THERE can be few business owners out there who wouldn’t want a crack at this gorgeous, V12-crackling, four door coupe.
Now with improved torque and an eight speed auto box, the Aston can rattle down the road at a prodigious rate of knots with a beautifully orchestrated engine note.
But for successful business owners and entrepreneurs, for whom the allure of the Aston Martin nameplate will always be there – ask my neighbour who runs a building company as well as an Aston when not in his van – is there, I wonder, a slight shifting in sentiment?
I’m beginning to sense that techno electric cool green is having a bigger sway – a different appeal, clearly, but it’s there.
Not a week goes past seemingly when I don’t see a Tesla Model S. And it offers all that the Rapide S does – four seats, brand exclusivity – but it’s massively cheaper to run, has better performance (0-62mph takes just 4.4s in the top model) and offers a new age modernity that contrasts sharply with old school V12 horsepower (however deliciously those horses are delivered).
Or how about a plug-in hybrid Porsche Panamera – not quite the same performance, but takes four more comfortably and again offers an intriguing mix of electric and petrol?
Okay, neither the Tesla or the Porsche are in the same price bracket as the Aston.
But with the launch of the Volkswagen XL1 and the BMW i8 what’s increasingly on offer is redefining the terms of performance. And certainly giving a different talking point around any business meeting or dinner table.
Andy Palmer is new boss at Aston
In other Aston Martin news, the company has a new chief executive officer in the shape of Andy Palmer, formerly of the parish of Nissan.
Andy has a distinguished record in the automotive industry – recognised by his appointment as Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the British automotive industry – so it will be interesting to see what Andy brings to the Aston party. I can only suspect it will be beneficial.
Aston is partly owned by Daimler, owners of Mercedes-Benz.
More on the Aston Martin Rapide S
Read our review of the Aston Martin Rapide S here
