2010 Aston Martin Rapide: Road Test

About five years ago, in an effort to create a new market segment, auto manufacturers began to blur the lines between coupes and sedans. Mercedes-Benz’s CLS led a pack of cars that claimed to deliver coupe-like performance while providing the comfort, luxury and cargo capacity of a sedan. The somewhat deceptive marketing campaign on which these cars crested, however, could never change the fact that they were actually still sedans by the traditional definition.

More recently, a few sports car manufacturers have attempted to reach the same destination from the opposite direction, that is, by stretching a sporty coupe into a sedan. This time the lead was taken by Porsche, whose Panamera debuted last year to mixed reviews, while Lamborghini and Bugatti quickly followed suit with one-off concept cars.

The problem is, as many critics have pointed out, most sports cars just don’t look right with an extra set of doors. Something about the addition of extra volume bloats the delicate balance of a sports car’s sinewy lines, pushing the original design language beyond its comfort zone. In the case of the Panamera, very clearly giving new meaning to the phrase “junk in the trunk.”

So bearing in mind the mixed track record of these various attempts to crossbreed two traditionally separate body types, it’s heartening to see that one company finally hit the nail on the head.

Aesthetically, the Aston Martin Rapide is the most successful translation yet of a sports car into a sedan. Capably wearing the company’s signature shape, the Rapide is very much an extension of the DB9, though not literally. Featuring an all-new, model-specific aluminum and steel body panels, the Rapide actually looks like a stretched out version of Aston Martin’s famed DB9. So effective is the Rapide’s design, with its pillarless junction of front and rear door glass that from certain angles it actually appears to be a coupe.

A little time in the Rapide reveals that while its soul resemble that of a sports car, its heart still lies in luxury amenities characteristic of a touring sedan. Sure, the Rapide has Aston’s trademark 6-liter V12, good for 470 horsepower, but in a car this heavy, the powerplant is capable of only pushing from 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds—quick, but still more than a full second slower than the Panamera Turbo.

Furthermore, the Rapide’s paddle activated 6-speed Touchtronic 2 gearbox is set to regular Drive by default, and lacks the microsecond-quick shifts of the dual clutch systems that now inhabit many of Martin’s competitors. The Touchtronic 2 also gets a little confusing at times, especially when activated from neutral at speed, when it might give you 5th gear, or it might give you 3rd gear. Don’t try shifting out of neutral when coasting at less than 10 mph, though. The car’s computer seems to interpret the slow speed as unintentional rolling and advises you via a dash warning message that you must first step on the brake to engage shifting. Needless to say, if you’re in the middle of gently moving traffic, this is more than a nuisance.

Despite these small deficiencies, the Rapide is still very much a driver’s car, with agile handling care of near perfect weight distribution (49% front, 51% rear), strong torque, and joyful shifting, especially when Sport Mode is activated. And like the DBS, the Rapide offers a Dynamic Stability Control system that allows the driver to adjust the degree of computer-assisted traction control, or completely turn it off for the purest communication with the road.

The stitched Chancellor Red leather of our test car’s interior quickly clarified that, driver’s sensibilities aside, the Rapide is all about passenger luxury. The cabin is trimmed with an Alcantara headliner that reaches down the A-pillars for a stylish offset. In other Aston Martins, the center dash console panel extends down between the front seats, but in the Rapide this divider continues to the rear of the cabin, where it serves as an armrest for backseat passengers, as well as a console of climate controls that includes independently adjustable seat heaters and coolers, and discreet rear HVAC.

The rear console also features a compartment that in our case contained the accoutrements of the Rear Entertainment System, a $3,400 option that offers DVD viewing on screens mounted on the rear surface of the front seat headrests, and includes individually bagged wireless headphones and a remote control. Needless to say, this is a feature that we would expect more from a G-Class or Escalade than an Aston Martin. The rear cabin also features small floor lights, suggestive of a movie theater, which is somewhat appropriate considering the DVD system. Throw in the proprietarily designed Bang & Olufsen 1,000-Watt BeoSound Rapide stereo system, with its acoustically perfect 15-speaker system, as well as electronic seat controls that allow for a spectrum of lumbar support adjustments, and you have a grand touring car as it was intended to be, albeit with four doors.

Though surely no one will ever confuse the Rapide with, say, an F-150, there are actually a few considerations regarding cargo and convenience. The rear seats can be folded down forward, which in combination with lowering a partial divider between the trunk compartment, more than doubles the storage space. The car’s so-called “swan wing” doors open upward at a 12-degree angle, which in addition to striking a unique pose offers easier entry and exit for passengers, and helps avoid any potential curb rash. One pleasant change from recent Astons is the placement of the parking brake control, now a small electronic handlatch on the center console that can be easily pulled or pressed to engage or disengage the e-brake. This is a far friendlier interface than the disagreeable door-side floor handbrake that beguiles the DB9 and the DBS.

Despite the overwhelmingly positive attributes of the Rapide, there are still a few tweaks that would improve it further. Aston Martin’s labyrinthine navi-interface and pop-up screen could definitely use an overhaul, as could the architecture of sound system controls. And as long as there is a navi-screen in the car, we implore Aston to implement a back-up camera, which would go a long way in eliminating the massive rear blind spot created by the car’s wide C-pillars and small rear glass.

For pure driving spirit packaged in a luxury sedan, though, it’s hard to cite a worthy competitor to the Rapide. Aston Martin has credibly transformed its signature sports car design, and until some of these other cars go on a diet, the Rapide will likely remain the benchmark for success in this 21st century body style that marries coupe and sedan.

Tech Specs:
Base retail price: $197,850
Price as tested: $211,840

Engine:
All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5,935 cc V-12

Transmission:
Rear mid-mounted ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed gearbox with paddle shifting

Performance:
Max Power 470 bhp at 6,000 rpm
Max Torque 443 lb ft at 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds
Max Speed 188 mph

Photos: Mike Daly