Aston Martin Rapide Finally Unveiled

Aston Martin Rapide – Front Side Pictures

After waiting in the wings for long, Aston Martin has finally revealed the full production version of the Aston Martin Rapide at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car with four “swan wing” doors has stayed true to its prototype, and has the distinction of being the first four door sports car from Aston.

The Aston Martin Rapide is powered by a 6.0 liter quad overhead cam 48 valve V12 engine that’s good for 350 kW (470 bhp / 477 PS) at 6000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lb ft) of torque at 5000 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission.

The top speed of the Aston Martin Rapide is rated by the manufacturer at 188 mph (303 km/h) and the car can reach 100 km/h from stop in 5.3 seconds.

The Aston Martin Rapide price will be made public at a later date – closer to the car’s on sale moment in early 2010.

Aston Martin Rapide – Interior Side Pictures

Aston Martin Rapide : Specification

Body

Four door body style with 4 individual seats.
Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy and composite body
Extruded aluminium 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 catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Compression ratio 10.9:1

Max Power 350 kW (470 bhp / 477 PS) at 6000 rpm
Max Torque 600 Nm (443 lb ft) at 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds
Max Speed 188 mph (303 km/h) (predicted)

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted ‘Touchtronic 2′ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited slip differential
Final Drive Ratio 3.46:1

Steering

Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Wheels & tyres

20” alloy wheels
Front Bridgestone Potenza 245/40 R20
Rear Bridgestone Potenza 295/35 R20

Suspension

Front Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Rear 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

Length 5019 mm (197.6”)
Width (including mirrors) 2140 mm (84.3”)
Height 1360 mm (53.5”)
Fuel Capacity 90.5 litres
Kerb Weight 1950 kg (target) (4299 lb)

Interior

Full grain leather interior
Walnut facia trim
Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (USA and Canada only)1
Electrically operated front seats
Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
Front occupant side airbags
Head protection airbags for front and rear occupants
Heated front and rear seats
Heated rear screen
Automatic front and rear temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
LED map lamps and ambient lighting
Trip computer
Cruise control
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system1,2
Bluetooth telephone preparation1
Satellite radio system (USA only)
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Front and rear parking sensors
Tyre pressure monitoring1
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Battery conditioner
Tracking device (UK only)3
Boot mounted umbrella

In Car Entertainment

1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower® technology
Integrated Apple iPod® connector4
USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility
3.5 mm auxiliary input socket

Options

Cooled front and rear seats
Twin screen rear seat entertainment system with 6-disc DVD player, auxiliary input, wireless headphones and remote control
Alternative facia trim finishes – Mahogany, Piano Black, Bamboo, Tamo Ash, Birds Eye Maple, Olive Ash Burl, Double Apex Alloy
Matching wood door trim
Colour-keyed steering wheel
Second glass key
Magnum silver rear lamp infills
Delete model badging
Delete protective tape
20” alloy wheels with graphite finish
20” alloy wheels with polished finish
Alternative brake calliper finish – black, red, silver
Personalised sill plaques
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
Tracking device1,3
First aid kit
Ashtray and Cigar Lighter

1 Not available in all markets
2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe
3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK
4 iPod® is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries

Aston Martin Rapide – Rear Side Pictures

Customer deliveries will commence at the beginning of quarter two 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant 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 hand-built 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 +/- 2000 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 boot (317 litres with seats up, and 886 litres with seats down) while maintaining Rapide’s elegant beauty and sports car profile.

Director of Design, Marek Reichman who led the in-house design team which penned the Aston Martin Rapide said: “Like a race horse standing still, you can see its power and elegance, the shape of Rapide’s rear haunches are muscular conveying the power that lies beneath while its low stance produces a powerful look.

“There is a real sense of proportion with this car, akin to a tailored suit; the new double grill gives more presence on the road while the iconic signature side strake has been lengthened through to the rear doors to enhance its lateral proportions in a subtle, yet elegant way. The car’s purity makes it look right from every angle.”

First deliveries of the Aston Martin Rapide will commence early in 2010 and will be available globally through Aston Martin’s 125 strong dealership network. Pricing will be confirmed at the Frankfurt Show.

Aston Martin Rapide – Interior View Pictures

After waiting in the wings for long, the Rapide has finally been unveiled. The car with four “swan wing” doors has stayed true to its prototype, and has the distinction of being the first four door sports car from Aston. Powering the Rapide is a hand-built 6.0-litre V12 that generates 470bhp and 443 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission.

