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Three years after the Aston Martin Rapide Concept was shown at the Detroit Auto show in 2006; the ultra luxury British automaker finally revealed production version of the car at the Frankfurt Motor show last week (Sept 15th 2009). In all honesty, it is safe to say The Aston Martin Rapide is one of the most eagerly awaited cars of the year.

The signature elements of Aston Martin’s design language translate seamlessly to the fabulously proportioned “four-door coupe”, as designers call it. The Rapide gains almost 11 inches in wheelbase and more than 15 inches overall compared with the DB9, but it barely looks it. Key features such as the “swan wing” doors - rising upwards and outwards as they swing open facilitate access to the two beautifully trimmed individual rear seats. If you were one of those people who couldn’t buy the DB9 because there’s no room in the back for the kids, well the Rapide sorts this problem as rears seats are fine for two adults also.

Under the bonnet, the Aston Martin Rapide is based on the DB9 and features the same 6-litre V12 engine, meaning there will be 470bhp on tap and a (yet to be confirmed) top speed of 190mph - enough to accelerate it from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission allows the driver to change gear automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles.

The Rapide will be the first ever Aston Martin built outside the United Kingdom, thanks to a partnership up with Magna Steyr (an independent car producer in Austria where Mercedes and BMW have some models built).

For its performance and size, the Aston Martin Rapide is a rival for the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte but, at around £150,000 (which is roughly US $240,000) is twice as much as the pair putting it in its own segment. You can expect the beautiful Aston Martin Rapide to hit the market during spring 2010. Enjoy the stunning pictures from the 2009 Frankfurt Motor show…

Astonmartin.com

via Autoblog