What Is It?
Aston Martin Rapide
What's Special About It?
Not since 1994 has there been an Aston Martin sedan. That year Aston's Works Service built four Virage-based conversions to fill a million-pound order for a special customer. Well, there may be another very soon. This concept car, the Rapide, looks for all the world to be a four-door version of a DB9.
And ya know what? We're just fine with that. The fact that the Rapide uses a similar aluminum platform and drivetrain as the DB9, which would only make it easier to produce, is just icing on the cake.
Like Mercedes' CLS-Class, the Rapide is called a four-door coupe (pronounced "coop-ay" if you're British) and designer director Marek Reichman stated that the goal was "…to make the most beautiful four-door car in the world." Several elements of the elegant DB9 are apparent, such as the whole nose with its classic Aston grille, covered headlights and fender vents. The kicked-up window line and fastback roof are perfectly proportioned and the transparent roof becomes opaque with the press of a button.
Strictly a four-place car, the Rapide has a center console that runs between the rear bucket seats. Those rear-seat passengers would receive first-class treatment — they each get their own DVD screen, audio and climate controls. Showing a bit of British class, the designers also incorporated a cooler into the boot that holds a single magnum of champagne along with four glasses.
That bubbly might come in handy. After getting home from a day of spirited gran touring, that lucky quartet may wish to celebrate the fact that this comfy sedan (sorry, coupe) possesses performance on par with the speedy DB9. Fitted with a 6.0-liter, 480-horsepower V12 engine running through a six-speed automatic, that means the Rapide would blaze to 60 mph in under 5 seconds and top out at over 180.
What's Edmunds' Take?
Could a production version be that far away? With Porsche recently confirming that it will build the four-door Panamera, we doubt it. — John DiPietro
Aston Martin Rapide
What's Special About It?
Not since 1994 has there been an Aston Martin sedan. That year Aston's Works Service built four Virage-based conversions to fill a million-pound order for a special customer. Well, there may be another very soon. This concept car, the Rapide, looks for all the world to be a four-door version of a DB9.
And ya know what? We're just fine with that. The fact that the Rapide uses a similar aluminum platform and drivetrain as the DB9, which would only make it easier to produce, is just icing on the cake.
Like Mercedes' CLS-Class, the Rapide is called a four-door coupe (pronounced "coop-ay" if you're British) and designer director Marek Reichman stated that the goal was "…to make the most beautiful four-door car in the world." Several elements of the elegant DB9 are apparent, such as the whole nose with its classic Aston grille, covered headlights and fender vents. The kicked-up window line and fastback roof are perfectly proportioned and the transparent roof becomes opaque with the press of a button.
Strictly a four-place car, the Rapide has a center console that runs between the rear bucket seats. Those rear-seat passengers would receive first-class treatment — they each get their own DVD screen, audio and climate controls. Showing a bit of British class, the designers also incorporated a cooler into the boot that holds a single magnum of champagne along with four glasses.
That bubbly might come in handy. After getting home from a day of spirited gran touring, that lucky quartet may wish to celebrate the fact that this comfy sedan (sorry, coupe) possesses performance on par with the speedy DB9. Fitted with a 6.0-liter, 480-horsepower V12 engine running through a six-speed automatic, that means the Rapide would blaze to 60 mph in under 5 seconds and top out at over 180.
What's Edmunds' Take?
Could a production version be that far away? With Porsche recently confirming that it will build the four-door Panamera, we doubt it. — John DiPietro
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