A Car magazine reader has photographed the Aston Martin Rapide looking like it could have come off a dealer lot. The snapper also peeped the inside, which he said has a full-length console a la the Mercedes CLS to create four distinct seating positions. Aston has, however, said that those rear seats are for "children or two adults on shorter journeys." The slinky black number also sports a serious set of pipes out back that we expect to put out a beautiful soundtrack. And thank goodness the car has a hatch like the Vantage, which means -- in a first for current Aston Martins -- it could have a proper trunk. Like the kind you can actually put things in.

[Source: Car]

The Aston Martin Rapide edges ever closer to production as a new image has just been released by the now-independent automaker. As was obvious from all the spy photos seen over this past year, Aston has retained much of the 2006 concept's original look. However, there are some details that have changed. Judging from this image, it appears that the sedan's shoulder now has a sharper crease than the original. A convex ridge now extends back from the front fender vents into the leading edge of the back doors.

One of the most obvious competitors to the Rapide is the new Porsche Panamera, and while the two cars share much in concept, they have diverged greatly in styling. Porsche went for function over form, ensuring that adult-sized rear passengers can fit comfortably and see out of the car. The sweeping greenhouse of the Aston looks like it might leave a tighter, more claustrophobic rear compartment. Also, Porsche calls the Panamera a gran turismo while Aston calls the Rapide a four-door sports car, an appellation far more fitting here than on a Nissan Maxima.

The 470-hp V12-powered Rapide will be built at a Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria starting late in 2009. Check out Aston Martin's press release after the jump.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Autocar has what it says are official renderings of the new Aston Martin Rapide. If Autocar has it right, however, the Rapide's front and rear aspects are closest to the Vantage V8, not the DBS or DB9. The front air dam features just one lower intake, the trunk valance is flush with the car, and the tailpipes flank the rear diffuser area. Those are all Vantage cues.

The 5-meter long car will get the firm's 6.0-liter V12, but slot exactly in between the DB9 and DBS in output with 480 hp. Autocar suggests this will get the car to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, but that could be optimistic – those 30 additional horses over the DB9 have to pull 286 more pounds, which will make it a challenge to outrun the middle sibling.

Not that it's really meant to. The Rapide is Aston luxury for four, so it is taller than the DBS in order to provide more rear headroom for the "young adults" that can fit back there. The rear doors open wider than the front for ease of entry and the front seats have been raised to make room for the feet of back seat passengers. It even has a wagon-like folding rear bulkhead and parcel shelf. The Rapide will be appearing in Autumn when, with all hope, a better buying climate awaits it.

UPDATE: First four official renderings of the production Rapide courtesy of Aston Martin added to gallery.


[Source: Autocar]

With every automaker and their cousins coming up with their own take on the four-door coupe concept, the Aston Martin Rapide continues to sporadically rear its pretty head to show the rest of 'em how it's done.

The concept car, originally unveiled in 2006, cut a striking silhouette, and as the vehicle rumbles towards production it remains apparent that Aston Martin has no intention of losing any of the show car's pizzazz. The latest batch of spy shots, like those we've seen up until now, shows a test mule that retains the concept's glass roof, indicating that it could be a pleasant – though unfortunately top-heavy – standard feature. Speculation is that both V8 and V12 engine options, derived from the Vantage and DB9 respectively, will be offered to better compete with the varied powertrain options available in the Porsche Panamera. Expect to see the production Rapide revealed sometime later this year or early in 2010.

[Source: NextAutos]

Click above for two larger renderings of the production Aston Martin Rapide

A few weeks ago we showed you what we believed to be the first official rendering of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports sedan. That image showed the front three-quarter view of this British beauty. We told you at the time that there was another image allegedly out there that was waiting for a January release. Well, Christmas has come early.

Today we bring you the rear three-quarter shot of this much-anticipated Porsche Panamera rival. This view shows the dramatic sweeping glass roof that carries right down into the rear glass. The tail looks a lot like that on the Vantage, but when you have family genes like those of Aston Martin, that's not a bad thing. We still expect that the Rapide will be powered by a tuned version of the corporate 6.0L V12 producing 500bhp and 420 lb-ft of torque. That should be more than enough to rapidly scoot the Rapide to an anticipated v-max of 180 mph. We can't wait to see it in the flesh.


