Aston Martin->ke13 began making a name for itself in the four-door, luxury sedan->ke505 market as early as 1961, when the Lagonda Rapide was launched. Its successor -- the iconic Lagonda -- came 15 years later and survived until 1990 as one of the most expensive saloons in the world. It took Aston Martin nearly 20 years to develop a spiritual successor to the Lagonda, which was introduced in 2010 under the Rapide nameplate. Initially powered by a 5.9-liter V-12 rated at 470 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, the Rapide became the Rapide S in 2013, when a engine tuning, which was part of a facelift, increased output to 550 ponies and 457 pound-feet. Drivetrain enhancements also brought significant improvements in the performance and emissions department, further increasing the Rapide's appeal. Although the sedan->ke142 remained largely unchanged for the 2014 model year, a 2015 update brought important under-the-skin modifications and new color options inside and out.

Minor power gains and an all-new transmission account for a significant increase in performance, as both acceleration and top speed figures have been largely improved.

Update 8/6/2014: Aston Martin released information regarding the updated 2015 Rapide S. It has no real design changes of note, but it does see a massive upgrade in performance.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S and the changes introduced for the 2015 model year.

2014 - 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 - 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S
  • Engine/Motor: V12
  • Horsepower: 552 @ 6650
  • Torque: 465 @ 5500
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

When compared to the previous model, in the new Rapide S’ engine has been lowered by 19 millimeters (0.74 inches), so a few changes were required on the car's exterior. These updates include a new bonnet, new front bumper construction and new grille.

Aston Martin is also offering an optional Carbon Exterior Pack which includes front splitter, rear diffuser, mirror caps and rear lamp infills made of carbon fiber.

New for 2015

Visual upgrades are quite limited for the 2015 model year and bring only a new set of wheels and body-color options. The new forged alloy rollers feature a sexy ten-spoke design and can be ordered in a variety of finishes. As far as new paint colors are concerned, customers can now have their Rapide S dressed in a hot Diavolo Red exterior, a hue previously limited to the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

2014- 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S - Exterior Dimensions

Length

5019 MM (197.6 In)

Width

1929 MM (75.9 In) excluding mirrors; 2140 MM (84.3”) including mirrors

Height

1360 MM (53.5 In)

Wheelbase

2989 MM (117.7 In)

Weight

1990 KG (4387 Lbs.)

Weight Distribution

51%/49% (Front/Rear)


Interior

For the interior, Aston Martin is offering new luxury and sports-orientated options, starting with a new, piano-black interior pack that adds a mirror-like shine to the fascia, transmission tunnel center plate and door handles. These new elements have been combined with darker surrounds in the instrument binnacle and steering wheel with black horn-push surrounds.

There is also an optional duo-tone combination of perforated red-and-black leather. The rear seats can be folded at the push of a button and they allow increased load space.

New for 2015

New leather trim color options are added for 2015, including the classic blue-black Dark Knight and the flashy Fandango Pink. The options list now also features a new, two-tone leather seat finish that blends Sahara Tan and Vibrant Red. Further customization features include various headlining options that mix quilting, the finest cow hide and Alcantara.

Other optional features:

- Reversing camera

- Twin-screen rear-seat entertainment system with wireless headphones, remote control and six-disc DVD changer

- "Q by Aston Martin" service which offers uniquely-tailored options for individualization

Drivetrain

On the exterior and the interior changes are quite limited, but there are tons of updates under the hood. In here, Aston Martin placed a new version of the new AM11 naturally-aspirated 5.9-liter V-12 engine that delivers 17 percent more horsepower and 3 percent more torque than the previous version.

As a result, customers will now enjoy a total of 550 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and a peak torque of 457 pound-feet delivered at 5,000 rpm. Thanks to the extra 81 horsepower, the new Rapide S will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds (down from 5.2 seconds) and will go up to a top speed of 190 mph.

The improved V-12 engine received CNC-machined combustion chambers and dual variable camshaft timing, knock sensing, and a fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system.

The model has also received an improved dynamic stability control (DSC), which now offers three distinct settings: “Normal,” “Sport” and “Track.” These three settings are determined by an electronic control unit which takes sensor readings from the car’s systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed.

New for 2015

Although the 5.9-liter V-12 remained unaltered, an all-new engine management system and a revised exhaust helped increase the Rapide's output to 552 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. That accounts for only two extra ponies and eight pound-feet of twist, but performance improvements are quite dramatic, as the sedan is able to reach 60 mph from a standing start in only 4.2 seconds, a half-second faster than last year's model.

Responsible for this massive improvement is the brand-new Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic transmission, which has been incorporated for the first time into a transaxle layout. The unit also comes with new gearing and final drive ratio, making the Rapide S not only quicker, but more fuel efficient and environmentally friendlier too. Consumption drops by a whopping 13 percent, while CO2 emissions are reduced by about ten percent. The all-new gearbox and its tweaked internals also enable the Rapide S to reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph, a first for the sedan.

2014 - 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S - Drivetrain/Specifications

Type

All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12

Drivetrain

Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive

Exhaust system

Fully catalyzed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

Compression ratio

10:9:1

Max power

550 - 552 HP @ 6650 RPM

Max torque

457 - 465 LB-FT @ 5500 RPM

Acceleration 0-60 mph

4.2 - 4.7 seconds

Top speed

190 - 203 mph


Prices

The 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S is scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2014. Pricing will be announced at a later date and we'll be right back with an update as soon as the Brits spill the beans.

Model Year

Base MSRP

2014

$198,250

2015

$TBA


Competition

Porsche Panamera Turbo S

Thanks to the extra 81 horsepower in 2014 and the extra two ponies in 2015, the new Aston Martin Rapide S has moved upmarket and it now targets high-end versions of the previous Rapide competitors. For example, the new Rapide S has been put next to the Porsche Panamera Turbo.

The Panamera Turbo S model is powered by a 4.8-liter, V-8 turbocharged engine that produces 520 horsepower and a peak torque of 516.3 pound-feet. It can hit a top speed of 189 mph and sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. As you can see, the Rapide S hangs in total power and luxury, but in terms of acceleration, it barely loses out to the Porsche.

Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Sedan

The Rapide S can also be considered a serious competitor for the Mercedes CLS63 AMG. In 2015, the CLS63 AMG makes use of a 5.5-liter, biturbo V-8 that produces 557 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque in its base model. In its S-Model guise, the 5.5-liter engine is cranked up to 585 horses and 590 pound-feet. The CLS63 AMG is not only more powerful than the Rapide S, but it is also a lot quicker, as its base model sprints to 60 mph in just 3.87 seconds, while the S-Model does the same sprint in 3.6 seconds.

U.S. pricing is not available yet, but in the UK the CLS63 AMG S-Model goes for £86,500, which converts to 145,778 as of 8/6/2014.

Conclusion

Already a capable sports sedan that features class-leading luxury, the Aston Martin Rapide S just became more appealing, thanks to its brand-new eight-speed autobox and updated internals. Although it's capable enough against the Porsche Panamera or range-topping AMG-built Mercs, it falls short when pricing is brought into the equation.