Set for its public airing in late 2009, ahead of it first appearing on UK roads during 2010, the all new Aston Martin Rapide is the luxury brands first foray into the true four door grand tourer segment and looks set to battle against the new Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte.
First shown as the Rapide Concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2006, the car is Aston Martin’s first true four-door production sports car, and offers four full-sized seats and plenty of luggage space contained within the usual high quality Aston Martin design.
Dr. Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin Chief Executive, comments: “The Rapide will be the most elegant four-door sports car in the world. It completes the Aston Martin range conveying our established attributes of Power, Beauty and Soul.
“In 2010 there will be an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle. The Rapide is the most versatile, bringing a new benchmark of luxury and refinement to both driver and passenger.”
Immediately recognisable as an Aston Martin, the car perfectly fits the carmakers existing range. From the beginning, the Rapide was designed with no aesthetic compromise. “We wanted to make the most beautiful four-door sports car in the world,” Aston Martin’s Director of Design Marek Reichman declared when the concept was first shown.
Under the bonnet the Rapide will go on sale with a version of their 6.0 litre V12 engine capable of 470bhp and while no performance figures have been revealed Aston Martin hope to offer class-leading statistics.
In a departure for the marque the car will be built out of a production facility in Graz, Austria, overseen by a team of specialists from the UK. The company promise that the same level of craft and attention to detail evident out of the Gaydon factory will be maintained in Austria.
“Rapide will exceed expectations to deliver elegance and practicality in a form that will allow driving enjoyment and comfort beyond anything that exists today,” says Dr Ulrich Bez, “The Rapide will exist in a class all of its own, a true Aston Martin with the high performance and dynamic excellence that defines the brand, and a luxurious sporting grand tourer without equal.”
Look out for more information later in the year on the Aston Martin Rapide ahead of its release.
