Aston’ s Rapide is now a Rapide S,
boosted by 80bhp in a bid to attract more buyers
Let’s be polite and call the Aston Martin
Rapide an acquired taste. One that relatively few potential customers have
evinced much of an appetite for. There’ s lots to like about the four-door
Aston, but it battles its rivals with notable faults, such as cramped rear
seats. And if some of those potential customers expect to spend any time being
chauffeured, that’s an issue.
Let’s
be polite and call the Aston Martin Rapide an acquired taste.
Aston has decided to stir up a bit more
interest with the new and more powerful Rapide S. No more cabin space but
there’s a welcome boost to the Rapide’s already plentiful performance. The
highlight is the new ‘AM11’ version of Aston’s familiar 6.0-liter V12,
producing 550bhp (an 80bhp gain on the old car) and 457lb of torque. The gains
come via a host of internal revisions, including lightweight hollow camshafts,
and a sizeable increase in the V12’s rev ceiling: peak power now arrives at
6750rpm, not 6000rpm. There’ s still only one gearbox option, a six-speed
automatic with manual override.
Other than spec and design tweaks, the
other significant change comes to the Rapide’s suspension, with a new,
ultra-firm ‘Track’ mode for the adjustable dampers. Despite its title, this
turned out to be pretty much perfect on our test route – a combination of
Alpine passes and French D-roads, all super-smooth. The stiffened dampers
retain enough compliance to take the edge off bumps, but they also control the
body (and the Rapide’s considerable mass) remarkably well. There are very few other
two tone, rear-drive cars that can be threaded down a challenging road with
such impressive composure.
There’
s still only one gearbox option, a six-speed automatic with manual override.
The V12 engine remains the star of the
show. Compared to turbocharged rivals it lacks a little in low-down torque – it
needs 3000rpm properly to wake it up. But thereafter it’s a remarkable power
plant, pulling with perfect linearity and a wonderfully full-chested soundtrack
that, you suspect, could probably reanimate the recently deceased. It feels
noticeably quicker than the previous Rapide (Aston claims a 4.9sec 0-62mph time
– 0.4sec faster than before); indeed, it’s quicker than the DB9 Coupé, which
makes do with a 507bhp version of the engine.
Aston
claims a 4.9sec 0-62mph time – 0.4sec faster than before
Although welcome, none of these revisions
broaden the Rapide’s appeal among those put off by its lack of rear
accommodation. But if you are looking for a proper four-door coupé, and can
accept the cramped cabin, then the Rapide S is a handsome, exclusive and
devastatingly rapid contender. And as Aston hasn’t increased its price over
that of the old, less powerful car – $224,925 to you, sir – it qualifies as
something of a bargain too.
But
if you are looking for a proper four-door coupé, and can accept the cramped
cabin, then the Rapide S is a handsome, exclusive and devastatingly rapid
contender.
