Aston-Martin Rapide:

2010 Aston Martin Rapide caught on video

InsideLine caught the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide testing on the Nürburgring test track in Germany. The lack of a cover reveals an interesting new design twist — a roof that’s nearly all glass. There are a few pieces of equipment attached to this particular prototype, but it’s a relatively unobstructed design otherwise.

The 2010 Rapide will be powered by the same 5,935cc V12 as the DB9 that will deliver around 500 hp.

Aston Martin Rapide caught testing

Is not a secret anymore that the Rapide Concept will go into production. Set to be unveiled in 2009 and to go on sale in 2010, the Rapide will be priced at nearer £150,000 (much, much more than everyone expected!) and will compete with models like Porsche Panamera and the Maserati Quattroporte.

The 2009 Rapide will be built on the the familiar VH platform and will be powered by the 6.0-litre V12 from the DBS. This means the output will be around 510 hp and the peak torque at 420 lbs-ft.

The Rapide will stretch the tape measure to around five metres long, making it 30cm longer than the DB9, whose VH aluminium architecture it shares. Aston is targeting buyers who need practicality and is promising a lift-up tailgate to swallow luggage, fold-down rear seats to extend the boot and ’swan-lift’ doors on all four apertures that glide upwards and out, easing access.

The panoramic roof (caught for the first time in a spy shot) is impressively big - stretching all the way from the windscreen header rail to the tailgate and bathes the cabin in daylight.

2009 Aston Martin Rapide Picture Gallery

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Aston Martin Rapide will be built by Magna Steyr

Aston Martin announced that the company that will build the Rapide will be Magna Steyr. This way the Rapide four-door luxury sedan will go into production in late 2009 at a dedicated facility in Graz in Austria. The company wants to build around 2000 units a year.

The decision to outsource production of this incremental model has been taken because Aston Martin is currently enjoying unprecedented levels of success from an increasing number of markets around the world. Demand for its current models – the DB9, the V8 Vantage and the recently launched DBS - means that their award-winning headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, is fast approaching full capacity of 8000 cars.

The Aston Martin Rapide was launched as a concept at the Detroit Motor Show in 2006 and since that time the company has been investigating the best business solution for building the car. Since the commitment from the new shareholders in May 2007, that the Rapide would go into production Aston Martin has investigated several companies, each with outstanding experience and reputation for handling such projects and high-performance models, and concluded that Magna Steyr was the best partner to do this.

2009 Aston Martin Rapide Picture Gallery

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Aston Martin Rapide spy shots

Set to go on sale next year, the production version Rapide will look to the original concept version, which made its debut at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show. As previously reported the 2009 Rapide will be designed by Pininfarina and will be serious competition for the 2009 Porsche Panamera
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Aston Martin Rapide spy shots

You know already that the Rapide will go into production in 2009 and that it might be designed by Pininfarina. And now, here it is, caught at a gas pump.
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Pininfarina to build future Aston Martin Rapide?

As we previously reported, Aston martin will build future four-door Rapide model abroad. And Italy is one of the options being considered, and that sports car specialist Pininfarina is one of the potential third party production experts being considered.
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Aston Martin future cars: Rapide + DBX

Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez confirmed the Rapide as the new flagship. The Aston Martin Rapide should be very similar to the concept car unveiled in 2006 at the North American International Auto Show. Another much anticipated and almost official flagship should come shortly as well. It’s unofficial code name: DBX. It will be success to the Aston Martin Vanquish that just went out of production last month.
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2009 Aston Martin Rapide

After Prodrive got in charge over the Aston Martin company they have announced big plans for the future. One of them is to put into production the Rapide Concept that was unveiled in 2006 at the North American International Auto Show. The Rapide will go into production in 2009 and will compete with the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and Maserati Quattroport
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2009 Aston Martin Rapide Picture Gallery

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Jaguar C-XF, Concept or tunning?

While I was documenting some fun facts about Jaguar shoppers. I discovered a disturbing shot of the Jaguar C-XF concept car, then ressemblance with the Aston Martin Rapide concept really striked me.
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2006 Aston-Martin Rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide concept is a four-door, high performance coupé of remarkable grace and poise. Based on Aston Martin’s unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture, the Rapide combines the company’s commitment to power, beauty and soul with space and practicality for every eventuality.

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