If you were to judge Aston Martin ’s success just by see a fewJames Bondmovies , you might think the British automakers have it made . After all , theircarsare glib , fast and expensive – the party ’s motto is " exponent , stunner and somebody . " Like most sports car companies , Aston Martin ’s dedication to quality and carrying into action has achieved a firm fan base that reaches far beyond the United Kingdom .

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With such inscription to the Aston Martin brand , most fans eagerly predict any news show of an upcoming construct . The ship’s company is currently under individual ownership , so expectations are high for possible new pattern feature orenginespecifics . After working out initial plans during the summer of 2005 , the troupe introduced theAston Martin Rapideconcept automobile at the North American International Auto Show ( NAIAO ) in 2006 . Although the car is scheduled for yield in 2009 , Internetbloggersare already frothing at the mouth over the Rapide .

What type of engine will the Rapide use ? How many people will it seat ? Will it finally come with all the cool gadgets James Bond pay back to use ? In this article , we ’ll take a look at the Aston Martin Rapide and speak about some of the changes in store for 2009 .

Aston Martin History

Aston Martin ’s ride has been anything but suave – the brand has changed ownership multiple times during the automobile ’s long history , occasionally experiencing rugged fiscal times . Founded in 1914 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford , Aston Martin began its rocky history at the start of World War I. The full name of the company comes from Martin ’s last name and a stretch of route in Herfordshire , England , used for racing called the Aston Hillclimb . After World War I in short stanch production , Aston Martin retain to create car specifically for the racecourse , focusing on speed more than sumptuousness . Competition railroad car proved to be a strain on finances , however , and Aston Martin exchange hands several times until World War II .

In 1947 , however , tractor manufacturer David Brown purchased the company . Models under Brown ’s ownership took on his initial – DB – and Aston Martin shortly achieved worldwide realisation . The DB5 , for instance , gained instant notoriety when it appeared in the 1964 James Bond photographic film " Goldfinger . " Fitted with eminent - tech gizmo and munition , therocketsandoilslick push button were just aspyfan ’s daydream , but the car looked cool enough to catch the attending of moviegoers and achieve iconic status .

Brown ’s departure in the 1970s pock a return to difficult times , and the 1980s were n’t smooth , either – the alas named Aston Martin Nimrod , a disappointing income tax return to the racetrack , did n’t aid . The party was saved yet again in 1987 , whenFord Motorsbought up 75 percentage of Aston Martin , later acquiring the remain 25 percentage in 1994 . The latest installment in Aston Martin ’s history occurred in March 2007 , when Ford sold it to a small mathematical group of Aston Martin fan .

Fortunately for sports auto enthusiast , Aston Martin is still here – the make refuses to disappear , and it ’s for good ground . Although the troupe has see several financial setbacks over the course of its history , the spirit and design of each new fashion model along with a loyal interest in their cars have kept Aston Martin up and running . scan the next page to see how the Rapide carry on the tradition .

Aston Martin Rapide Specifications

Although the Rapide ’s name intelligibly come to to the speed of the car , Aston Martin did n’t just choose it to sound exotic and cool ( even though it does ) . The name actually number from a much sometime railroad car , theLagonda Rapide . Lagonda was another British auto companionship that partake a similar account with Aston Martin – it started bring about cars around the early 1900s , race them to win decoration and clear popularity . But World Wars I and II ended up hold back production , and the caller begin to have the same form of fiscal troubles as Aston Martin .

When David Brown purchased Aston Martin in 1947 , he also decided to bribe Lagonda along with it and merge the two under the Aston Martin name . From 1961 to 1964 , a small number of Lagonda Rapides were produced . They were hulk , four - room access luxury saloon that weighed more than 3,500 pounds , yet still execute at mellow speeds of about 130 mph , which imply they burned a caboodle ofgasoline .

