It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since Aston Martin first unveiled the Rapide Concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Despite the lengthy delay in getting this sporty sedan to market, Aston has consistently reiterated its commitment to the swoopy saloon and now the company has finally released the first photos of the production model Rapide.
With signature Aston Martin good looks, the Rapide will go up agaisnt vehicles like Porsche’s Panamera.
Up front the lower air intake is just one large unit as opposed to the several smaller ones on the concept car. From a profile it looks very much the same, as it does from the rear – where the hatchback aspect has been retained.
Based on the DB9′s platform, the Rapide has a 10-inch longer wheel base and is 2.5-inches taller. Both of these changes make the rear passenger area liveable and allow for the swooping roof-line to not impede the comfort of the rear passengers. The Rapide will be a 2+2, with no space for a third passenger in the rear.
The vehicle will be powered by a familiar 6.0-liter V12 engine with an output of 480hp and will feature a six-speed automatic tranmsission with Aston’s new Touchtronic manual shift mode.
In total the sedan will weight 287lbs more than the DB9 for a total of roughly 4,275. All that heft should retard performance, but only slightly. We expect a 0-60 mph time in the mid 4-second range.
Reportedly, the Rapide will officially be unveiled at the Frankfurt of LA Auto Shows but there is also a slight possibiity it will emerge at the Geneva Auto Show in March.
Official Rapide Concept Car release after the jump:
