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Aston Martin to debut Rapide concept at NAIAS

bihus

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Classic Driver said:
img01.jpg

Aston Martin will be revealing a four-door saloon concept at Detroit next week utilising the flexible VH platform of the DB9 and V8 Vantage. The car will have a longer wheelbase and slightly increased weight, so the 6.0 litre V12 will be upgraded to produce more power to suit, as will the suspension, steering and brakes.

The increase in length is by 30 cms (25 cms within the wheelbase), thus accommodating the extra doors and ?proper? rear seats compared to the DB9. Height has been increased by 4 cms, and the car?s a little wider at the rear compared to its 2 + 2 cousin. The result is a sporting saloon with the current model range?s DNA, yet hinting at Astons of old with their greater interior and luggage space in comparison with cars from other equivalent marques such as Ferrari and Porsche. The closest comparison would be Maserati?s Quattroporte, but the Rapide is likely to be nearer in price to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti if - and when - it sees production in a few years time.

A practical feature of the car carried over from the V8 Vantage (and also seen as a ground-breaking feature of the DB2/4 in the ?50s) is the hatchback boot that should allow a party of four to carry enough luggage for a long weekend away. The name ?Rapide? is one formerly used by Lagonda, the sister company bought by David Brown at the same time as Aston Martin.

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The car is the work of the company?s Design Director Marek Reichman, in conjunction with CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, and started as a series of sketches in the summer of 2005, with the final model completed just before Christmas.

The company has announced no plans to build the Rapide, and will be giving more details at its official launch in Detroit on Monday, 9th January 2006.

Classic Driver will carry full details of this exciting project as soon as they are published.

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Aston Martin - STRICTLY COPYRIGHT
http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3300.asp?id=12787

Autoblog said:


No, that's the original Rapide above, an early sixties four-door Lagonda saloon based on the Aston Martin DB4 sports car. The new Rapide, shown below, will be a V12 saloon based on the platform used for the DB9 and Vantage sports cars, according to Autocar.

AMRapideconcept.jpg


The wheelbase is stretched nearly 10 inches over the DB9, and the Rapide will be about 12 inches longer overall.

If the Vantage targets the latest incarnation of Porsche's 911, then the Rapide would be aimed squarely at Porsche's planned Panamera, although the Rapide could see production as early as 2008, well before the Porsche is scheduled to appear.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/03/aston-martin-to-debut-rapide-concept-at-naias/

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News_Article.asp?NA_ID=218027
 
It's...unfathomably gorgeous.

Yet it still leaves me cold. I have no idea why; it looks like they shoved a Flying Spur in a DB9 merely for the purpose of annoying Porsche and not actually selling them. (That is, if they actually build it, which they probably will.)

Still. As long as they don't build a SUV/crossover/"sport van" thing...
 
^ feel the same way, but the looks are made for a coupe yet it looks good in the pics, they should've went 4 seats but 2 doors... no complaints though love it..
 
Do we really need a third thread about that? :bangin:
 
^^agreed on something not quite looking right... it might be the fact that the trunk/boot looks too short compared to that long hood/bonnet. Maybe a second look at the Quattroporte or the Bugatti EB112 concept from the early 90s would be of help to these designers; they managed to pull off the short backed 4-door look better than this. And the front end needs to be tucked in, again like the Italians. It's not like the Quattroporte had the front of a Gransport shoved onto it, and it's all the better for that.
 
I've not really pleased on this car, i know it's an Aston Martin so in many ways it'll be fabulous but i really don't like the fact that they just streached a DB9 and didn't changed the looks at all.
What I want is a whole new designed car not a converted DB9.
I don't want to sound like i got a beef about this car because I would take this rother than taking a Quattroporte witch in fact i love, why?, gearbox, it'll gonna have just the same ZF gearbox as the DB9.
 
bihus said:
Buba said:
Do we really need a third thread about that? :bangin:

Check what thread was first posted...

Yours was moved and renamed? I thought you opened the third one...
 
Its quite handsome. Good rival for the 7 series and Quatraporte!
 
bihus said:
Nah, I posted mine first.

I know you posted 2 minutes earlier, but I thought it was named differntly, when I fist saw it.
Therefore: Do we need 3 threads for that...
 
Could somebody just merge the damn threads please?? :p
 
bihus said:
Ok. But it has this title since the beginning. 8)

Crap ;-)
 
It's a beauty but... doesn't seem to get that special carisma...
Makes me remind of the Audi A4... :unsure:
 
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