By Robert Emslie
The idea of a saloon car holds great appeal, especially if that saloon car is as sexy as the Aston Martin Rapide.
Mixing in with the red heads at last month’s abbondanza Ferrari event was a champagne-colored four door sporting a winged badge and lines that were slinkier than the Victoria’s Secret models in the window of the store-front behind it. In case y’all hadn’t had a chance to check one out up close, I snapped some pics, so feast your eyes. After feasting your eyes however, please remember that eye burps are a common social faux pas.
At 197.6 inches long, the car casts about the same shadow as the 195.7-inch Panamera, but the Aston carries its size like it’s wearing a well tailored suit, while the Porsche feels kind of off the rack.
The engine in the Rapide is Aston Martin’s smooth-revving 5,935-cc V12 which is good for 470 brake horse power. The transmission is a six speed shift-by-wire unit mounted in back, contiguous with the limited slip differential and connected to the twelve via a carbon fiber prop shaft. All the mechanicals are controlled from a simple and elegant driver’s station surrounded by enough buttery soft leather to make a fetish shop patron swoon.
The Rapide is a no-compromise four seater with plenty of room in the back buckets to satisfy those falling under 95th percentile specifications. There’s also more of that leather and plenty of buttons to play with back here.
The center stack is awash in chicklet-sized buttons that reminded me of an ’80s Sony TV remote. There’s also still some Volvo in there, although the knobs and switches are reasonably well integrated.
Around back the Rapide shares the family rump as well as a small boot opening. The car’s factory estimates of a 5-second zero to sixty time, and 184-mph top end will mean this is will be the most common view other motorists get of the big girl. And big she is, with a 4,299 lb kerb weight it’s about 70 pounds heavier than the four door Porsche.
Check out the full gallery below for more shots and start saving those pennies- the Rapide costs just north of two hundred grand.
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Jeff Glucker
I am now in love.
I know it probably reflects poorly on my upbringing, but every time I hear "saloon car" I get a hankerin' to take'er inter town and buys me a sasperilly.
I drive past a Porsche store every other day or so. The row of Panameras out front irks me less and less each time but I would never say it is all that attractive. This, on the other hand, DO WANT!
I have seen them both up close and in person… The Rapide is better looking for sure, and it has more of a presence than the Panamera.
After driving the Panamera Turbo, I will take the Porsche please.
One of if the not the most beautiful cars in production today and for the past decade for that matter.
I am probably in the minority here, but after seeing these pics, I really don't like the car. The C-pillar is gigantic and the rear window too small for a sedan, PRND push buttons on the center stack really shouldn't be there, and there are black plastic inserts in the headlights for I-don't-know-why. It's just a stretched DB9, and it makes no bones about it, but that's precisely the reason why I dislike it.
I'll have a Maserati Quattroporte. (Oh wait! I don't have the money for that! Or this! So, yeah, the above comment is probably irrelevent…)
Is it a nice car? Sure.
For two hundred grand? GTFO. I understand there is a customer base for this vehicle, but still, GTFO of my internets.
The rear window seems small, and I don't care much for the silver skinny line tail lights.
And center dash mounted PRNDL? Minipukers this gives me.
I do like the pedals and the inside of the driver's side door.
Hooniverse loves Aston Martin.
We do indeed.
I think it's a gorgeous car, but yeah the push-button transmission makes me think of the '63 Belvedere we had when I was a kid. Back then I thought it was pretty cool, but in an Aston Martin? The Plymouth was a Saloon, too, come to think of it. I still think the Aston is magnificent.
V12 Vantage is still the (modern) Aston for me.
I spied one of these downtown during the race (remember, I live in Indianapolis – there is only one "the race.) It was so out of place, I thought I was looking at a prototype or at the least a show car. While I can't vouch for comfort or performance, it certainly had charisma to spare.
At less than half the price, the Panamera makes a strong argument for off the rack. The Aston's are all lovely and quite enjoyable, but you could buy a few blocks in Detroit for that kind of cash, and keeping them up might be cheaper too.
The Porsche is cheaper, faster and arguably drives better but you have to look at it every time you get in/out of it. And therein lies its downfall in my eyes. While both vehicles confirm a man's compensating, I'd at least like to look good while I do.
It would be nice if there were a little less Arial on the interior.
I thought it was helvetica. Pretty much the same.
Wow!!! It’s such a shame more people haven’t heard about this place, this had just the thing I needed this morning 😀