612 to a Rapide
Discussion
I am properly toying of the idea of a change and it will be my first Aston. I have a 2004 612 Scaglietti, before that a 550 Maranello so fully subscribed to the V12. I changed from the 550 to the 612 for the 2 extra seats and the Rapide seems to fit the bill perfectly. I have a question, the 612 is an absolute epic drive and the noise is fantastic, will the Rapide give me the same sense of occasion ? Secondly the other reason for the change is that I am getting slightly fed up that the 612 is quite fragile, I know is quite old but most other 2004 cars dont have quite the same level of rubbishy engineered switches, loose trims and electrical gremlins that these Italians have. I will be looking at around £50 - £55k so it will be much younger car, however are the Astons fragile in the same way.
Thanks
Thanks
Ian Roberts 86 said:
The 612 is an absolute epic drive and the noise is fantastic, will the Rapide give me the same sense of occasion ?
'Occasion' is in the eye of the beholder but you will be disappointed in the drop in performance. 612 is a seriously fast car with epic engine and quirky but accurate gearbox. Rapide probably more up to date with a half-proper sat-nav screen. I think you are right Steve, it will be a drop in performance but I'm hoping the later model and all the good stuff that brings will offset that feeling. I've had a couple of Italian 'epics' so I think it could be time for some British brute. Plus the Aston is just so gorgeous as well.
While the standard Rapide could never be described as a slouch, The Rapide S should offer similar performance to the 612 and early ones (6apeed (2013)) of these can be had in the late 50s to 60k range. If budget doesn’t stretch it 50-55 gets you the very last of the non S, from a main dealer with the garmin nav reverse cameras etc. At that sort of money they really are the bargaon of the Aston range!
I disagree. It's subjective obviously, but imo, in general, an Aston is every bit as special as a Ferrari. Some Astons are more special than some Ferraris, and vice-versa. Italian and English cars are different, as are Ferraris and Astons -- rather than better or worse, that's a very good thing.
I’d try to scrape a little more together to get an S spec with the last version of the dash. A quick search on AT found a 13k mile example at AM Nottingham for £69k. Try offering a cheeky £10k less. I imagine they are hard to shift at this time of year. Nothing to lose, but all to gain.
The sound will be epic, but you can always do an exhaust mod if you want to get very close to 600bhp. Surely enough!
One factor not mentioned above is that you rear seat passengers may thank you for two extra portals!
The sound will be epic, but you can always do an exhaust mod if you want to get very close to 600bhp. Surely enough!
One factor not mentioned above is that you rear seat passengers may thank you for two extra portals!
I've just bought a 2011 Rapide with 35k miles from a main dealer for £45k with a decent trade in on a Lexus ISF (5 litre V8) and 12 months manufacturer warranty.
It's my first Aston so I wanted to limit my exposure a little, so went for a car that I saw as a long way down its depreciation curve already. I also do quite a few miles with a weekly commute between London and Norfolk.
The Aston has a real sense of occasion & I'm still in the 'look out of the window wistfully' phase of pure romance. It's achingly beautiful. Whether that's enough coming from a 612 is for you to decide. The seat and driving position for me are perfect. I'm 5'11".
The rear seats are smallish but comfy. They fold in half but you need the load space cover really to make use of the space. The rear Hatch and doors don't allow for big cube shaped items (think removal boxes) because the openings are quite restricted - this is no Volvo estate! Long, narrow items like golf club bags are no problem at all with the seats folded.
The cabin materials are lush but there is the odd squeek and rattle which is annoying but not terminal. Overall it does feel pretty indestructible. Forget the sat nav - it's the old Volvo system - just use your phone. The stereo is excellent as long as you like the Bose house sound. It can feel a little manufactured as a sound but it's very high quality & a £5k option on later cars. Earlier cars didn't come with Bluetooth streaming - it can be added as a £1k manufacturer upgrade or get a 90 quid module and stick it on the iPod connector.
The main event is the engine. The noise. The noise.... There is an aftermarket remote control available for fuse 3 - the exhaust valve - as the Rapide in standard mode closes this valve after idle and then open again after 3500 rpm. It's very useful having both modes to allow for long cruises or neighbourly relations.
Outright performance is quick but not hair raising. The gearing on the standard Rapide is more for GT cruising than sprinting and after the 8 speed ZF of the Lexus it feels slightly retro going back to 6 speeds, actually it better suits the GT nature. I can imagine in a couple of years I might well have a look for the 'S' to get a few more ponies. It is a relaxing drive - more so than my old GTR which felt brutal in comparison, but not in a good way.
The handling and ride is a real revelation for me. The steering is positive and accurate. Informative but not overly chatty, if you get what I mean. The sport mode is helpful as it makes the 6 litre feel as muscular as it should without the need for long throttle prods. There's adaptive damping which is subtle but effective, and adds real control - as the driver you definitely feel the difference so you can hustle it, although it's a 5 metre long car...
Enough to tempt from a 612? Only you can tell but I think if the Rapide fits the bill it's a ridiculous bargain for entry to the V12 royalty club.
It's my first Aston so I wanted to limit my exposure a little, so went for a car that I saw as a long way down its depreciation curve already. I also do quite a few miles with a weekly commute between London and Norfolk.
The Aston has a real sense of occasion & I'm still in the 'look out of the window wistfully' phase of pure romance. It's achingly beautiful. Whether that's enough coming from a 612 is for you to decide. The seat and driving position for me are perfect. I'm 5'11".
The rear seats are smallish but comfy. They fold in half but you need the load space cover really to make use of the space. The rear Hatch and doors don't allow for big cube shaped items (think removal boxes) because the openings are quite restricted - this is no Volvo estate! Long, narrow items like golf club bags are no problem at all with the seats folded.
