RE: Aston Rapide Footage
Wednesday 23rd April 2008
A few days ago the four-door Aston Martin Rapide was photographed at the Nurburgring, but now a video of the car testing has surfaced.
Aston Rapide Footage
New Aston four-door filmed doing final testing at the 'Ring
The car is almost completely undisguised and we can confirm sounds great.
The Rapide not only looks like a stretched DB9 but the V12 engine has a similar note.
Not only is there footage of the car charging around the ‘Ring but also close-ups of it entering a trackside testing facility.
The car will take on the long awaited Porsche Panamera although it will be produced in far fewer numbers.
It had been previously thought the Rapide will arrive in 2010 but from the look of this footage the car is almost ready, so could appear as early as next year.
Discussion
Its not as stunning as I'd hoped (might just be the same shape of aston thing) and I know its still in development so theres a chance to correct that but it also looked to me like it wasn't handling that well, a bit twitchy.
But God knows what they were testing there, I'll reserve judgement until the car is released and then realise it doesnt matter anyway because I can't afford one
But God knows what they were testing there, I'll reserve judgement until the car is released and then realise it doesnt matter anyway because I can't afford one
Hmmm, not entirely sure. I thought it looked a bit less than planted, but why test a 4-door GT at the ring anyway? I would have thought the target audience for a 4-door like that would prefer 'sporty comfort' than 'uber ring-meister'. :shrug:
Something visually does not work for me. Looks VERY long and if you look at it in the head-on shots, the width of the 'hips' makes the front end look pinched and narrow.
Still - an Aston is an Aston...so it will be £200k spec'd up. Ha ha!
P~
Something visually does not work for me. Looks VERY long and if you look at it in the head-on shots, the width of the 'hips' makes the front end look pinched and narrow.
Still - an Aston is an Aston...so it will be £200k spec'd up.
Ha ha!P~
Why does my post keep vanishing??
Original post :
Hmmm, not entirely sure. I thought it looked a bit less than planted, but why test a 4-door GT at the ring anyway? I would have thought the target audience for a 4-door like that would prefer 'sporty comfort' than 'uber ring-meister'. :shrug:
Something visually does not work for me. Looks VERY long and if you look at it in the head-on shots, the width of the 'hips' makes the front end look pinched and narrow.
Still - an Aston is an Aston...so it will be £200k spec'd up. Ha ha!
P~
Original post :
Hmmm, not entirely sure. I thought it looked a bit less than planted, but why test a 4-door GT at the ring anyway? I would have thought the target audience for a 4-door like that would prefer 'sporty comfort' than 'uber ring-meister'. :shrug:
Something visually does not work for me. Looks VERY long and if you look at it in the head-on shots, the width of the 'hips' makes the front end look pinched and narrow.
Still - an Aston is an Aston...so it will be £200k spec'd up.
Ha ha!P~
cableguy said:
Ok we know they are stunning looking cars but surely its about time for a re-shape!
That makes no sense whatsoever: they're stunning cars but they should be different - I don't follow your logic.Also, would have been nice to credit MotorAuthority.com, since they put the video you're linking to on YouTube.
Looks great from the front or back, but then you see the middle and what the hell? It looks like one of those tacky cut and shut stretch jobs. The proportions are all wrong in profile imo. The wheelbase is too long and the overhangs are tiny giving the car a narrow and thin look. Poor effort from the design team.
Bit of a disappointment tbo. I'd hoped the car would have more of it's own 'identity' but this just looks like a DB9 with an extra bit welded in. I'd want onlookers to say "Wow a Rapide" not "Oh, hang on I think it's one of those Rapides, not a DB9"
Re someone elses comments re it looking twitchy - surely that's the point of testing, to find the absolute limits, at which point most things look twitchy!
Re someone elses comments re it looking twitchy - surely that's the point of testing, to find the absolute limits, at which point most things look twitchy!
Pugsey said:
Bit of a disappointment tbo. I'd hoped the car would have more of it's own 'identity' but this just looks like a DB9 with an extra bit welded in. I'd want onlookers to say "Wow a Rapide" not "Oh, hang on I think it's one of those Rapides, not a DB9"
Re someone elses comments re it looking twitchy - surely that's the point of testing, to find the absolute limits, at which point most things look twitchy!
^^ What he said.Re someone elses comments re it looking twitchy - surely that's the point of testing, to find the absolute limits, at which point most things look twitchy!
IMO the Quattroporte is a much better car styling wise.
Edited by Night Flier on Wednesday 23 April 12:49
MrKipling43 said:
cableguy said:
Ok we know they are stunning looking cars but surely its about time for a re-shape!
That makes no sense whatsoever: they're stunning cars but they should be different - I don't follow your logic.Also, would have been nice to credit MotorAuthority.com, since they put the video you're linking to on YouTube.
C.
Agree with what people have been saying about the 'is it a DB9 or Rapide' looks, but then I watched the video again and at 1.39 when it's coming out of the gates onto the main road and there is a humdrum Audi A3 behind it I have to say I thought 'WOW' that's a great looking car. If I could afford it I'd much rather have an Aston Martin saloon over a Porsche saloon, same as I'd have a 911 over a Vantage. The Quattroporte and Granturismo though... now they are really beautiful cars. Decisions, decisions, oh to have a couple of hundred grand to spare.
Part of the reason that AM look very similar is to create brand identity. They sell in such small numbers that if they all looked different many people just wouldn't recognise their cars. Since the Vanquish all have looked similar and now people at least look and recognise an AM even if they don't always recognise the model. It's a sound strategy. Once the brand is firmly established visually they can start being more creative but for now it is a case of one step at a time....
cableguy said:
Isn't it about time for some new designers at Aston 
Looks like every other V8 Vantage, DB9 or DBS only with 4 Doors... Ok we know they are stunning looking cars but surely its about time for a re-shape!
C.
Can see your point, but at the same time 'if it aint broke, then dont try to fix it!' personally think they are all stunning cars (not that I will ever be able to afford one!).Looks like every other V8 Vantage, DB9 or DBS only with 4 Doors... Ok we know they are stunning looking cars but surely its about time for a re-shape!
C.
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