Report: Aston Martin Rapide Priced From $199,950

Aston Martin has just announced that its new four-door model, the Rapide, is officially on sale with pricing starting at $199,950 ($215,000 CAD). The cost for the four-seater is vastly higher than segment rivals the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera. The Quattroporte starts at $119,750 and tops out at 133,700, while the 500-hp Panamera ranges in price from $89,900 to $132,600. Plus, the Rapide will be offered with plenty of exclusive upgrades.

Under the hood of the Rapide is a powerful 5.9-liter V12 engine that makes 470-hp at 6000 rpm with 443 ft-lbs of torque at 5000 rpm. The Rapide will be offered exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.

As for the design of the car, it’s all Aston up front and even the rear maintains Aston’s signature subtle duck-tail spoiler, which is integrated into the rear hatch. And of course, all four doors flip slightly upward, just like the rest of the Aston fleet. The cabin of the car seats four with 10.6 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats or 26.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

Unlike all past Astons, the Rapide will not be manufactured in Great Britain, but in Graz, Austria.

Aston Martin Announces Rapide Pricing for the United States

Irvine, 5th December 2009. As the eagerly awaited Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in early quarter two 2010, Aston Martin confirms US pricing.

The price of the Rapide will start from $199,950 in the US 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 in spring 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant (AMRP) 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 handbuilt 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 +/- 2,000 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 trunk 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 across North America.