SPIED! The Rapide lives.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/15/spy-shot-aston-martin-rapide/
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With its Le Mans racing program soon to be bolstered by GT2 and LMP1 entries, and with sales of its ever-so-desirable GTs ever increasing, Aston Martin is preparing to add the four-door Rapide to its production line-up. And if this spy shot is any indication, things seem to be moving along nicely.

Aston was anticipated to decide by year's end where the Rapide would be built. Although the company just moved to a new facility in Gaydon, the automaker was reportedly in discussions with a number of smaller contractors – including Pininfarina, Karmann, Magna-Steyr and Valmet – over potentially outsourcing the Rapide's manufacturing. As we already know, these private coachbuilders are all in dire need of the contract.

Confirmation that Aston would build the Rapide was one of the first things its new owners did after acquiring the company from Ford, and we're looking forward to seeing the production version in the flesh after seeing this spy shot.

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]
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Simply, awesome. Hope it doesn't change much from the concept.
 
*McLaren*
Simply, awesome. Hope it doesn't change much from the concept.
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I hope it does. I really liked the concept, but it just didn't stray enough from the DB9 coupe, which we had already been exposed to for a long time. It was just stretched and a door was shoved in. I think that they could still keep a lot of the DB9's graphics and that soul that it has so much of, and still make a distinct sedan in their lineup.
 
Gotta love how cleverly they "disguised" the rear lights with bits of tape, paying no attention whatsoever to cover up the gaps.

I seconds exigeracer's opinion. Judging by the look of the rear door on the prototype, it looks like the engineers also agree, the car simply looks like (or maybe is?) a stretched DB9 with a bolted-on rear door.
 
edit: I see McLaren fixed the red x. :)

I think this is an unecessary vehicle. I don't think people were calling for a Maserati Quattroporte, but MOAR. At least call it a Lagonda.
 
I agree with E-R and Freddie. It is time that Marek Reichman proves that he can do more than work the resize function on the photocopier and move Aston Martin into the next design phase. Otherwise they are in danger of "doing a Jaguar".
 
The problem is nobody's referred to the XJ or the S-Type as "achingly beautiful". I don't blame Aston for sticking with a successful formula. Bez came from Porsche, I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to continue on an evolutionary scale similar to the Germans.

Oh yeah, the Rapide... yes please!
 
SlipZtrEm
The problem is nobody's referred to the XJ or the S-Type as "achingly beautiful".
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That is kind of my point. The Modern XJ and S-Type have fallen out of favour because they have not successfully translated the brands heritage into the modern age. The original (ie 1968) XJ and Mark One (which the newer S-Type's design apes more than the original S-Type) Jaguars were considered to be ground breaking and very beautiful designs in their day. The E-Type is widely recognised as one of the most gorgeous cars ever designed.

I would hate to see the original cleanliness in design of the Vanquish and DB9 cheapened by every new Aston simply being a resized version of them.

I think the Rapide gives Aston Martin an opportunity to translate their design language onto a new canvas and make something truly stunning, like Maserati did with the quattroporte. Rather than just slap a set of doors on the back of a DB9.
 
I like it in a way, paying homage to the Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake, the ill-fated Lagonda, and competing with the Bentley Continental (presumably), all while incorportating recognizable styling features.

All the same, it is rather ill-proportioned.
 

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