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Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin's highly anticipated
model -- the Rapide -- is finally
here. The Rapide will list from
$199,950 in the United States,
and will become the British
luxury sportscar maker's only
four-door model.
It goes without saying the car
will compete with vehicles like
the Porsche Panamera. But the
Aston will likely be one of the
most expensive and exclusive
luxury sports sedans on the
market, with standard features
that include a Bang & Olufsen
Beosound audio system, heated
memory seats and Aston Martin's
Adaptive Damping Sytem.
The Rapide features a hand-built
6.0-liter V12 engine producing
470 horsepower with peak
power being delivered at 6,000
rpm and 443 pound-feet of peak
torque at 5,000 rpm. A
specifically tuned six-speed
Touchtronic 2 automatic
transmission allows the driver to
change gears automatically or
manually via the steering
column-mounted magnesium
paddles.
As one can see, the production
version is very similar to the
concept car, but does swap out
quad-air intakes for upper and
lower grilles. The rear of the car
has strong family ties to other
Aston Martin models, and sports
'smoked' rear taillights.
Continuing its series of firsts and
oddities for the brand, the
Rapide is the first ever Aston
Martin built outside of the United
Kingdom, thanks to a
partnership up with Magna
Steyr. Given a strong interest in
the Rapide, Aston Martin says it
will build between 1,000 and
2,000 units per year, up from an
original estimate of 500 or less.
Like Aston's other models, the
Rapide is built on the company's
VH (Vertical/Horizontal)
architecture -- the same that
underpins the DB9. The Rapide
will also borrow its twelve-
cylinder powerplant from the
DBS, DB9 and Vantage models --
although power will be increased
from 450 horsepower to 470.
Thanks in part to the modest
bump in power from the engine's
previous applications, the four-
door Rapide will sprint from
zero-to-60 mph in under five
seconds, on its way to a top
speed of 180 mph.
Continuing the successful brand
partnership between Bang &
Olufsen and Aston Martin, the
Rapide is fitted standard with
the 1000 watt BeoSound Rapide
- a bespoke sound system
tailored specifically to the Rapide.
It includes 15 speakers that
have been optimally located
throughout the cabin to deliver
the audiophile-level sound
quality.
While enjoying the BeoSound
Rapide audio system, passengers
and the driver alike will enjoy a
full grain leather interior,
accented with walnut trim, an
iridium silver finish for the outer
center console, and a graphite
inner center console finish.
Screens consist of Organic
Electroluminescent displays, along
with LED map and ambient
lighting.
Options include cooled front and
rear seats, a DVD entertainment
system complete with a 6-disc
player and two LCD screens,
along with a myriad of interior
finishes, such as: Eye Maple, Olive
Ash Burl, Double Apex Alloy and
matching wood door trim. Various
other interior and exterior
components can be customized
as well, ranging from wheels, to
brake caliper finish to Magnum
silver rear lamp infills.