This is Aston's latest rendering. As the first official profile shot, it highlights the car's flowing proportions. It also gives the car's designers another chance to show off just how well they were able to integrate two additional doors without breaking from the cohesive design language. (We wish we could say the same for the Porsche Panamera.)
Access to the rear seats is facilitated by the two "swan wing" doors. The doors get their name from the way they raise upwards and outwards as they swing open. Behind them lie two bucket seats. While Aston tries to peg the Rapide as a "long distance runner," don't plan your road trips just yet. The company says the back seats will be best suited for children or for adults on shorter journeys.
Wherever it goes, the Rapide is sure to get there fast. Grunt for this grand tourer comes from the DB9's 5.9-liter V-12. It makes 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission. Aston is still in the process of compiling performance figures, but you can expect a zero to 60 mph time of around five seconds.
So when do we actually get to see this sexy sedan in the sheet metal? Aston says the Rapide will be finally revealed in September, we're assuming at the Franfurt auto show. What will it take to get your hands on one? The company has not even hinted at a price yet but we're expecting it to start in the $250,000 range. Official pricing will be released either at the unveiling or closer to the car's launch in early 2010.