Rapide back on track at Aston Martin

Apr 15 2009 Chris Russon

Rapide back on track at Aston Martin

THE jewel in the Aston Martin crown is on track to go into production later this year with the first models ready for delivery early in 2010.

The Rapide is the first full blown four-door sports car to be produced by Aston and was originally revealed as a concepte model at the Detroit Motor Show three years ago.

Fears that it had been put on a back burner have now been dismissed by the company which has announced that the car is now in the final stages of development.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: 'The Rapide will be the most elegant four-door sports car in the world. It completes the Aston Martin range conveying our established attributes of power, beauty and soul.'

The car will be powered by a version of Aston's 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 470bhp and hand built at the company's engine facility in Cologne.

The Rapide itself will be built at the Manga Steyr factory in Graz, Austria, on a production line similar to that at Aston's headquarters at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

Performance details and prices are still to be announced but the new Aston will be pitched against the likes of the Porsche Panamera as a new breed of grand tourer.