Review: Aston Martin Rapide (2010-13)

Overview

Released inJune 2010, the Aston Martin Rapide was a four-seat liftback. Initially manufactured by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, the rear-wheel drive Rapide was powered by a 5.9-litre V12 petrol engine mated to a six-speed ‘Touchtronic 2’ automatic transmission which included steering wheel gearshift paddles for sequential shifts. From mid-2012, the Rapide was manufactured in Gaydon, England.

V12 engine

The hand-built, all-alloy 5.9-litre V12 engine had double overhead camshafts (per cylinder bank), four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.9:1. The Rapide could accelerate from brest to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and had a top speed of 296 km/h.

Dimensions and body

Compared to the AM112 DB9 on which it was based, the Rapide was 24 mm longer (at 4721 mm), 30 mm wider (1905 mm), 38 mm lower (1280 mm) and had a 250 mm longer wheelbase (2990 mm). Furthermore, the Rapide had torisonal rigidity of 28,000 Nm per degree and a kerb weight of 1950 kg. Inside, the Rapide had cargo capacity of 301 litres, though this increased to 750 litres if the rear seats were folded flat.

Suspension

The Rapide had double wishbone suspension front and rear with coil springs, anti-roll bars and monotube adaptive dampers. The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) used two separate valves to set the dampers to up to five different positions, enabling instant adjustment of the Rapide’s ride and handling characteristics.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Aston Martin Rapide included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front and rear seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The Rapide was fitted with 390 mm dual-cast front brake discs with six-piston calipers and 360 mm rear discs with four-piston calipers.

Features: Aston Martin Rapide

Standard features for the Aston Martin Rapide included 20-inch alloy wheels with 245/40 R20 front and 295/35 R20 rear Bridgestone Potenza tyres, a sixteen speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system with a six-disc CD player, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod) and a hard-drive for music storage, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, contoured sports seats, leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats (with memory settings), heated front and rear seats, satellite navigation, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, front and rear parking sensors, flat folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, power folding mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, power-operated park brake, ambient lighting, an electrochromatic rear view mirror, 12 volt power outlets, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

The Rapide was also fitted with a limited slip differential.

Related links

• Brochure: Aston Martin Rapide (April 2011)

Review: Aston Martin Rapide S (2013-20)

Overview

Released in March 2013, the Rapide S was powered by Aston Martin’s 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine. Like its predecessor, the AM11 V12 engine had double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank and four valves per cylinder. However, the AM11 V12 engine introduced fully CNC (computer numerical control) machined combustion chambers, hollow cam shafts, dual variable camshaft timing, knock sensing and a catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. As such, the Rapide S could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and had an estimated top speed of 306 km/h; the engine was also positioned 19 mm lower for a lower centre of gravity.

Visually, the Rapide S could be identified by its new front mask with a full grille and, at the rear, a more pronounced boot lid ‘flip’. The Rapide S was also offered with an optional Carbon Exterior Pack which included a carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser, mirror caps and rear lamp in-fills. Inside, the Rapide S featured darker surrounds in the instrument binnacle and piano black finishes for the fascia, centre transmission plate and door handles.

The Rapide S was also fitted with Aston Martin’s ‘Gen4’ Adaptive Damping System (ADS) which provided three selectable modes: Normal, Sport and Track.

August 2014 update (15MY)

From August 2014 production, the Rapide S was fitted with an eight-speed ZH 8HP ‘Touchtronic III’ automatic transmission. The eight-speed automatic transmission could change gears in as little as 130 milliseconds and enabled the driver to perform multi-ratio downshifts when braking by pulling and holding the downshift paddle (prompting the transmission to select the lowest available gear). The additional transmission ratios contributed to improved fuel consumption, while a revised final drive ratio increased the top speed of the Rapide S beyond 322 km/h (200 mph).

Other changes for the post-August 2014 Rapide S included:

• A new Bosch engine management system;
• A reduction in exhaust gas back pressure (for increased power and torque);
• A revised torque tube to reduce transmission noise;
• A revised steering ECU for ‘more crisp and precise’ steering response;
• Larger front brakes;
• A retuned brake booster; and,
• 20 per cent stiffer rear suspension bushes.

