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Aston Martin Rapide: Aston goes four door

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8 March 2011

Aston Martin 6.0 V12 Rapide road test report

Aston Martin 6.0 V12 Rapide

Aston Martin 6.0 V12 Rapide

What is it?

A LANDMARK for Aston Martin. New Rapide is the first four-door Aston Martin model for more than 30 years and the first to be built outside of the UK, in Austria. Competing with Porsche’s Panamera it’s essentially a stretched DB9 with the same 6.0-litre V12 driving the rear wheels. Priced at £149,995.

What’s hot?

  • Extra rear doors are beautifully integrated into elegant shape
  • Rears seats are gorgeously sculpted and trimmed in soft leather
  • Fit and finish is the best yet from Aston
  • Storming 477PS 6.0-litre V12 offers awesome pace and sounds epic
  • Six-speed semi-automatic transmission is slick
  • Despite 20-inch alloys adaptive dampers deliver amazing ride…
  • …and longer wheelbase, re-tuned steering deliver great handling
  • Very well equipped; just cooled rear seats and DVD screens are optional

What’s not?

  • Rear headroom is very tight for six-footers and snug for most others
  • Getting in is tricky; the roof is low as are the seats
  • Volvo-sourced satnav and electric window switches
  • Boot is tiny at 317-litres, although you can fold the rear seats flat
  • 355g/km, sub-20mpg and heavy depreciation, running costs are high
  • Company car tax rockets in 2011/12 as price cap lifted

What you need to Know?

P11D Value: 80,000 (10/11); £148,990 (11/12)
Monthly Rental*: 3776 (CH)/£4531 (PCH)
Tax Band when posted: 35%, 35%, 35%
Monthly BiK: Click link for BIK
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
CO2 Emissions: 355g/km
Power/torque: 477PS/600Nm
Economy: 19mpg

Monthly contract hire (CH) and personal contract hire (PCH) rentals generated by Concept Vehicle Leasing. Based on a 36 month lease at 10,000 miles a year, 3+35 payments.

Business Car Manager Road Test Rating

The Rapide is one of the best Astons ever. Yes, those rear seats will be a struggle for most adults, but they do add more than a dash of extra practicality. And the fact that the driving experience is so good that you often forget they’re even there says it all about the car’s dynamics. It all adds up to a stunningly styled sporting limo.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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