The cabin materials are lush but there is the odd squeek and rattle which is annoying but not terminal. Overall it does feel pretty indestructible. Forget the sat nav - it's the old Volvo system - just use your phone. The stereo is excellent as long as you like the Bose house sound. It can feel a little manufactured as a sound but it's very high quality & a £5k option on later cars. Earlier cars didn't come with Bluetooth streaming - it can be added as a £1k manufacturer upgrade or get a 90 quid module and stick it on the iPod connector.
The main event is the engine. The noise. The noise.... There is an aftermarket remote control available for fuse 3 - the exhaust valve - as the Rapide in standard mode closes this valve after idle and then open again after 3500 rpm. It's very useful having both modes to allow for long cruises or neighbourly relations.
Outright performance is quick but not hair raising. The gearing on the standard Rapide is more for GT cruising than sprinting and after the 8 speed ZF of the Lexus it feels slightly retro going back to 6 speeds, actually it better suits the GT nature. I can imagine in a couple of years I might well have a look for the 'S' to get a few more ponies. It is a relaxing drive - more so than my old GTR which felt brutal in comparison, but not in a good way.
The handling and ride is a real revelation for me. The steering is positive and accurate. Informative but not overly chatty, if you get what I mean. The sport mode is helpful as it makes the 6 litre feel as muscular as it should without the need for long throttle prods. There's adaptive damping which is subtle but effective, and adds real control - as the driver you definitely feel the difference so you can hustle it, although it's a 5 metre long car...
Enough to tempt from a 612? Only you can tell but I think if the Rapide fits the bill it's a ridiculous bargain for entry to the V12 royalty club.
Also if you are bored and fancy further reading, Smiffy mentioned the sound system, it is bespoke Bang & Olufsen ( rather than Bose), and the full details can be found here. It is special and should feel a degree better than the system in the 612. I’m sure there is a set up thread on here somewhere to get the best out of it.
https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/solutions/automoti...
Cheers
https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/solutions/automoti...
Cheers
Great post by Smiffy!
Had mine over 5 years now - has been supremely reliable. Under £500 cost in failed bits in 40,000 miles.
If you have had a drive hope you pushed it a bit in firm damper mode and that it had PS4 not godawful Bridgestones. Should inspire confidence if you did. Its a great match the almost 500bhp to the traction and grip in the earlier models - so planted. Party trick is foot to the floor 90 degree exits from junctions - with the LSD it just grips and goes!
Mine's worth so little now I'll just keep it as It will be worth a fortune in 20 years ;-) And its still stunning and has a secondary decated V12 - makes the hairs on my arms stand up!
PS - the rattle will be the sun visor - even though it feels like its the door. Nip the screws up!!!
Had mine over 5 years now - has been supremely reliable. Under £500 cost in failed bits in 40,000 miles.
If you have had a drive hope you pushed it a bit in firm damper mode and that it had PS4 not godawful Bridgestones. Should inspire confidence if you did. Its a great match the almost 500bhp to the traction and grip in the earlier models - so planted. Party trick is foot to the floor 90 degree exits from junctions - with the LSD it just grips and goes!
Mine's worth so little now I'll just keep it as It will be worth a fortune in 20 years ;-) And its still stunning and has a secondary decated V12 - makes the hairs on my arms stand up!
PS - the rattle will be the sun visor - even though it feels like its the door. Nip the screws up!!!
A fair way from Essex, I’ll admit but a dealer in Taunton, near me, has the only Rapide S I’ve seen for sale under £50k — A&M car sales of Taunton. It is 2014 with 51000 miles, so not low mileage but not extraordinarily high either.
My son in law has had his 2013 Rapide for 2 years now and it is an absolute cracker and I would recommend this car to anyone especially at the bargain entry price!
My son in law has had his 2013 Rapide for 2 years now and it is an absolute cracker and I would recommend this car to anyone especially at the bargain entry price!
Both lovely cars but in my experience, particularly in the non ‘S’ Rapide, the engine will feel asthmatic compared with your 612. But, I should qualify that by saying I felt the same about the DBS when others are full of praise. I don’t quite know why but Ferrari V12s just seem to have the edge over Aston equivalents.
Cabin wise, the Rapide felt much more modern to me, (albeit much less space up front) definitely less fragile but even in the absence of gremlins, the electrics were second rate when it was launched. They’ll be better than the 612 but when you’ve got an engine that good, who cares about electronics?
Will be very interesting to hear what you think. I suspect you’ll be underwhelmed by the driving experience offered by the Rapide.
Cabin wise, the Rapide felt much more modern to me, (albeit much less space up front) definitely less fragile but even in the absence of gremlins, the electrics were second rate when it was launched. They’ll be better than the 612 but when you’ve got an engine that good, who cares about electronics?
Will be very interesting to hear what you think. I suspect you’ll be underwhelmed by the driving experience offered by the Rapide.
Mosdef said:
Both lovely cars but in my experience, particularly in the non ‘S’ Rapide, the engine will feel asthmatic compared with your 612. But, I should qualify that by saying I felt the same about the DBS when others are full of praise. I don’t quite know why but Ferrari V12s just seem to have the edge over Aston equivalents.
Spot on. Another random observation is that Astons are often bought by Aston fans for whom an original Gaydon DBS or its ilk was a first dip into new Aston ownership. To them, those cars would feel bloomin' quick. It's not like 'fast car' enthusiasts who want to try different cars, or who have read Evo etc and go from Ferrari to Porsche to Aston etc. Sacrilege to say, the early Gaydon cars won't live with any of the competition performance-wise. Obviously, Astons have many other attributes and Bond appeal etc. Hope that's being fair! Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff