Power, Beauty, and Soul: the core values of Aston Martin that have been captured in the marque’s first ever four-door sports car, the Rapide. Seating up to four adults the Rapide provides a unique Aston Martin driving experience for all four passengers.
Muscular and elegant, the design of the Rapide can only be that of an Aston Martin, and aims to be as much as sport coupe as the rest of the lineup. “Like a race horse standing still, you can see its power and elegance…” proclaims Director of Design, Marek Reichman, “…the shape of Rapide’s rear haunches are muscular conveying the power that lies beneath while its low stance produces a powerful look.” The four “Swan Wing” doors open at an angle of 12 degrees to allow easy accessibility and prevent door impacts. A clean, couple-like design has been achieved using a low roofline along with the absence of a visual B-pillar. Single bi-xenon headlights, light tube sidelights, and the recognizable C-shaped tail lamps housing 360 LED’s each give the Rapide a commanding presence on the road.
Hand built in Köln, Germany is the 6.0-liter V-12 producing the unmistakable exhaust note of an Aston Martin. The front mid-mounted engine produces 470 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 443 lb-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm, resulting in a 0-60 time of only 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 188 mph. Testing of the Aston Martin Rapide was conducted at the famous Nürburgring in Germany and the Nardo proving ground in Italy where engineers were able to fine tune the driving dynamics of the sedan. The Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic transmission is mounted transaxle to help achieve a driver-oriented weight distribution of 51:49. Gear shifts can be controlled by the driver via column mounted, leather trimmed magnesium alloy paddle shifters.
The hand-built Aston Martin Rapide interior has been designed to give all passengers an involved driving experience by providing passengers with as much front and side visibility as possible along with a center console that extends to the rear seats. The Rapide supplies passengers with a practical and useable rear seat, with ample head and legroom for adults, as well as 11 to 26 cubic feet of luggage space. Standard is the 1,000-Watt, 15-speaker bespoke Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Rapide sound system featuring two Acoustic Lenses that rise from the dashboard. A two-screen entertainment system is optional and uses a six DVD multi-changer in the luggage compartment and wireless headphones.
The 2011 Aston Martin Rapide will be hand built in the brand new state-of-the-art facility in Graz, Austria. A bespoke program will be available, providing customers with the opportunity to visit the facility and create their Rapide from an array of 2.5 million different combinations of paint, interior trim, and options. Available in early 2010 the Rapide will be available globally through the network of Aston Martin dealerships. Aston Martin is taking orders for the $199,950 car
2011 Aston Martin Rapide Specifications
Body:
- Four door body style with 4 individual seats.
- Extruded bonded aluminum VH body structure
- Aluminum, magnesium alloy and composite body
- Extruded aluminum door side impact beams
- Single bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED side lights and direction indicators
- LED rear lamps and side repeaters
Engine:
- All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12
- Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
- Fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Max Power: 470 bhp at 6000 rpm
Max Torque: 443 lb ft at 5000 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds
Max Speed: 188 mph
Compression ratio: 10.9:1
Transmission:
- Rear mid-mounted ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
- Alloy torque tube with carbon fiber propeller shaft
- Limited slip differential
- Final Drive Ratio 3.46:1
Wheels & Tires:
Front Tires: 245/40 R20 Bridgestone Potenza
Rear Tires: 295/35 R20 Bridgestone Potenza
Suspension:
- Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry
- coil springs
- anti-roll bar
- monotube adaptive dampers
- Independent double wishbones with anti- squat and anti-lift geometry
- coil springs
- anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
- Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
Brakes:
- Front Dual cast brake discs 390mm diameter with six piston calipers
- Rear Dual cast brake discs 360mm diameter with four piston calipers
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
- Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
- Traction Control
- Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
- Positive Torque Control (PTC)
- Electronic Park Brake (EPB)
Dimensions:
Width (including mirrors): 84.3 in.
Height: 53.5 in.
Fuel Capacity: 23.9 gallons
Curb Weight: 4299 lbs.
Length: 197.6 in.
2010 Aston Martin Rapide Gallery
Source: Aston Martin
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