[Source: 4WheelsNews]

It's only one image, but it's supposedly the real deal. Or so says CAR Magazine in the UK, which published this rendering of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide today. The publication claims the computer-generated rendering comes straight from Aston and previews the final form of this über four-door coupe. They apparently have another image in hand but are saving that for the January 2009 print issue of CAR. From what we can see, it appears that the Rapide will remain very true to the concept version. CAR notes the front end has changed a bit with the concept's quad air intakes being replaced by an upper and lower grille, and there's now a more creased character line running down the length of the vehicle. The rear has supposedly changed a little as well, but is not viewable from the angle we get in this rendering. The mag is also claiming the Rapide will be powered by a big 6.0L V12 producing 500bhp and 420 lb-ft of torque, which should be enough to keep the large sedan, err... coupe, moving briskly.


[Source: CAR]

This weekend's Porsche Panamera photos have everyone talking, and it had us thinking it's time for a Sunday Poll. Sportier, coupe-like four-doors are no longer a novelty; everyone's doing (or plans to do) it. So, given the choice, which one would you pick. Our candidates are a mix of cars already here, cars on the way, and one concept that seems like a lock to come to fruition. Are you beguiled or bewildered by Stuttgart's new four-door? Maybe you like Fisker's green-but-beautiful approach. How about the Mercedes CLS, which basically started this trend? VW's now in the game with the CC, and Aston's busy cooking up the production Rapide. Let's not forget Jaguar's wide-eyed kitty, the XF. And we'd be remiss if we left out the Lamborghini Estoque, a concept that has cash cow written all over it for Sant'Agata. So, throw all those pesky restrictions like budget and availability out the window. In your opinion, who's got the best take on the coupe-sedan look so far?

As if being chosen to play the consummate British secret agent wasn't enough for Daniel Craig to brag about, the current 007 has been extended a free pass to drive Aston Martin's best cars any time he pleases. And he isn't limited to driving on the street. Aston has made its test track available to the faux agent. Craig must be quite the Ambassador to the brand to be granted such special privileges. Unfortunately, Mr. Bond seems to have no intentions of actually going out and purchasing one for himself, saying, "I could drive it faster and more furiously [on the track] than anywhere on the road. I live in London [and] it doesn't make any sense to drive an Aston Martin there. I've nowhere to park it." Yeah, we know how you feel, Daniel. That's the reason all of on the Autoblog staff don't own Astons too... nowhere to park.

[Source: Contact Music]

Such is the logic of luxury economics: charge tens of thousands of dollars more for the same product, sell fewer of them and boost the balance sheet and your brand's long-term viability. That is what Aston Martin's considering for the next phase of its business plan, which runs from roughly 2011 to 2019 and will see the launch of DB9 and Vantage successors, the Rapide, and the renewed Lagonda brand.

The Vantage and DB9 are big sellers for Aston, but the company might be unsure of how to sustain the momentum. One option is to move the price of the $113,000 Vantage closer to the $171,000 DB9, and move that latter car closer to the $265,000 DBS, sell fewer of them but make more money. The DB9 does strike us as a (relative) bargain – it's cheaper than a Bentley GT -- but pricing the Vantage closer to the DB9 would seem to wreck its business case as a 911 fighter. Another option could be to replace the Vantage or DB9 with a mid-engined sports car, which could be drool-worthy and well worth the price bump... but perhaps un-Aston-like.

AutoWeek also appears to report that the One-77 isn't sold out, writing "Although Aston has said that it would make a maximum of 77 cars, insiders privately say the market is closer to 25." We don't know how that could be, unless a bunch of the 100 people who applied to buy the car were just kidding...


[Source: AutoWeek]

To the 'Ring we go, and our companions today are -- in the apt words of World Car Fans -- "beauty and the beast." That would be the Aston Martin Rapide and the Porsche Panamera. We'll let you decide which one deserves which title. Follow the link and you'll find a large gallery of both cars in basic black, un-camo'ed and racing each other around the 'Ring to help cast your vote.

In practical considerations, the Panamera looks to have the Rapide beat in all kinds of ways. For instance, it should get better gas mileage if you get the V6 or V8, and it has more trunk space with 450 liters. Aston's cars have little trunk syndrome, and the Rapide probably won't really change that. But hey, who would buy a Panamera or Rapide for practical reasons? Either way, we won't really know the state of things until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show next March when they are officially introduced.

[Source: World Car Fans]