The updated Rapide S could be identified by its new ten-spoke forged alloy wheels, while new leather trim colours (such as blue-black Dark Night, Fandango Pink and a Duotone finish in Sahara Tan and Vibrant Red) and paint finishes (including Diavalo Red) were also offered.

Features

Compared to the Rapide, standard features for the Rapide S were largely unchanged.

From mid-2015 (‘MY16’), the Aston Martin Rapide S was fitted with Aston Martin’s ‘AMi II’ infotainment system which included a real-time display of vehicle power and torque.

Related links

• Aston Martin: Aston Martin Rapide
• Wikipedia.org: Aston Martin Rapide

Overview

Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.

Recalls: Aston Martin Rapide

2012-13 Aston Martin Rapide: throttle pedal lever/arm fracture

In May 2013, October 2013 and January 2014, three separate recalls were issued for Aston Martin Rapide and Rapide S vehicles due to the potential for the throttle pedal lever/arm to fracture. While the initial recall was for Rapide vehicles manufactured between 14 May 2012 and 10 April 2013, the second recall was for vehicles manufactured prior to 3 October 2013, and the third recall was for vehicles manufactured prior to 31 December 2013. If the throttle pedal lever/arm fractured, the throttle would return to its idle position and the driver would be unable to control the speed of both the engine and vehicle. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please seePRA 2013/13597,PRA 2013/13799 andPRA 2014/13951.

2013-14 Aston Martin Rapide S: transmission may revert to neutral

In July 2014, a recall was issued for Aston Martin Rapide S vehicles that were available for sale from 10 June 2013 to 1 July 2014. In these vehicles, printed circuit boards (PCBs) within the transmission control switches may be defective – this could cause the transmission to revert to neutral without any input from the driver. If this occurred, the vehicle would lose power and the driver would be unable to maintain or increase speed, posing a hazard to the vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2014/14222.

2010-14 Aston Martin Rapide with automatic transmission: vehicle may roll from parked position

In January 2018, a recall was issued for Aston Martin Rapide vehicles that had six-speed ‘Touchtronic II’ automatic transmissions and were manufactured from February 2010 to October 2014. In these vehicles, a communication error between the Engine Control Module (ECM) software and the Transmission Control Module (TCM) could cause the transmission park pawl to be held out. When the transmission park pawl was held out, the vehicle could roll away from its parked position – this could if all of the following conditions occurred:

• The vehicle key was removed from the ignition and engine speed was more than 450 rpm;
• The driver did not select ‘Park’;
• The driver did not engage the park brake;
• The vehicle was not parked on level ground; and,
• There was a communication error between the ECM and TCM.

If the vehicle were to move from its parked position, it would pose a hazard to the driver, other persons and property. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2017/16492.

Problems and faults: Aston Martin Rapide

Overview

This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.

To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.

Problems and faults: Aston Martin Rapide

No troubleshooting information is currently available for the Aston Martin Rapide.

Released in June 2010, the Aston Martin Rapide was a four-seat liftback. Initially manufactured by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, the rear-wheel drive Rapide was powered by a 5.9-litre V12 petrol engine mated to a six-speed ‘Touchtronic 2’ automatic transmission which included steering wheel gearshift paddles for sequential shifts. From mid-2012, the Rapide was manufactured in Gaydon, England… Read full Aston Martin Rapide review

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Images: Aston Martin Rapide S (2013-20)

Released in March 2013, the Aston Martin Rapide S was powered by Aston Martin’s 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine. Visually, the Rapide S could be identified by its new front mask with a full grille and, at the rear, a more pronounced boot lid ‘flip’. The Rapide S was also offered with an optional Carbon Exterior Pack which included a carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser, mirror caps and rear lamp in-fills. Inside, the Rapide S featured darker surrounds in the instrument binnacle and piano black finishes for the fascia, centre transmission plate and door handles.

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Top Gear: Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte

Note

Please note these videos are applicable to vehicles as they are supplied to their respective markets. As such, the features, prices and performance of the vehicles in these videos may differ from those which are supplied in Australia.

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