Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of new Aston Martin Rapide spy shots

The latest four-door Aston Martin (remember the Lagonda?) has been spied lapping the famed Nurburgring in Germany, which is a far cry from the frozen lakes of Sweden where it had previously been caught testing. Spy photographers, however, have noticed something different with this Rapide prototype now that all the snow's been brushed off: a glass roof. The transparent canopy extends from the windshield all the way to the back hatch, which is some impressive acreage considering the length of this car's wheelbase. Wearing hardly any camouflage, it's apparent that the Rapide is progressing nicely from concept to production with nary a tweak to dull its sexy shape. It will likely be the first all-new car debuted under the brand's new ownership, though much of the development work was performed when it was still owned by Ford.


[Source: KGP Photography]

The Rapide Concept that debuted in Aston Martin's corner at the 2006 Detroit auto show is a stunner. It also could mean big business for Aston as a sedan, even one aimed at the über wealthy, is able to interest a far greater number of people than a high-powered sports coupe like the V8 Vantage and V12 Vanquish.

Aston Martin is still committed to getting the Rapide out on the road as fast as possible, with a launch date tentatively set for sometime in 2007. The pic you see here is a new shot taken of the Rapide Concept, not the production version. We'll likely see the production version next year in Detroit at the latest, but for now we'll feast our eyes on Aston's new set of Glamour Shots for the Rapide. Check out the rest at the link.

[Source: WorldCarFans]