Aston Martin has allowed some more specifics and an additional computer-generated image—this time showing the profile view—to fall out of the Rapide information folder. And although none of the images the company has released thus far are actual photographs, they are revealing enough to confirm that Aston Martin’s sex-a-licious form vocabulary is indeed scalable to four-door proportions. (It’s too bad the same can’t be said of Porsche and its Panamera.)
Essentially a DB9 coupe with an extra foot or so of wheelbase and two additional doors (all four will be of the trademark Aston "swan wing" variety), the Rapide shares much of its styling DNA—long nose, ducktail deck, and stacked grille—with its saucy two-door platform-mate. The Rapide also incorporates a door crease like that of the V-8 Vantage, as well as smoother cheeks and a thin strip of chrome trim on the back. Unique to the Rapide are One-77–style hood vents, nicely detailed headlamps with vertical LED running lights, and an all-glass roof (which, come to think of it, might be nice on the coupe, too). Inside, think DB9 with two rear bucket seats and perhaps a few unique touches and you won’t be far off.
Under the hood will be the DB9’s 5.9-liter V-12, making 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, with shifting handled exclusively by the ZF six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission. Considering that the newly updated DB9 has a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 4.6 seconds, we imagine that the Rapide should be able to do the same trick in under five while enveloping the passengers in aural ecstasy. Not fast enough? Well, it shouldn’t take long for Aston Martin to develop an even quicker version of the Rapide incorporating some of the powertrain and material upgrades used in the DBS.
The car will be built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, with engines coming from Aston's engine facility in Cologne, Germany. The Rapide will make its first official appearance late this year—our money’s on a Frankfurt debut in September. Speaking of money, we’re not sure how much Aston Martin is going to ask for the Rapide when it arrives at dealers in early 2010, but we can’t imagine it coming in much lower than $250K.
Essentially a DB9 coupe with an extra foot or so of wheelbase and two additional doors (all four will be of the trademark Aston "swan wing" variety), the Rapide shares much of its styling DNA—long nose, ducktail deck, and stacked grille—with its saucy two-door platform-mate. The Rapide also incorporates a door crease like that of the V-8 Vantage, as well as smoother cheeks and a thin strip of chrome trim on the back. Unique to the Rapide are One-77–style hood vents, nicely detailed headlamps with vertical LED running lights, and an all-glass roof (which, come to think of it, might be nice on the coupe, too). Inside, think DB9 with two rear bucket seats and perhaps a few unique touches and you won’t be far off.
Under the hood will be the DB9’s 5.9-liter V-12, making 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, with shifting handled exclusively by the ZF six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission. Considering that the newly updated DB9 has a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 4.6 seconds, we imagine that the Rapide should be able to do the same trick in under five while enveloping the passengers in aural ecstasy. Not fast enough? Well, it shouldn’t take long for Aston Martin to develop an even quicker version of the Rapide incorporating some of the powertrain and material upgrades used in the DBS.
The car will be built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, with engines coming from Aston's engine facility in Cologne, Germany. The Rapide will make its first official appearance late this year—our money’s on a Frankfurt debut in September. Speaking of money, we’re not sure how much Aston Martin is going to ask for the Rapide when it arrives at dealers in early 2010, but we can’t imagine it coming in much lower than $250K.
