2014 Aston Martin Rapide S
The Aston Martin Rapide S is a four-door ultra-luxury sedan that borrows styling elements and mechanical components from the brand's elegant sports cars. Though many of its rivals serve up more space for the rear passengers, the Rapide S does offer enough room for four adults to go along with its exotic looks and impressive performance.
For the latest model year, Aston Martin has upgraded its sleek sedan with a more powerful V12 - now boasting 550 horsepower - along with freshened styling and a number of new interior options packages. Aston also changed the name from Rapide to Rapide S to reflect the significant nature of the revisions.
With sinewy flanks, perfect proportions and a gracefully sloping roofline, the Rapide S is a dead ringer for Aston Martin's DB9 coupe - except, of course, for its extra set of rear doors. One element that sets the Rapide S apart is its massive, one-piece front grille, which came as part of the recent update and stands in start contrast to the two-tiered grille configuration of the rest of Aston's lineup.
Also new to the sedan is an updated version of Aston's handbuilt 5.9-liter V12 that first appeared under the hood of the new Vanquish supercar. It produces 550 horsepower and 447 lb-ft, increases of 80 ponies and 14 lb-ft over last year's motor. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission allows the driver to change gears automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles.
The Rapide S is capable of rocketing to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 mph.
An adaptive damping system offers three different suspension settings - "Normal," "Sport" and "Track" - to allow the driver to prioritize handling or ride comfort as desired. They system also takes sensor readings from the car's systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed, to determine driving conditions and configure the damping accordingly.
The Aston Martin Rapide S is a four-door ultra-luxury sedan that borrows styling elements and mechanical components from the brand's elegant sports cars. Though many of its rivals serve up more space for the rear passengers, the Rapide S does offer enough room for four adults to go along with its exotic looks and impressive performance.
For the latest model year, Aston Martin has upgraded its sleek sedan with a more powerful V12 - now boasting 550 horsepower - along with freshened styling and a number of new interior options packages. Aston also changed the name from Rapide to Rapide S to reflect the significant nature of the revisions.
With sinewy flanks, perfect proportions and a gracefully sloping roofline, the Rapide S is a dead ringer for Aston Martin's DB9 coupe - except, of course, for its extra set of rear doors. One element that sets the Rapide S apart is its massive, one-piece front grille, which came as part of the recent update and stands in start contrast to the two-tiered grille configuration of the rest of Aston's lineup.
Also new to the sedan is an updated version of Aston's handbuilt 5.9-liter V12 that first appeared under the hood of the new Vanquish supercar. It produces 550 horsepower and 447 lb-ft, increases of 80 ponies and 14 lb-ft over last year's motor. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission allows the driver to change gears automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles.
The Rapide S is capable of rocketing to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 mph.
An adaptive damping system offers three different suspension settings - "Normal," "Sport" and "Track" - to allow the driver to prioritize handling or ride comfort as desired. They system also takes sensor readings from the car's systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed, to determine driving conditions and configure the damping accordingly.
