RAPIDE

There is an inherent correctness about the idea of a four-seat, four-door Aston Martin based on the excellent VH platform

The fundamental proportions are breathtakingly elegant

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The Aston Martin Rapide’s only genuine ancestor is the Lagonda that Aston Martin made over a quarter of a century ago. The idea of a new four-door, four-seat Aston based on the company’s existing VH platform first saw the light of day at the Detroit show in 2006, shortly after Aston had been sold by Ford to its new band of shareholders, who green-lighted the car pretty much the moment they set eyes on it.

Aston Martin describes the Rapide as “the most elegant four-door sports car in the world”. It’s a bold claim from an increasingly confident car company, but not one that can be dismissed as hyperbole. Because from the moment this car was announced there has been an inherent correctness about the idea of a four-seat, four-door Aston Martin based on the already excellent VH platform.

Nic

Cackett

Road tester

The biggest test the Rapide faces is whether it has sufficient luxury and presence to justify its startlingly high price

And in the metal the Rapide does not disappoint. It’s an unusually long car – more than a foot longer than the DB9 – but the fundamental proportions are certainly breathtakingly elegant. When people see this car they tend to smile and point.

Question is, does the Rapide work as a four-seater in practice and just how much of the Aston experience has been preserved in the transformation?

And the biggest test it faces is whether the Rapide has sufficient luxury and presence to justify its startlingly high price next to the likes of the Mercedes S-class, BMW 7-series and other rivals.

The Rapide's bodyshell has been stiffened substantially, to great effect

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The Aston Martin Rapide uses the same basic cabin and chassis architecture as all other Astons, known internally as the VH platform, and features the same bonded aluminium components to form a monocoque. 

The big difference, of course, is that the Rapide is more than a foot longer than any other current Aston in order to accommodate its new, individually tailored rear seats. Which means an awful lot of extra strengthening has had to be engineered into the car to maintain stiffness. Hence the rear door apertures aren’t anywhere near as big as you’d expect, while the hatchback-style boot opening is also a fair bit narrower and shallower than it appears from the outside. 

Steve

Sutcliffe

Editor-at-large

The elongated Aston logo suits the stretched design theme displayed throughout the car

The upside is that the Rapide’s rear-wheel drive platform is unusually stiff for that of a big saloon and provides an excellent basis from which the all-round double wishbone suspension system can operate. The chassis also benefits from an electronic adaptive damper system with anti-lift and anti-squat geometry as standard, plus dramatic 20in wheels wearing bespoke Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres.

Flush door handles are now an Aston Martin staple and appear on all four doors. They feel exceptionally well made, much like the rest of the car.

The elongated Aston logo on the bonnet suits the stretched design theme displayed throughout the car and have to be the longest wings seen on any Aston so far. The chromed mesh grille is rumoured to be the design template for all Astons in the future. It looks good, although how long it’ll stay that shiny is debatable.

At the back, rear lamp infills can be had in Magnum Silver if you want — albeit for more money. Rapide badging on the tail is relatively discreet and can be deleted at no extra cost

Dials are standard Aston jewel-like units, which can be difficult to read, so digital speedo useful

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Let’s cut to the chase and talk about the Aston Martin Rapide’s single biggest bone of contention: the relatively tight proportions of the rear seats. The fact is that if you are over six feet tall and the person driving is of a similar height, you will struggle to get comfortable in the back of the Rapide – despite the seats themselves being beautifully sculpted and trimmed in ultra-high-quality leather. 

Not even the ability to individually control the air conditioning system from side to side will make up for the lack of knee room if you are over six feet tall – and that could well be a defining issue for some owners.

Matt

Prior

Road test editor

Tall transmission tunnel means two kids can’t both get into the rear cabin from the kerbside

If you are shorter you will find the rear seats comfortably snug but still far from luxurious, which is a pity because the rest of the interior is absolutely outstanding. Build quality is, if anything, better than ever – while the combination of a very high standard specification and genuinely beautiful design touches mean the Rapide’s cabin is a hugely appealing place in which to find yourself.

In the end, the space compromise is one that will affect some buyers more than it will others – and it extends to the boot, which is an awkward shape and has a capacity of just 317 litres with the rear seats up (although this can be extended to 886 litres if you are prepared to fold the seats down). 

If there’s one other criticism it is that Aston’s standard dash layout, which features in the Rapide, puts form ahead of function. The jewel-like dials are beautiful to look at, but difficult to read.

But from a quality perspective the Rapide’s cabin has an awful lot going for it, especially beside the likes of the bigger but nowhere near as appealing Porsche Panamera.

The big 6.0-litre V12 delivers a fine blend of refinement and rousing performance

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Although outright performance is far from the Aston Martin Rapide’s raison d’etre, it’s still an extremely quick car. Not as bombastic or obviously fast as a Porsche Panamera Turbo, perhaps, but still rapid enough to silence anyone lucky enough to climb aboard and experience its performance first hand.

Any car that can reach 60mph from rest in less than five seconds and 100mph in just 11.2sec is always going to feel impressive in a straight line, especially when enjoyed from one of the rear seats. 

Steve

Cropley

Editor-in-chief

The Rapide stops extremely well for such a big, relatively heavy car

Considering that the Rapide weighs two tonnes, the way it performs comes as a genuine surprise. And because it’s as refined as it is, you simply don’t expect it to accelerate with so much vigour in the mid-range. Yet that’s precisely where the Rapide is at its most effective. The way in which it gathers momentum so smoothly from 3000-4000rpm in the higher gears is testimony to the strong, even flow of torque that’s available; rarely does it seem necessary to venture much beyond this point in the rev range.

But when you do, another side of the Rapide’s personality is revealed. Between 5000rpm and the red line it becomes an altogether more aggressive, more responsive machine, emitting a fairly magnificent V12 sound from its previously subdued engine bay.

Better still is the way the paddle-shift gearbox works in conjunction with the engine to deliver either smooth, lazy shifts when left in D, or more urgent, sharper changes when in Sport mode and shifted manually via the paddles. 

It even stops extremely well for such a big, relatively heavy car. In the dry we recorded a 60-0mph time of just 2.44sec and there is plenty of decent pedal feel to go with the strong sense of retardation.