2017 Aston Martin Rapide S Review

Aston Martin has long been synonymous with beautiful car design, but it wasn't until the four-door Rapide came along that one could make the case for buying one for practical reasons. Mercedes-Benz may have popularized the current trend of the four-door "coupe" with its CLS model, but the Aston Martin Rapide S is perhaps the most convincing example. From some angles you may mistake it entirely for a two-door Aston.

The Rapide S' 552-horsepower V12 engine — shared with Aston Martin's Vanquish S — is more a nod to mechanical craftsmanship than an attempt to push the technological envelope with turbochargers and direct fuel injection. And as a grand touring car, the Rapide S is equally purposed for highway travel as it is for attacking more winding roads.

However, with cars such as the Porsche Panamera that do so well maximizing space and comfort while continuing to defy performance limits of cars with four doors, the Rapide S must rely more than ever on its appearance. The Rapide S' rear seat accommodations aren't nearly as generous as the current grand-touring competition, and those small, sleekly integrated rear doors and sloping roofline conspire to make getting in and out somewhat of a challenge.

Try to justify the Rapide S from a practical angle, and you'll quickly discover how much the deck is stacked against its favor. However, when it comes to cars like this, practicality isn't as important as emotion, and it's on this front that the 2017 Rapide S still makes a lot of sense.