THE V12-POWERED SUPER SEDAN THAT FAILED TO FIND A FOOT IN THE MARKET

For a short while in the late 2000s, a new niche was developing. Automakers known for producing premium sports cars wanted to branch out into new segments, which led to the creation of the Porsche Panamera, the Maserati Quattroporte, and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. These sedans were designed to provide a sportier and flashier alternative to the well-known S-Class segment.

The British automaker of high-end sports cars and grand tourers, Aston Martin, wasn't to be outgunned by their competitors. The company assembled a crack team of designers and engineers, and debuted their new Rapide at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.

It followed Aston Martin's usual recipe when it came to design, luxurious appointments inside, and a V12 under the hood. But the Rapide was never so rapid on the sales floor as the competitors. Why? Well, it's a story with many answers. So let's delve into it.

From Lagonda To Rapide - Aston's Quest For A Four-Seater

In the golden years of supercars, from the 1960s through to the 1980s, manufacturers often spoke of a 2+2 model. Officially a coupe, since it had only two doors, but kitted out with two small seats in the rear. Maybe intended for kids, but mostly used as extra luggage space.

The new generation: Fast, but stylish and practical

Roll the watch forward to the onset of the 2000s, and the 2+2 sports car made a comeback of sorts. This time, though, the cars had four doors, but with a sloping roofline towards the rear to create a coupe-like silhouette. They were fast, but stylish and practical as well. Think of the 6 Series Gran Coupe, or the Panamera and the successful CLS. All real grand tourers, but with seating for four adults.

Aston Martin followed the same route. Back in 1970, it debuted its stunningly styled Lagonda, a 2+2 in the classic sense. For the new era, Aston asked its new head of design, Marek Reichmann, to come up with an idea for a four-door DB9. And that's exactly what Reichmann did. His design in 2005 was mostly a stretched DB9. It used the DB9's VH (Vertical Horizontal) platform, and was virtually the same car from the nose to the A-pillars. The chassis and drivetrain were also copied.

The midsection was slightly longer, and then from the rear doors backwards it sloped down into a hatchback tailgate with a soft, sloping line. The rear axle was widened, and the wheels sat menacingly wide under their haunches. It stayed true to the classic DB9 shape, but with a bit of its own character.

Aston debuted its new four-door coupe at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show and was immediately positively received. But then the first drive reports came in, after the production models were rolled out in mid-2010.

Tourer, Or Sports Car? The Curious Case Of The Rapide

Key facts to know about the Rapide

• Designer: Marek Reichmann
• Production years: 2010 - 2020
• First built in Graz, Austria (2010 - 2013)
• Then built in Gaydon, UK (2014 - 2020)
• Price at launch in 2010: $201,300

Aston used its familiar 5.9-liter V12, lifted from the DB9, in the new Rapide. While torque was impressive at 443 lb-ft, power was really a bit iffy at 470 hp compared to rivals like the Porsche Panamera Turbo, which produced 500 turbocharged horses. The naturally aspirated V12 was initially mated to a six-speed auto, but from 2014 onwards to the new ZF-made eight-speed auto, which became so popular in the automotive industry.

The straight-line performance wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The Rapide required 5.3 seconds to get to 62 mph, which is fine when viewed in isolation. But the Porsche Panamera Turbo of the same era could get there in four seconds. The handling was ideal. Thanks to the extra length added to the wheelbase and a limited-slip differential, it was easy to get it sideways and keep it there, but we'd never do such things in such an elegant car.

It also sounded magnificent, so the only thing that really let it down was the straight-line performance, which Aston tried to fix with an upgrade.

The Rapide S

The Rapide S made its debut in 2014 and gained Aston's new AM11 V12 engine. The still naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 produced 553 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. This time, things happened a bit faster. The top speed increased to 203 mph, and the sprint to 60 mph dropped to 4.2 seconds, which was at least a V12-worthy figure.

The last update, before the Rapide was canceled in 2020, came in 2018 with the Rapide AMR, replacing the S. Some more work was done to the V12, and this time the output was increased to 580 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Other goodies included bigger 21-inch alloy wheels and carbon ceramic brakes. Acceleration stayed the same at 4.2 seconds, but top speed increased marginally to 205 mph.

Big Car, Cramped Rear?

For all its V12 power and sleek looks, it was hard to get excited about the Rapide. When you judge it based on all the things that make an Aston Martin great, it's sensational. It looks beautiful, the V12 makes one of the loveliest sounds to ever exit the rear of a car, and there's a certain feel-good factor that comes with the whole James Bond connection. If it was the only car in the segment, we would have happily handed over $200,000.

But it wasn't alone in its segment, and almost all of its rivals did a better job with the rear seats. The sloping roofline robbed the rear seats of headroom, and there wasn't enough legroom to begin with. Aston Martin should have put another inch in there, and things might have been better. Basically, when it comes to sedans, size matters.

Cheers, And Don't Come Back

Aston really tried hard with the Rapide, but after 10 years in production it failed to sell 3,000. The design was correct, as they kept things recognizable and also stylish thanks to the sloping profile and sleek bodywork. The V12 was also a good idea, and a unique selling point in the segment. Compared to the turbocharged Panamera, CSL and Gran Coupe, the Rapide really lacked some horses under the hood, but it sounded the best out of the bunch.

DBX To The Rescue?

It's interesting that Aston has never again revived the idea of a four-door coupe. While the Panamera, CSL and Gran Coupe (now an 8 Series) are all still going strong, the Rapide was killed in 2020. Since then, the company has brought its first SUV to market, the DBX. And it has been a massive sales success for Aston. So maybe they don't need a four-door coupe anymore, as the DBX has stepped into that gap quite nicely. The DBX is also one of the best performance SUVs out there, making it easy to recommend.

2025-03-10T04:23:49Z