Aston Martin Rapide
September 22, 2009 Aston Martin, Concept Car No Comments
The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin plans to introduce in early 2010 to compete with the Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, along with the upcoming Audi A7, Porsche Panamera, and Lamborghini Estoque. It was first presented as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The car is based on an Aston Martin DB9. The estimated price for the Rapide is around $260,000 US Dollars, although it is too soon to predict its price on the US market, the Rapide should be in full production in the US by Late 2010-early 2011.
* Estimated Unit Price: $260,000 (USD)
* Engine: 6.0 L V12
* Power: 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS)
* 0-100 km/h (62 mph): 5.1 seconds
The Rapide is serious about the business of driving, a chassis that is equally at home amongst winding back roads, mountain passes or high-speed carriageways. It has the expertise to devour trans-continental distances while leaving the driver feeling fresh and alert, however far or fast. The rich exhaust note is intended to be heard echoing off the sheer rock walls of the Alps, the steering demands to be taken to the switchbacks of Austria’s Grossglockner Pass, while the engine begs to be opened up along a stretch of German Autobahn. Although the power delivery is unrelenting, this is also a car designed for every day use, with ample space for a golfing weekend for three in Scotland, a lengthy trans-American journey or even a trip to a Bordeaux vineyard, with space to bring back 20 bottles of wine. You can sweep up to a hotel, restaurant or première and the four doors allow your passengers to enter and exit with style.
An Aston Martin is about elegance, power and innovation, a bespoke form constructed to high standards that provide the model definition of 21st century design and engineering execution.
The Rapide is a seminal evocation of Aston Martin’s recent history, proof positive that the high performance four-door automobile need not imitate the conservative three-box saloon; it can be a car of extreme elegance and beauty. A sporting coupé with real heritage, the Rapide is a practical choice that expresses the pure emotion and passion that underpins the Aston Martin marque, its rich heritage and design DNA.
Aston Martin begins the 21st century with almost limitless potential. As one of the strongest and most recognisable brands in automotive history, the company now has the products, technology, production facilities and distribution network to offer unparalleled choice in this market segment, able to move rapidly from prototyping to concept to production. The company’s fast-expanding global dealership network continues to revolutionise the high-performance sales environment, with a series of crisp, contemporary showrooms that highlight the very best in modern architecture and design, making them the perfect backdrop for the product.
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Tags: Aston Martin, Concept Car, rapide