Marek Reichman.

The nose of the car also has a cleaner look with a single, wide lower air intake. The concept and prototypes have inlets that flank the sides of the lower air intake.

Aston's engineers have stretched the DB9's wheelbase by 10 inches, taking the Rapide's overall size to nearly 197 inches, the benchmark length for luxury sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz S-class.

Despite the swooping roofline, the Rapide is about 2.5 inches taller than a DB9, an increase that ensures the styling retains its balance yet also offers practical rear headroom.

Aston has worked on the concept's design to ensure that the rear cabin is as usable as possible. The package is designed to seat a smaller person and will be trimmed with two individual buckets on either side of the transmission tunnel.

The rear doors hinge with a swan-neck design similar to that of the front doors, but they open to a larger angle to improve the limited footwell access found in the concept.

Similarly, the electric motors for the front power seats are repackaged to allow rear passengers to slide their feet under the front seat.

The Rapide concept was a hatchback and so is the production car. There is a parcel shelf so cargo can be hidden from view.

Under the hood is a slightly more powerful version of the DB9's 6.0-liter V12, rated at 480 hp, and mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with Aston's Touchtronic control.

The Rapide will be about 287 pounds heavier than a DB9, weighing in at around 4,277 pounds. That might blunt acceleration slightly, but the Rapide will still be rapid with a top speed of more than 180 mph and making the 0-to-60 mph run in about 4.5 seconds.

The new car's launch is penciled in for a either the Frankfurt motor show in September or the Los Angeles auto show a few months later. The price will slot between the DB9 and DBS at around $200,000.

Aston Martin releases more images and details for new Rapide


Aston Martin’s Rapide sedan is still a good part of a year away from hitting showrooms but the carmaker has released the first official images and details for the car, following months of regular sightings of barely disguised prototypes.

First seen at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show in concept form, the production Rapide is nearly identical to the original show car however there are a few subtle differences. The production model loses the tiny side air intakes on the front bumper, while the sides pick up a new shunt line that runs almost the entire length of the body.

The signature elements of Aston Martin's design language translate well to the four-door format, with key features such as the 'swan wing' doors – rising upwards and outwards as they swing open – being applied to both the front and rear apertures. Up back the car features LED tail lights, dual exhaust tips and a boat-tail style rear decklid spoiler.

Under the hood will be a revised version of the DB9's 6.0L V12. This will be mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with Aston Martin’s new Touchtronic control. Final output will rest at 470hp (350kW) and 442lb-ft (600Nm) of torque so as not to step on the toes of the 510hp (380kW) DBS flagship.

Performance won’t be as spectacular as the Aston Martin coupe models but expect to see 0-60mph times of less than five seconds and a top speed of about 180mph. The vehicle’s final kerb weight is expected to be somewhere around 4,277 pounds, about 277 pounds more than the DB9 coupe on which it is based. The Rapide’s wheelbase also stretches about 10in more than the DB9, while its height is only about 2.5in taller.

Inside, the Rapide will be almost identical to the stunning two-door but will differ thanks to more generous rear seats, headrest mounted LCD monitors, and a panoramic glass sunroof. Unfortunately for purists, the Rapide will not be built at Aston Martin's traditional Gaydon plant in England - production of the four-door has been contracted to Magna Steyr who will build the vehicle at its Austrian plant.

Aston Martin hasn’t revealed which auto show it will use to debut the new Rapide, only stating that the car is on course for a public debut in September, which means the Frankfurt Motor Show. Pricing for the car hasn’t been announced either but expect it to slot somewhere between the DB9 and DBS at around $200,000.