Aston-ishingly Rapide

“The Rapide is a sport car,” says Ulrich Bez, the chief executive of Aston Martin. He doesn’t want this car to be misunderstood. It is not a rival for the Bentley Continental Flying Spur or the uber-sedans from Mercedes, BMW and Audi and it differs fundamentally from its most obvious counterpart, the Porsche Panamera. Aston distinguishes it’s Rapide like this: the Porsche was designed as a low-line car providing generous space for four adults and the body was shaped accordingly, hence its hump backed look. Whereas the Rapide is an Aston Martin DB9 with more room for people and luggage but no compromise to its gorgeous, flowing style.

Rapide is not a car for the part-time driver who likes to conduct business from the back seat while the chauffeur negotiates weekday traffic. Neither is it suitable for making the grand entrance at a film premiere or society ball, or we should say, it would be difficult for a skirted lady (or a Scotsman) to retain modesty while emerging from the back. The Rapide’s rear doors hinge forward and slightly upwards-Aston calls this ‘swan wing’- and there has been extensive paring of the structure and trim around the seats to allow the maximum amount of space and ease of entry and exit through the small door apertures. There is more room in the Panamera but the Rapide’s rear passengers are cozier and also have better visibility because the seating position is slightly higher than in the front.

 
The 6-litre V12 engine is familiar and has the same power (474PS) and torque output as the latest DB9. The ubiquitous ZF six-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox available. It works beautifully and allows manual operation from paddles behind the steering wheel. A fascia switch marked Sport speeds up the automatic shifts as well as sharpening the throttle response. Again, the effect is not as marked as in some other models, as Aston always seeks to make the Rapide a more comfortable Grand Tourer while maintaining its sporting character.
The Rapide’s performance - maximum speed 296kmph and 0-100kmph in 5.2 seconds -is only fractionally slower than the DB9. It has the same rich exhaust tone when the ‘active bypass valve’ in the exhaust is opened. But it has suppleness on undulating roads and broken surfaces that the other cars lack. 

 
If we talk about the in-car entertainment, the Rapide comes as standard with an impressive 1,000- watt Bang & Olufsen stereo system with 15 speakers including two ‘acoustic lenses’ that pop up from the top of the fascia. Options include a DVD player with screens in the back of the front seats and a cooling system incorporated in all four seats. Also available is a set of fitted luggage, in leather to match the car’s trim. Actually the advantage of the Rapide is that, unlike the two-door Astons, it can accommodate a reasonable amount of ordinary luggage, including suitcases. For many owners, this will be the clincher: an Aston Martin that you really can use for the family holiday.