The stunning new Aston Martin Rapide S is making its debut with yet
more luxury and yet more power on offer in its quintessentially elegant
four-door silhouette.
The iconic British car maker's new luxury
GT has been sympathetically redesigned and painstakingly re-engineered
to reassert its position as the world's most beautiful, and beautifully
balanced, four-seat sports car.
Aside from the extensive design
and engineering improvements, the luxurious new Aston Martin Rapide S -
which replaces the outgoing Rapide in markets worldwide - is now even
more refined thanks to a range of additions to the four-seater's
sumptuous interior.
Still instantly recognisable as an Aston
Martin, of course, the new Aston Martin Rapide S now boasts an imposing
and assertive new 'face', created by virtue of the impressive and
striking new full grille.
Imbuing the new car with an even more
sporting, forceful demeanour, the revised front end design is matched at
the back by a striking new rear deck profile which includes a more
pronounced boot lid 'flip'. The aerodynamic and aesthetic upgrades both
reinforce the sporting nature of new Aston Martin Rapide S and work to
counteract lift at higher speeds.
Aston Martin Chief Executive
Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: "The Rapide S is to me, without doubt, the
most beautiful four-door sports car on the market today. This is, very
clearly, the power of luxury in action.
Engineered to excel
Changes
under the new Rapide's skin are comprehensive, with a version of the
new AM11 naturally-aspirated 6.0-litre V12 powerplant delivering
unprecedented power and improved in-gear acceleration.
Power from
the new engine jumps significantly versus that of its predecessor: up
by 17% or a massive 81 PS from 477 PS at 6,000 rpm to a now very
substantial 558 PS at 6,750 rpm.
Peak torque increases, too, up
from 600 Nm to 620 Nm at 5,000 rpm. Meanwhile an even more marked
improvement in torque occurs lower down the rev range, as pulling power
rises by more than 40 Nm between idle and 4,000 rpm with an additional
50 Nm available at 2,500 rpm.
Naturally, increases in power and
torque lead to even swifter performance as befits a four-door sports
car. New Aston Martin Rapide S shaves 0.3 seconds off its 0-62 mph time,
which drops from the 5.2 seconds of the current car to just 4.9 seconds
for the new model. Top speed climbs, meanwhile, to 190 mph.
The
5,935 cc naturally aspirated V12 boasts race car technology -
developments derived directly from Aston Martin Racing's successful WEC
GT campaign - to maximise both performance and efficiency. The new AM11
engine thus boasts fully CNC machined combustion chambers and lighter,
hollow, cam shafts.
Dual variable camshaft timing, knock sensing,
even the fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system - these are all
engineering advances developed to preserve the V12's position as a
mainstay of the Aston Martin range.
The engine is now even more
efficient, too. Despite the very significant increase in peak power and
torque, the Aston Martin Rapide S is appreciably more economical than
before. CO2 emissions drop by seven per cent - from 355 g/km to 332 g/km
- while fuel economy now stands at 19.9 mpg on the official EU combined
cycle.
A product of the latest generation of Aston Martin's
world-renowned VH engineering philosophy, which debuted in 2003, the new
car of course benefits from many elements of the current Gen4 VH
architecture.
The carefully conceived engineering changes
continue as the new Rapide now offers even sharper agility and even
quicker responses to driver input. The new AM11 engine - a key Gen4
component - has been lowered by 19 mm versus the position of the
powerplant in the previous car, with a corresponding reduction in the
sports car's centre of gravity.
The changes also lead to a
tangible improvement in front end turn-in - no mean feat for a car that
was already acknowledged as a leader in dynamic performance.
Aston
Martin engineers at the company's global HQ in Gaydon have worked to
revise the car's dynamic stability control (DSC) in line with its
significant increases in both power and torque.
As befits the
more sporting nature of new Aston Martin Rapide S the car benefits from
the latest Gen4 iteration of Aston Martin's hi-tech Adaptive Damping
System (ADS). The system now offers three distinct settings: 'Normal',
'Sport' and 'Track', with the character of each being tailored to the
nature of Aston Martin Rapide S.
