Aston Martin Rapide

By Author: Magus Cars
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The Rapide is a sport car, says Ulrich Bez, the chief executive of Aston Martin. Normally, he wouldn't feel the need for such emphasis expensive, hand-crafted British sports cars are Aston's business. But the £140,000(Rs 1.1 Crore) Rapide is something new, the company's first four-door, four-seater car since the Lagonda of the 1970s.

Bez doesn't want this car to be misunderstood. it is not a rival for the Bentley Continental Flying Spur or the uber-sedans from Mercedes, BMW and Audi and it differs fundamentally from its most obvious counterpart, the Porsche Panamera.

Aston characterizes it like this: the Porsche was designed as a low-line car providing generous space for four adults and the body was shaped accordingly, hence its hump backed look the Rapide is an Aston Martin DB9 with more room for people and luggage but no compromise to its gorgeous, flowing style.
Bez loses no opportunity to talk up his products. He describes the Rapide as ‘the most beautiful four-door car in the world' and says that the aesthetics were crucial. The proportions had to be perfect. If we couldn't have achieved this, ...
... we wouldn't have made it.

So this is not a car for the part-time driver who likes to conduct business from the back seat while the chauffeur negotiates weekday traffic. Neither is it suitable for making the grand entrance at a film premiere or society ball, it would be difficult for a skirted lady (or a Scotsman) to retain modesty while emerging from the back.

It is better to think of the Rapide as a more versatile and practical version of a traditional Aston. Unlike the DB9, the rear seats are comfortable for adults, providing the passengers are less than 1.8m tall and not too bulky. The Rapide's rear doors hinge forward and slightly upwards-Aston calls this ‘swan wing'- and there has been extensive paring of the structure and trim around the seats to allow the maximum amount of space and ease of entry and exit through the small door apertures. There is more room in the Panamera but the Rapide's rear passengers are cosier and also have better visibility because the seating position is slightly higher than in the front.
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