Aston Martin Rapide S showcased

  • Jan 24, 2013
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Aston Martin makes the Rapide more powerful, efficient and sharper. The new Rapide S will replace the existing car

Aston Martin Rapide S

The exquisite Aston Martin Rapide is known for its enchanting looks and raw performance making it a unique four-door sports car. 

Enter the Aston Martin Rapide S, as the ‘S’ suggests this new Rapide takes the performance quotient up a notch. The race derived AM11 6.0 litre naturally aspirated V12 engine now generates an additional 80PS of power pegging maximum output at 558PS of power while peak torque has risen by 20Nm. Aston Martin also states that the torque spread across the powerband has gone up too. 

The engine now sits 19mm lower to improve the centre of gravity and gets CNC machined combustion chambers, hollow camshafts, dual variable camshaft timing, knock sensing and a fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system. As a result, fuel efficiency has also gone up.

The end result is 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds (faster by 0.3 seconds than the earlier Rapide) and a top whack of 305 km/h (up by 3 km/h over the Rapide). 

The Rapide S has been constructed with the company’s current Gen4 VH architecture that has made the car sharper and more responsive to driver input. The sports car’s stability control has also been revised to deal with the added power. The Gen4 system has also impacted the adaptive dampers giving them smarter ability to alter suspension settings according to driving mode (Normal, Sport and Track), throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation as well as the speed of the Rapide S. 

While the first Rapide was already a beautifully balanced car, Aston Martin has used their Gen4 VH architecture to improve that balance with tweaks and improvements throughout the car to deliver a more direct and responsive upgrade.


Rapide S

The Aston Martin Rapide S has a new front bumper, grille and bonnet for better pedestrian protection as well as refreshed aesthetics, although the new grille may be called a touch too gaping. At the back, the rear deck profile has been tweaked and the boot lid flip is more pronounced. 

There is also a new optional Carbon Exterior pack that gives the Rapide S carbon fibre front splitter, rear diffuser, rear view mirror caps and tail lamp infills. 

Inside the cabin of the Rapide S, there is a new piano black interior pack that adorns the dashboard, transmission tunnel centre plate and door handles in the dark, rich shade. The instrument binnacle and steering wheel also get a darker surround with black horn-push surround round. 

For the discerning customer Aston Martin offers the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ service which offers uniquely-tailored options for limitless customisation, precisely to customer choice and specification. 

Aston Martin Rapide S interior

The NVH levels of the Aston Martin Rapide have also been improved with new bonnet lining and revised windscreen cowl that lowers harsh noises but enhances the sinuous orchestra of the V12 engine inside the cabin. 

All-in-all the in Rapide S is a thoroughly reworked car by Aston Martin that will replace the Rapide worldwide and take the performance and appeal of the four-door sports car to a new level. 

Also read: Aston Martin debuts exclusive Centenary Edition models


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