Aston Martin Rapide
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| Manufacturer | Aston Martin |
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| Production | 2010–present |
| Assembly | Gaydon, England (2012–present) Graz, Austria (2010–2012) |
| Predecessor | Aston Martin Lagonda |
| Class | Grand tourer |
| Body style | 4-door hatchback/liftback |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | Aston Martin VH platform |
| Engine | 5.9 L V12 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 117.7 in (2,990 mm) |
| Length | 197.6 in (5,019 mm) |
| Width | 75.9 in (1,928 mm) |
| Height | 53.5 in (1,359 mm) |
| Kerb weight | 1,950 kg (4,299 lb) |
The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in 2006 and the production version of the Rapide was shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.[1]
The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The new Rapide is the company's first four-door saloon since the Aston Martin Lagonda was discontinued in 1989.[2] It is based on the Aston Martin DB9 and shares the same VH platform.[3]
The first cars were rolled out in May 2010,[4] initially built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. The factory initially planned to build 2,000 per year,[5] but relocated to England in 2012 after sales did not meet production targets.[6]
Contents |
Rapide (2010-2013)[edit]
Specifications[edit]
- Unit price: $199,950 (USD)[7]
- Engine: 5,935 cc (362 cu in) V12
- Power: 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS)
- Torque: 443 lbf·ft (601 N·m)
- Transmission: Six-speed Touchtronic automatic
- Drivetrain: RWD
- 0-100 km/h (62 mph): 5.3 seconds
- 0-60 mph (97 km/h): 5.0 seconds
- Top speed: 188.5 mph (303 km/h)[5]
Equipment[edit]
The Rapide's standard features include a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, bi-xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Leather and walnut trim are standard, with metallic accents; power front seats with memory, cooling and heating; Bluetooth; satellite radio (US version only); and USB and iPod connectivity.[8] The Rapide comes, as standard, with a Bang & Olufsen 16 speaker sound system with two that rise from the dashboard on activation of the system.
Rapide S (2013- )[edit]
Specification[edit]
As part of the 2013 facelift and revisions to the Rapide, the V12 engine is upgraded to now produce 550 bhp (410 kW; 558 PS).[9] Performance improvements include a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h) and acceleration 0-100 km/h (62 mph) reduced to 4.9 seconds. CO2 emissions are cut by 23g/km to 332g/km.
Production[edit]
Aston Martin opted to end production by sub-contractor Magna Steyr in the middle of 2012, six years earlier than expected. Production of the car was also halted temporarily in May 2011. In the face of a diminishing market for luxury saloons, and to match output to shrinking sales, Aston Martin has to cut annual production from 2,000 to 1,250 in June 2011 - and may go as low as 500 annually.[10]
Motorsports[edit]
A Rapide was entered in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring. Drivers included Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez. It finished second in the SP 8 class.[11]
Media[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ "Aston Martin Officially Unveils the Four-Door Rapide". Automoblog.net.
- ^ "Aston Martin Lagonda (1978–1989) | Buying Guide | Buying | octane". Classicandperformancecar.com. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ "Aston Martin Rapide review". Autocar. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ^ Pal Tan First Aston Martin Rapide rolls out from Austrian factory at PaulTan.org, 10 May 2010
- ^ a b Vaughn, Mark (24 August 2009). "Desert Shakedown". AutoWeek (Detroit, Michigan: Crain Communications Inc.) 59 (17): 27. ISSN 0192-9674.
- ^ "Rapide production cut back". Autocar. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Aston Martin Announces Pricing for the Rapide". Automoblog.net.
- ^ "First Drive: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide". MotorAuthority.com.
- ^ Migliore, Greg (4 February 2013). "Pushing the V12 Power". Autoweek 63 (3): 7.
- ^ Rendell, Julian (2011-06-16). "Rapide production cut back". AutoCar.
- ^ Rusz, Joe (August 2010). "American Cars rule in European GT Racing". Road & Track 61 (12): 107.
External links[edit]
| Aston Martin and Lagonda road car timeline, 1948–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Owner | David Brown Limited | William Wilson | Sprague & Minden | Pace Petroleum & Gauntlett | Gauntlett & Livanos | Gauntlett, Livanos & Ford | Ford | Dar, Adeem, Bez, Richards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City Car | Cygnet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxury Car | 2.6 Litre | Rapide | V8 Saloon | Rapide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Litre | Lagonda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports Car | Volante | Vantage | Vantage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Tourer | DB1 | DB2/4 | DB4 | DB6 | V8 | DB7 | DB9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DB2 | DBMKIII | DB5 | DBS | Virage | DB7 Vantage | Virage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DB4GT | DBS V8 | V8 Vantage | Virage Vantage | V12 Vanquish | DBS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanquish S | Vanquish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Super Car | Bulldog | One-77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zagato | DB4GT Zagato | V8 Zagato | DB7 Zagato | DBAR1 | V12 Zagato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