The Rapide was first unveiled as a concept at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, and has finally materialized into a production car. Deliveries for the Rapide will begin early next year, though pricing for the new car is yet to be announced.

Aston Martin Rapide – Rear Interior Pictures

Aston Martin Rapide : Performance

Like all Aston Martins, the Rapide has undergone the marque’s strict and rigorous testing programme to ensure the required levels of quality, durability, performance and dynamics are met. Around 50 prototypes were built all designed to be subjected to the very toughest tests. For example, hot weather testing took place in Death Valley , USA and Kuwait , Middle East exposing the car to temperatures in excess of 50 degrees Celsius, while cold weather assessments in Sweden and in a cold testing chamber saw prototypes subjected to –40 degrees Celsius. High speed testing was conducted at the famous Nardo proving ground in Italy , while dynamics were honed at the Nürburgring, Germany where prototypes were relentlessly run for 8,000 km on the Nordschleife to test all components pushing them to the very limits.

The Aston Martin Rapide is a sports car – a thoroughbred which can be enjoyed by four people in unison. Aston Martin engineers have spent thousands of hours tuning suspension, throttle maps, tyres, brakes and steering to create a car that, while practical, also provides a dynamically engaging drive. Despite the extra versatility, the low roof line, and therefore low centre of gravity, makes Aston Martin Rapide feel like an agile coupe.

Ian Minards, Product Development Director said: “We have learned so much with the development of the current Aston Martin range, and Rapide has really benefited from this knowledge. Our prototypes have been so close to production specification that we are able to really understand the car from very early on in the development process.

“Aston Martin Rapide is about the journey, and we always intended to combine the ethos of the DB9 and package it for up to four people in comfort but preserve the excitement of driving an Aston Martin sports car.” The front mid-mounted 6.0 litre V12 engine which sits at the heart of Aston Martin Rapide produces 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) with peak power being delivered at 6000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lbft) and peak torque at 5000 rpm. The resultant 0-60 mph time is 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds). The engine designed and developed by Aston Martin engineers at Gaydon , England is hand built in a dedicated facility in Köln , Germany .

The use of lightweight materials has resulted in the Rapide’s projected weight gaining only 190 kg over its DB9 sibling delivering a target kerb weight of 1950 kg. This figure is achieved through the use of Aston Martin’s Vertical / Horizontal (V/H) architecture – a platform technology derived from the aerospace industry employing aluminium which is bonded rather than welded to create a lightweight and ultra-stiff chassis. Despite the Aston Martin Rapide being 290 mm longer than DB9, it was a key objective to maximise the structural rigidity accounting for the increased length in wheelbase. The Rapide’s structure would require 28,000 Nm of force to be twisted through 1 degree. This torsional rigidity is a key element in delivering the excellent dynamic feel by optimising wheel to road contact and minimising vehicle shake and vibration.

Aside from the front doors and bonnet, all of Aston Martin Rapide’s body panels are new. The front wings are formed from composite while all four doors and roof are pressed aluminium and the rear quarter panels are steel.

Ian Minards said: “Dynamically the Aston Martin Rapide feels every bit as agile as the DB9, I have personally experienced the car being driven at high speed on the Nürburgring, and was enormously impressed with its capabilities.”

The standard six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission has been calibrated to ensure that the additional weight of Rapide has had a minimal impact on fuel economy, emissions and performance.

Derived from the same transaxle unit that was developed for the DB9, the system has been substantially re-tuned to accommodate driving and handling characteristics of the Aston Martin Rapide with a final drive ratio of 3.46:1.

System functionality is consistent with that on the DB9, with ‘Park’, ‘Reverse’, ‘Neutral’ and ‘Drive’ modes selected via facia mounted controls.

When in ‘Drive’ mode, pulling either of the leather-trimmed magnesium alloy paddles mounted on the steering column will activate Touchtronic mode, enabling the driver to control gear shifts via the paddles. Touchtronic mode is also accessible directly on engine start-up. Alternatively, the ‘Drive’ mode can be selected at any time by pressing the ‘D’ control on the centre console, engaging a fully automatic mode which will select the most appropriate gear for the speed and driving conditions automatically.

The system also includes a ‘Sport’ mode – activated by a button on the centre console – which engages a more aggressive gear shift strategy as gear changes feel sharper and more forceful, engine speed matching on downshifts is more aggressive and in full automatic mode, upshifts occur at higher speeds.

A new saddle-design fuel tank has been integrated to hold 90.5 litres enabling Aston Martin Rapide to deliver a range of over 300 miles without reducing the car’s sporting dynamics and serves the dual purpose of a flat loading space in the luggage compartment.