First Impression: Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin is known for creating two-door grand tourers with power, soul, and beauty. Aston Martin has come out with a four door sedan, called the Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda was produced from 1976 to 1990 and was named after the Lagonda Marque. It had a 5.3L V8, reached a top speed of 149 mph, had complicated electronics, and was one of the 50 ugliest cars of the past 50 years according to Bloomberg Businessweek. In 2010, Aston Martin released another four-door sedan, called the Aston Martin Rapide, named after the Lagonda Rapide.

I first saw the Rapide at the 2011 Houston Auto Show and again at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. The Rapide is one of the best looking sedans being made today. It is better looking than the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Maserati Quattroporte, Audi A7 and Audi A8. It looks just like the Aston Martin vantage, DB9, and DBS, but a little bit longer. The curves and sleek lines make this one beautiful sedan. The rear doors are integrated in to the car's profile very well. It looks like it is a long two-door coupe. The Rapide is one beautiful car.  I have never seen a Rapide at any Houston Cars and Coffee event or on the Houston roads.

The Rapide is powered by a 6.0L V12, paired with a six-speed touchtronic suspension, that produces a 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 188 mph. The Rapide costs around $200,000 dollars. It is quick, fast, and expensive.

The Rapide has made a stop to Jay Leno's Garage. The Rapide has been featured in NCIS: Los Angeles, Fifth Gear, Auto Esporte, Ultimate Factories, Johnny English Reborn, and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. Top Gear featured the Rapide During Series 15, Episode 3, when the guys were comparing the Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte, and Aston Martin Rapide. It has even be featured in a couple of music videos. The Rapide is playable in Drift City, Parking, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4, and Driver: San Francisco.

Final Thoughts: The Aston Martin Rapide is a beautiful, fast, and expensive four-door sedan. The curves and sleek lines give the Rapide beauty and personality. There is no other four-door car that looks like the Rapide. Those who love Aston Martin styling, can afford Aston Martins, and need a four-door car should look into buying a Rapide. The Aston Martin Lagonda was one of worst luxury cars of all time. The Rapide is the first time the Aston Martin brand got a luxury sedan right. I would consider the Aston Martin a four-door supercar, since it is fast, rare, and expensive. The Rapide is great for the track and for long road trips. It is a great four-door grand tourer.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a digital camera.

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