The ADS automatically alters the
suspension settings to ensure the driver has high levels of control at
all times, with the ability to respond quickly to different driving
conditions. The different damping modes help to significantly broaden
the character of the Aston Martin Rapide S, adapting its set-up to suit
the driver's precise requirements. Thus it can be a luxurious GT car in
Normal mode with the capacity to morph into a more assertive sports car
in Sport and Track modes.
The damper settings are determined by
an electronic control unit which takes sensor readings from the car's
systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel
rotation and vehicle speed. This data establishes the prevailing driving
conditions and the demands the driver is making on the car.
Head
of Product Development at Aston Martin, Ian Minards, explains: "Growing
the power in a luxury sports car is all very well, but maximising
control and 'usability' of that increased power is, just as much, the
engineers' challenge.
Meanwhile, as with the new DB9, the new
Aston Martin Rapide S achieves compliance with the latest European
pedestrian protection regulations courtesy of its innovative new front
grille design.
The lowered engine, new bonnet, new front bumper
construction and new grille combine to deliver a uniquely innovative
approach to pedestrian impact protection.
The patent-pending
design - which features a unique 'keystone' construction - enables the
grille to move rearwards on impact, whilst the central and outboard chin
stiffeners give rigidity to the lower structure and support achievement
of the leg impact regulations. Cut-outs on the front wing catwalks
contribute to the achievement of the headform regulation.
The
solution means Aston Martin can remain true to its design ethos, and
avoid the use of plastic grilles and nose cone bumpers that stretch up
in front of the bonnet.
First class cabin
As luxurious as it
is thrilling, the new car now boasts a host of new luxury- or
sports-orientated options, allowing buyers to more precisely tailor the
car to their specific style.
The new optional Carbon Exterior
Pack, for instance, immediately dials up the Rapide's sporting attitude.
Front splitter, rear diffuser, mirror caps and rear lamp infills all
fashioned from carbon fibre clearly signal the sporting nature of this
558 PS four-seater.
More pronounced luxury, on the other hand,
comes from the new piano black interior pack that adds a deep, rich,
mirror-like shine to the facia, transmission tunnel centre plate and
door handles of the Aston Martin Rapide S. A darker surround in the
instrument binnacle and steering wheel with black horn-push surround
round off the pack's sumptuous additions. Luxurious blend headlinings in
either tan or grey emphasise the luxury still further inside.
As
would be expected of a modern Aston Martin, handcrafting is the order
of the day in the Aston Martin Rapide S with the standard-fit pure glass
transmission selector switches in the centre console one small yet
important example of the truly authentic, bespoke, nature of the car's
cabin.
However those with a desire for a more sporting ambience
in their sports car will not be disappointed. Optional duotone
perforated red and black leather makes its Aston Martin debut here -
delivering a captivating visual combination that's unique to the new
Aston Martin Rapide S.
Luxury is enhanced by the removal of
extraneous 'noise' and the enhancement of desirable 'sound' - a fine
distinction but one that helps the new car deliver an aural experience
like no other. Improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness)
characteristics are derived from the likes of the new bonnet lining and
revised windscreen cowl.
Flexibility comes in the form of four
seats - the rearmost two capable of accommodating adults in a uniquely
sporting setting - while at the touch of a button the individual back
seats fold down to almost triple the Aston Martin's load space.
Options
to further enhance the luxurious look and feel of the Aston Martin
Rapide S include, subject to market, a reversing camera and twin screen
rear seat entertainment system with wireless headphones, remote control
and six-disc DVD changer.
Those seeking the ultimate in luxury
and personalisation can also consider the 'Q by Aston Martin' service
which offers uniquely-tailored options for individualisation. The Q
service focuses on fashioning colour and materials with limitless
boundaries precisely to customer choice and specification, enabling
owners to give free rein to the creativity and indulge their desire for
bespoke luxury.
The new Aston Martin Rapide S will be available to order through the brand's 146 dealers worldwide in February 2013.
