Aston Martin Rapide: prices and specifications
2 generations Country of origin: United Kingdom
Aston Martin Rapide is a sports liftback that replaced the Lagonda model, discontinued back in 1990. The latter, in the 1970s, brought the company out of a financial crisis and became its first four-door sedan. The name of the new model is borrowed from the 'hot' version of its predecessor — the Lagonda Rapide: translated from French, this word means 'fast'.
Work on the prototype began in 2007. The DB9 model was taken as a base — its platform and engines were used for the new car. Designers wanted to preserve the outlines of the predecessor, but abandoned the idea of building a sedan in the style of the Lagonda: they decided that the new model would be a more practical liftback. The 2008 concept received a liftback body and a fully glass roof, but in production it was replaced with an all-metal one — Aston Martin considered glass impractical. The side doors are made in the signature 'swan wing' style, and the rear row of seats is positioned higher than the front so that rear passengers have a better view of the road.
The official premiere of the Aston Martin Rapide took place at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Production was set up in Austria, at the facilities of the British brand's partner — Magna Steyr. Initially, they planned to produce about 2,000 units of the Rapide per year, but after the cooperation with the Austrians ended, this figure dropped to 500 cars.
The car began to be officially imported to Ukraine in 2011.
The model is equipped with a 6.0-liter gasoline engine, the same as on the Aston Martin DB9. It is paired with a second-generation Touchtronic six-speed automatic transmission, specially tuned for this model. Drive — rear.
