2010 Aston Martin Rapide

Rapide: Pure Aston Martin

• The most elegant four-door sports car in the world
• Accommodates four adults in luxury and comfort
• Benchmark levels of driver engagement and refinement
• Spacious and functional creating a truly versatile Aston Martin sports car

Gaydon, Warwickshire 15 September 2009. Aston Martin will unveil one of the most eagerly awaited cars of 2009 at the 63rd Frankfurt Motorshow. The elegant Rapide, functional yet luxurious, provides space for up to four adults combined with an engaging driving experience synonymous with all Aston Martins.

As the marque's first production four-door sports car, Rapide encapsulates core values of Power, Beauty and Soul; four 'swan wing' doors provide access to cosseting sports seats both front and rear bestowing occupants with ample accommodation. A 301 litre luggage compartment affords generous space for belongings for all four passengers whether they be sports bags or indeed, sets of skis, creating an Aston Martin which can be enjoyed on any occasion, anytime, anywhere.

Rapide's rear environment has been intelligently packaged to create a space where passengers feel a part of the driving experience with clear views to the front and sides. Comfort and support is supplied in the form of two hand trimmed individual seats and a personal face-level heating and air conditioning system. Aiding the practicalities of everyday use, the luggage compartment features a movable bulkhead to permit access from the rear cabin while the rear seats fold flat at the touch of a button to create a flat loading space increasing the luggage compartment from 301 litres to 750 litres.

At the heart of every Aston Martin lies an evocative engine providing effortless power and torque: Rapide features a hand-built 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) with peak power being delivered at 6000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lbft) peak torque at 5000 rpm. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission features as standard, allowing the driver to change gear automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles.

First shown in 2006 in concept form at the Detroit Auto Show, the Rapide project received an immediate green light from Aston Martin's new shareholders in mid 2007 following the sale of the marque by the Ford Motor Company. In a little over two years, Aston Martin's design and engineering team have delivered a new car from the ground up. Rapide has been developed from the 'V/H Architecture' platform which already forms the backbone to Aston Martin's critically acclaimed line-up: the DBS, DB9 and Vantage range.

Chief Executive, Dr. Úlrich Bez said: 'Rapide is the culmination of the Aston Martin range of sports cars, a car that seals the revival of a truly admired marque. There is now an Aston Martin for every taste and for every use.

'With Rapide, the entire family can enjoy their Aston Martin together in unison, in an invigorating yet comfortable environment, sitting low, with plenty of visibility from every seat and with new levels of comfort, refinement and entertainment.'

Director of Design, Marek Reichman who led the in-house design team which penned the Rapide said: 'Like a race horse standing still, you can see its power and elegance, the shape of Rapide's rear haunches are muscular conveying the power that lies beneath while its low stance produces a powerful look.

'There is a real sense of proportion with this car, akin to a tailored suit; the new double grill gives more presence on the road while the iconic signature side strake has been lengthened through to the rear doors to enhance its lateral proportions in a subtle, yet elegant way. The car's purity makes it look right from every angle.'

Source - Aston Martin

Aston Martin Rapide: Turning every Journey into an Event

The Aston Martin Rapide suggests a new world of possibilities for the Aston Martin enthusiast, a car capable of long distances at high speed, providing both a driver-focused environment and refined and cosseting interior for its passengers. The Rapide turns every journey into an event.

The Rapide brings pure function to the Aston Martin experience, a car that combines everyday practicality with elegant form and exceptional power. 'Now there is an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle,' says Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Úlrich Bez, 'the Rapide is our most versatile product, bringing a new benchmark of luxury and refinement to both driver and passenger.'

Within the flowing, muscular form of the Rapide, four individual seats and a spacious luggage compartment present a new type of rapid family transportation; swift, spacious, dynamic and social. Four adults can enjoy the Rapide in complete comfort, savouring the ride quality, the ambience of the hand-trimmed cabin and the sensation of speed and dynamism derived from the low seating position and excellent visibility.

The Rapide is also a practical family car, with a highly bespoke interior offering myriad possibilities for personalisation thanks to Aston Martin's acclaimed craft skills. From the highly detailed stitching on the leather, inspired by saddle-making, to the hand-machined switchgear, aluminium speaker meshes and metal door pulls, the interior is supremely tactile and rewarding.

The Rapide features Bang & Olufsen's acclaimed audio system, developed in close collaboration with Aston Martin to ensure the most accurate sound reproduction is achieved within the cabin environment. Twin DVD screens integrated into the front seats provide entertainment for the rear passengers, giving them the opportunity to watch a film or create their own personal soundtrack to accompany the drive. When music is shared, Bang & Olufsen's signature motorised tweeters rise from either side of the Rapide's dashboard, helping disperse the sound crisply and precisely throughout the length of the cabin.

