New Aston Martin Rapide

So it is! haha. Well. Good for you tony

 

When I heard "4 door DB9" I thought, "Sh*t, Aston might regret this move immediatley!"

Then I looked at the pictures....I WANT ONE!!!

 

Astons marketing slogan isn't bad either "Aston Martin Rapide - the best way of getting three girls to go out with you at once "

Ofcourse there is a possibility for Ferrari doing something alike with the 612.... 'whisteling' http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/310/612scaglietti4doorsedan8su.jpg But I'll have to admit that the Aston looks better.

 

They should have produced this before the DB9 or the AMV8.

It's market is larger and less competitive. Better late than never, I suppose. 2009 is a long way away though. There will be a new QP, S-class, 7-series and who knows what else by then.

But looks make up for many shortcomings and this has looks in spades, sounds as well.


Forza,



Cavallini

 

Yes very true. By 09 it better have an all out Vanquish ~600hp motor if it wants to compete.

 

What a gorgeous car!!!! As far as design is concerned, it competes with the AMG CLS55. Price-wise.....S65 and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. I'd take the AM over either of those in a heartbeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wow im in love with this car.....

 

I heard this was going to take the storied AM Lagonda name.

 

I like it a lot. Hope it stays true to this concept form. Although it looks practically production ready.

 

I saw another pic of it and got scared, it has the same gimmick roof that the Maybach did. I hope that's an option. I don't think anyone will buy a used one with that roof out of warranty.

 

Said roof:

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3300.asp?id=12787

 

Wow. Now I want a new 4 door for the family! Darnit!
http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2006/01/stories/01/01large.jpg

 

meh..It's a concept car, it needs gimmicks.

 

i love this car the elegance of the body very long in profile,
feline car. great style.

sur Maserati is in the eye of Aston.

 

Official pics here;

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=12889

 

Back in August/September I think either EVO or Top Gear magazine had a feature on something very similar. Title went something like "The Future for Mondeo?". Article suggested that Mondeo could look something like it. It was a concept car at the time but looked (from memory) very simliar

 

Here are two quotes from Edmunds.com :

Like Mercedes' CLS-Class, the Rapide is called a four-door coupe (pronounced "coop-ay" if you're British) and designer director Marek Reichman stated that the goal was "…to make the most beautiful four-door car in the world."

...

This "concept" looks production-ready to us. Guys, do you really want the Maserati Quattroporte and the Mercedes CLS55 to have this niche all to themselves?

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=108852#1

 

Wow, I didn't realize it was a Shooting Brake, very very cool! I love that low roof line too, very sleek and aggressive.

 

That is GORGEOUS! They would be idiots not to build that, ASAP!

The market for a sedan is so much larger than the market for both the DB9 and the Vanquish. The only true competition is the QP, and I would have one of each. MB and BMW don't have anything to compare to this, even if the Rapide is $30K more expensive.

And I'm sure they have the production capacity because neither the Vanquish nor the DB9 are exactly not flying off the showroom floors.

It would also be much cheaper and much more profitable to build the Rapide rather than build a new Vanquish from the ground up, which they'll have to do eventually to try to keep pace with Ferrari.

They could have this thing rolling off the assembly line in two years because it's just an extended DB9.

I, for one, hope they build it soon. It's just what that market segment needs but the longer they wait the stiffer the competition becomes.


Forza,


Cavallini

 

the styling of the recent astons is fanastic!!!

i wish the 612 had this kind of beauty. i would choose this way over the fcar esp if rear seat is realistic. it may not have the ultimate performance of 612 but style, luxury and practicality go a long way in a gt.

maser qp isnt in same league and my guess is it will be discontinued by time rapide is available here.

 

I think the QP is the only real competition for this Aston, at least the QP with the Ferrari V-12. I'd bet the QP outhandles this Aston in the mountains because of the front-mid layout.

BUT, the Rapide is more striking, not by much though. Color would determine everything along these lines.

To my eyes, the Rapide is more striking than the coupe DB9 and the Vanquish. The increased length does something wonderful for the overall profile and presence of the car that doesn't happen as much or as well with the other models.

As I said before, they should have built this first. All they needed to do was look at how many more S-class sedans Merc sells compared to those bloated coupes. Then look at the competition. With the Vanquish and DB9 they're going head to head with Ferrari, in price and performance, and they're losing badly, especially in the resale market.

With the Rapide, if they price it around $120-$150, or even $170, they won't have any true competitors. RR and Bentley are far to the north, while BMW, Maserati, and MB are to the south.

Aston will sell twice as many of these as DB9s and Vanquishes combined. And because the development costs are minimal, they'll make considerably more per unit.

I hope they're not so focused on trying to compete with Ferrari that they don't see the larger possibilities. They can't really compete with Ferrari because they don't have 50 years of racing and elite sports car experience under their belt. Ferrari is moving the ball far, far forward with this latest generation of cars. But ultimately they're just being more of what they are: race cars for the street. I don't care how many horses Aston puts under the hood of the next Vanquish, they don't have the expertise to build something like the 599. And with Ford's financial woes, the money will be very, very tight for the type of R&D necessary to truly compete with Ferrari.

But Aston can carve out a niche of their own, the way Lamborghini has, even though Lambo does compete head to head with Ferrari.

Aston should emphasize bespoke styling and interiors with a unique GT feel, like a Saville Rowe suit in automobile form. That's their image more than race-cars for the street. They need customers to have a Ferrari AND an Aston in their garage, not a Ferrari OR an Aston. This sedan-coupe would be one of the best ways to accomplish this.



Forza,


Cavallini

 

I saw the Aston Rapide in person today at the North American Auto Show in Detroit. I was very impressed. I really think Aston Martin should build it. I liked the V8 Vantage as well.

 

I think they should build it! I love Astons.....

 

they should build it... but the article I read said $350k! the car should be priced at $150k, then I'm in