Aston Martins have always unapologetically been about grand touring. Some car magazine somewhere has always managed to dog Astons for not being as sharply tuned as Ferraris or Porsches for harrowing all-out attacks on mountain passes. Be it a 1963 DB5 or an '09 DBS, these iconic British cars have put a priority on getting their passengers to their destinations in comfort, quickly and in grand style.
Well, they did for two people, anyway. Passengers three and four (if there were seats at all for them) would have to be 4 years old, without legs and/or very flexible. Enter the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide, a car that adds a pair of doors to the brand's grand touring tradition and successful DB9 platform. Oh, there have been four-door Aston Martins before, but those Lagonda models were so bizarre, so atypical of the brand and ultimately so unpopular that you'd be just as likely to see Sasquatch cruising along on the freeway in a Smart Fortwo. The Rapide, on the other hand, won't be confused for anything but an Aston Martin.
The Rapide looks like a stretched DB9 with an extra set of doors and two adult-sized seats. That's essentially what it is. Under the skin is Aston's bonded aluminum chassis and rear-mounted transmission shared with every other car in the line. However, the Rapide has 9.7 additional inches of wheelbase, is a full foot longer and is 10 inches wider. It actually has a bigger footprint than the much bigger-looking Porsche Panamera, yet it weighs slightly less (4,299 pounds versus the Porsche's 4,343).
As such, the Rapide drives very much like a DB9. The 470-horsepower V12 offers effortless thrust and the sort of grandiose noises that can only be topped by Metallica performing with the London Philharmonic in Westminster Abbey. There is an agility that you just won't get in other super sedans, while at the same time there's the same sort of ride comfort that has made Astons such brilliant touring cars. Even the drop-dead gorgeous styling and beyond-reproach interior are practically identical to the DB9's.
So why get the Rapide, then? Well, the hatchback trunk and those backseats do provide a level of practicality a two-door GT coupe never could. Head- and legroom are surprisingly sufficient even for 6-footers. But hiproom in each individual rear bucket seat still suffers. You'll have to be fairly thin not to have your hips squeezed between the door and wide rear center console. If you want real space for four or five, you'll have to get a Panamera Turbo, BMW Alpina B7, Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG or Maserati Quattroporte. But then, you won't be driving an Aston Martin, will you?
In fact, that line of reasoning is pretty apt for the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide. All those competitors are not only more practical than the Rapide, they're also cheaper and in the case of the Porsche, more agile. A car like an Aston Martin isn't about rationality, though. If you're drawn to its beauty and personality, warbling V12 or even just the cachet of its name, there is quite simply no substitute for one of these magnificent grand tourers.
