- Much more attractive than Panamera
- V12 performance
- Exclusivity
- Poor rear seat access
- Cramped rear seats
- Small boot
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.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapide | 5.9-litre petrol V12 | 6sp auto | 350 kW at 6000 rpm | 600 Nm at 5000 rpm |
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.
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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.
| Engine | Trans. | Years | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapide S | 5.9-litre petrol V12 | 6sp auto | 2013-14 | 410 kW at 6750 rpm | 620 Nm at 5500 rpm |
| 5.9-litre petrol V12 | 8sp auto | 2014-20 | 412 kW at 6750 rpm | 630 Nm at 5500 rpm |
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.
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