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The front and rear window choreography has been designed to permit the absence of a visible B-pillar to unclutter the curve line of the doors from front to back creating a seamless glass to glass window frame. Contributing to Rapide’s interior comfort, the side glass will rise up further into the window seal when the car is driven at speed cancelling out wind noise and the glass is laminated to improve noise insulation. Echoing the beauty of the exterior, Rapide’s interior welcomes all occupants to an exquisitely hand-crafted and spacious cabin. To the front, the familiar dashboard and controls are ergonomically designed to provide the driver with all the information needed to extract the very best from the car. The Rapide boasts a new front seat design giving a sporting feel supporting the occupant when driving spiritedly and providing high levels of comfort during more leisurely journeys. “Rapide is about the journey, and we always intended to combine the ethos of the DB9 and package it for up to four people in comfort but preserve the excitement of driving an Aston Martin sports car.” All pictures © Aston Martin
Ian Minards, Product Development Director
The front mid-mounted 6.0 litre V12 engine which sits at the heart of Rapide produces 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) with peak power being delivered at 6000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lbft) and peak torque at 5000 rpm.
The resultant 0-60 mph time is 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds). System functionality is consistent with that on the DB9, with ‘Park’, ‘Reverse’, ‘Neutral’ and ‘Drive’ modes selected via facia mounted controls. When in ‘Drive’ mode, pulling either of the leather-trimmed magnesium alloy paddles mounted on the steering column will activate Touchtronic mode, enabling the driver to control gear shifts via the paddles. Touch tronic mode is also accessible directly on engine start-up. Alternatively, the ‘Drive’ mode can be selected at any time by pressing the ‘D’ control on the centre console, engaging a fully automatic mode which will select the most appropriate gear for the speed and driving conditions automatically. As the culmination of the Aston Martin range, Aston Martin’s engineers have gained much experience and learning from the development of the DBS, DB9 and Vantage range of sports cars – this wealth and breadth of experience has all been channelled into Rapide to produce a four door with unrivalled sports car characteristics. The basic ingredients have already been proven: the powerful engine, the lightweight yet stiff understructure, the honing in the toughest environments around the world and the exhaust note which is always evocative no matter which model. Applying these characteristics to Rapide alongside a car which is a practical four-door, was the engineers’ greatest challenge to date. The result is a car that feels every bit a sports car as its siblings, yet provides versatility in a beautiful package.