Rapide architecture

for contend with other long , high - operation vehicles like the upcomingMercedesCLS and Porsche Panamera , the new Rapide has taken divine guidance from the unlikely Lagonda Rapide , stretch out Aston Martin ’s traditional two - room access coupe into a " four - door , high-pitched performance " coupe . While the original Lagonda Rapide was heavy and , despite its sybaritic qualities , slightly cumbersome , Aston Martin has applied its uniqueV / H ( vertical / horizontal ) computer architecture , a singular design platform that uses a glued and concentrate aluminium tub , and abstemious materials to make the raw Rapide an totally dissimilar car .

The torso of the Rapide consist of a carbon fiber composite that gives its structure gamey strength and low sight , increase both safety and efficiency . Mostmountain bikeframes are made from carbon fiber , so you might empathise how loose , yet solid , the fabric is if you ’ve ever ridden one before .

Engine specifications

The same 6 - liter , V12enginethat powered the DB9 is under the Rapide ’s hood , so not much has change in terms of performance . It ’s worth note , however , that the locomotive engine had to be increase from 450 Pteridium aquilinum horsepower in the DB9 to 480 bhp to adapt to the longer wheelbase – more baron is necessary to keep the stretch - out Rapide running as a high - carrying out vehicle . The railway locomotive is also mated to a ZF Touchtronic gear case , which allows the number one wood to wobble between campaign , park , achromatic and change by reversal with the energy of a button .

All of these specifications confirm the Rapide is nothing less than a high carrying out sport car , but Aston Martin made sure this model provides the best of both man . For more on the luxury and ease feature film of the Rapide , read the next page .

A New Kind of Luxury Coupe

Although the Rapide is a high - performance coupe , that does n’t entail Aston Martin sacrifice any comfort on the inside . coupe are traditionally clean , two - threshold vehicles , but they still have four seats – enough room for two seats up front and two in the back . That quad is still somewhat tight , however , since the length and overall proportions of the car dissemble its functioning . The shorter the distance , the less length air has to move around over the top of the car , mean the car will be able to execute faster and more expeditiously .

Since the developer adjusted thehorsepowerof the Rapide ’s locomotive after stretch out the body , they could afford to add two more doors and keep the back seat spacious and well-heeled . The eventual outcome is a coupe that can perform at eminent speeds over a variety of terrain and still make the journey seem like it takes office in a comfortable urban luxury vehicle .

The leather seats of the Rapide are made with a special kind of hide calledshagreen , made from the skins ofsharksor rays . The passengers do n’t have to just sit back in their quiet seats and enjoy the ride , either – many ascendency available to the driver are also in front of the other seats . A artificial satellite piloting organisation with mitt - heldBluetoothtechnology is accessible to everyone in the Rapide , finally putting the years - old question of " Are we there yet ? " to lie . The back of both front seat headrests occur installed withDVDscreens , along with personal audio and environmental organization control . Again , this should keep insistent interrogative to a minimum .

The sunshine-roof of the Rapide open up the inside even more , as it ’s construct from filmy polycarbonate material and stretch the length of all four seats . To top off all of this excess , the trunk – or kick , as the British call it – of the Rapide concept is installed with the staring picnic lot , a chiller storage locker built to support a single bottle of champagne and four drinking glass .

It looks as though automakers are displume in two disjoined directions – while designs for tiny , space - efficient makes like theSmart Carand the intelligence quotient Car­ are acquire popularity in Europe , luxury car companies are seeing how big they can go . Aston Martin is n’t the only brand toy with a long conception , as the Rapide is in competitor with big models like the Mercedes CLS and the Porsche Panamera . Even the designer of the newMINI Cooperhave load out a traditionally small model – its name appear to flirt on the word " coupe . "

Whatever counselling Aston Martin has taken recently , it seems to have brought the company out of yet another funk , and the Rapide may help them out even more . The party plans to produce between 1,000 and 2,000 Rapides each year and work their overall one-year product to about 7,000 – much good numbers than Lagonda Rapide from the 1960s .

For more data on Aston Martin and other auto - related article , see the next page .

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