Car News

2010 Aston Martin Rapide



Aston Martin will return to the starting grid of the legendary Nordschleife circuit for the fifth consecutive year at the 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race on 15/16 May 2010 with the marque’s new four-door sports car; the Rapide.



Further underlining the sporting credentials of Aston Martin’s latest model, the Rapide will compete in the demanding 24-hour race – as has been the case with other recent Aston Martin road cars, the V8 Vantage and V12 Vantage. The Rapide will compete in near-standard specification apart from mandatory changes required to compete in this most demanding of endurance races and will be driven by a team of engineers from the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, England.



Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez who will lead the New 2010 Aston Martin Rapide drivers, explained: “This race represents the ultimate final engineering durability test for any sports car – it subjects the car to the toughest possible assessment under public scrutiny.



“2010 Aston Martin Rapide has the capability to carry four people in comfort but first and foremost it is a sports car and we will subject it to the same tests we would our other sports cars. We already have a proven track record at the Nürburgring racing our road cars with limited modification and in recent years we have enjoyed success in winning the SP8 class both in 2008 and 2009.”



The Rapide race car will be close to production standard with only essential race safety modifications, interior trim removed to reduce weight, re-tuned suspension and will run on slick tyres designed for track use.



The 2010 Aston Martin Rapide encapsulates the values of Aston Martin in pure four-door sports car form with an unrivalled combination of performance, comfort, craftsmanship and exceptionally elegant design. Since the Rapide’s original premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 the car has gone on to win the widespread approval of customers and media commentators alike, prompting strong global demand for the car. Deliveries of the Rapide commence later this month through Aston Martin’s 125-strong global dealership network.



The Rapide race car will be joined by a V12 Vantage – again modified only slightly for racing – which in 2009 swept to a class win on its competitive race debut. The near production standard V12 Vantage – which finished in 21st place overall last year – saw off competition from a field of largely specialist race cars in the SP8 class to claim an impressive debut win.



Further details on the V12 Vantage and the full driver line-ups for both Aston Martin entries plus details on a number of customer teams competing in the race will follow in the coming weeks.



The 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24 hour race will take place on 15/16 May 2010.

Aston Martin has unveiled a new motorsport-inspired special edition; the V8 Vantage N420 which brings a new dimension of sporting prowess and dynamic ability to the V8 Vantage range.

Successor to the special edition V8 Vantage N400 of 2007, the Vantage N420 is based upon the standard 4.7-litre, 420bhp, 180mph V8 Vantage and is available as a Coupe or Roadster, and with a six-speed manual or optional Sportshift automated manual transmission.



The Vantage N420 draws inspiration from the company’s experiences at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. In the 2006 running of the annual Nürburgring endurance classic amongst a field of mostly motorsport homologated cars, Aston Martin entered a near-standard, road-registered V8 Vantage. Driven by a team of employees, including Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, the V8 Vantage – named ‘Rose’ by the team – finished 4th in class and 24th overall from a field of more than 200 specialised racing cars.



Since then Aston Martin has returned every year to compete in this gruelling endurance race, scoring a string of class victories and podiums with road-registered V8 and V12 Vantages and most recently the new four-door Rapide. Not only has this racing success spawned a burgeoning V8 Vantage GT4 customer programme run by Aston Martin Racing, but lessons learned in racing at the Nürburgring has led to aerodynamic and other performance developments being fed back into Aston Martin’s road cars.

A generous standard specification and some unique options ensure the special edition Vantage N420 is both exclusive and distinctive, while also offering a 27kg weight saving – achieved through the application of carbon fibre – over the standard V8 Vantage.



On the outside, wider sills combine perfectly with a carbon fibre splitter, side strakes and diffuser, while bold 10-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels complete with gloss black finish, black mesh vents and ‘Graphitic’ tailpipe finishers complete the co-ordinated look.

Inside the Vantage N420 offers an Iridium interior package, with graphite instruments, leather or Alcantara® steering wheel, special N420 sill plaques and lightweight carbon fibre seats, complete with ‘Race Track’ stitching as in the V12 Vantage. Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and Park Distance Control are also standard.



Cementing the Vantage N420’s credentials as a special edition V8 Vantage tailored for the most discerning and enthusiastic drivers, it is fitted with the normally optional Sports Pack. This package combines revised springs, dampers and anti-roll bars for even more responsive and dynamic handling, while retaining the V8 Vantage’s renowned poise, balance and long distance ability. Finally, a new sports exhaust system delivers a suitably rousing soundtrack.



Production of the V8 Vantage N420 begins this month, with deliveries commencing in August and prices starting from £96,995.

Aston Martin lies an evocative engine providing effortless power and torque: Rapide features a hand-built 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 470 bhp (477 PS / 350 kW) with peak power being delivered at 6000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lbft) peak torque at 5000 rpm. A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission features as standard, allowing the driver to change gear automatically or manually via the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles.Rapide’s rear environment has been intelligently packaged to create a space where passengers feel a part of the driving experience with clear views to the front and sides.

RAPIDE ENGINE

     All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12

Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive

Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

Compression ratio 10.9:1

Max Power 350 kW (470 bhp / 477 PS) at 6000 rpm

Max Torque 600 Nm (443 lb ft) at 5000 rpm

Acceleration 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds

Max Speed 188 mph (296 km/h)

Aston Martin has announced that the Rapide will be built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. Production will start in 2010 and the factory plans to build 2,000 per year.[1] The production version will feature a full-length glass roof and LED light bars on the rear end, two firsts for Aston Martin. It has been confirmed that the production version will be displayed at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. [2] A production version of the Rapide has been spotted on several occasions in Kuwait in July and August 2009, where it is undergoing weather and performance testing. To upset the Maserati Quattroporte, the upcoming Porsche Panamerica and other ultra-luxury four dour sedans, Aston Martin have prepared a four dour version of their DB9 supercar for the 2006 North American International Auto Show.