When the road becomes more demanding, Aston Martin's sporting heritage comes to the fore, ensuring the driving experience is never less than sensational. The passengers can also enjoy close involvement with the way ahead, thanks to a seating arrangement that gives excellent forward visibility. 'As a rear passenger you're seated inboard, slightly above the driver, looking through the centre of the car,' Aston Martin Director of Design, Marek Reichman explains, 'so you can see forward and experience the driver's view of the road ahead. As a result, even rear passengers feel that they're in a sports car.'

The Rapide also excels as an occasional load-hauler, with individually folding rear seats – at the push of a button - to allow the rear luggage space to expand to up to 750 litres, facilitating the occasional bulky impulse purchase, or creating the ultimate long-distance holiday cruiser, able to transport skis or hiking equipment, hatboxes or trunks across continents with ease. The rear luggage compartment is accessed through an opening tailgate and separated from the cabin by a movable bulkhead that can be set to create a unified internal space running from the dashboard through to the tailgate, or provide a security cover for when the car is parked. Aston Martin offers a bespoke five-piece luggage set for the discerning traveller, tailored to precisely match your chosen interior trim.

Marek Reichman describes the Rapide as a lithe 'long distance runner', continuing Aston Martin's tradition of building high performance sporting grand tourers and distinct from the sprinter-like poise of the V8 Vantage or the muscular stance of the DBS.

The Aston Martin Rapide encapsulates the values of Aston Martin in a sporting saloon, a four-door sports car with unrivalled performance, extremely high levels of craftsmanship and exceptionally elegant design. The Rapide is a car to savour and share, a characterful, expressive sports grand tourer that extends the Aston Martin experience to an entire family, a group of colleagues or other performance enthusiasts. Beauty, power and practicality have never been presented so seductively.

Source - Aston Martin

Aston Martin Announces Rapide Pricing

Gaydon, Warwickshire 4 November 2009. As the eagerly awaited Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in quarter one 2010, Aston Martin confirms ÚK pricing.

The price of the Rapide will start from £139,950 in the ÚK which features an impressive level of standard specification including: Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for Rapide, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.

The Rapide is Aston Martin's first production four-door sports car encapsulating the practicality of a car with extra doors and fusing it with the trademark sports car dynamics synonymous with modern Aston Martins.

Customer deliveries will commence at the beginning of quarter two 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant in Graz, Austria. The new 17,000 m2 building has been designed to reflect the quality levels established in Gaydon since 2003 permitting the fusion of modern technology, advanced manufacturing processes and hand-built craftsmanship. Each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build and will benefit from timeless craft skills just like the existing range; DBS, DB9, V12 and V8 Vantage do at Gaydon.

It is anticipated that +/- 2000 Rapides will be built in the first year attracting a high proportion of new customers to the brand. Core to this trend is the mix of huge attention to detail throughout the car, ample accommodation for up to four adults and the spacious boot (317 litres with seats up, and 886 litres with seats down) while maintaining Rapide's elegant beauty and sports car profile.
The Rapide is on sale now available to order from the Aston Martin dealership network around the world.

Source - Aston Martin

First Aston Martin Rapide in Alaska

Irvine, Calif., June 23, 2011 – On June 28, an Aston Martin Rapide will venture through Alaska on an epic journey taking in some of the world's most formidable roads. This will be the iconic British marque's first drive into America's northernmost state and the trip will further demonstrate the endurance and durability of Aston Martin's four-door sports car.

This hand-crafted Rapide will be driven through one of the world's most beautiful frontiers in a loop from Anchorage to Fairbanks and even as far as the Arctic Circle. An American automotive journalist will be at the wheel, testing the limits of the Rapide's performance and agility on the infamous Dalton Highway. Ending at the town of Deadhorse, near the Arctic Ocean, the road is one of America's most remote stretches, with grades as steep as 12% and a peak altitude of 4,739 feet at the Antigun Pass, where the Dalton Highway crosses the Continental Divide.

With four cossetting seats, a generous 317 liter luggage compartment and Aston Martin's hand-built 6.0 liter V12 powerhouse at its core, the Rapide is the ideal sportscar to convey four adults over more than 1,000 miles of isolated roadways in both comfort and luxury.

Julian Jenkins, Vice President and General Manager Aston Martin The Americas commented: 'Since its launch, the Rapide has been popular with customers looking for an exclusive sports car with a combination of exhilarating performance, handcrafted style, and added four-door practicality. The Rapide is the ideal car to make Aston Martin's first exciting drive through Alaska in comfort, style and ease.'

Source - Aston Martin