Aston Martin to Race New Rapide at 24h of Nurburgring

Aston Martin has taken the wraps off the race-spec version of its new Rapide sports saloon with which it will compete in the Nürburgring 24-hour race on 15-16 May, 2010.

The British firm said that the Rapide race car will be very close to the production model with changes including the addition of essential race safety modifications, the removal of the interior trim to reduce weight and a retuned suspension. It will also run on slick tires designed for track use.

The Rapide racer will be driven by a team of engineers from the company's Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, lead by the company's CEO, Ulrich Bez who had this to say about the car:

"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. The 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."

The Rapide will be joined at the Nurburgring race track by a V12 Vantage which in 2009 won its class and finished in 21st place overall in its racing debut.

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Aston Martin Confirms UK Pricing for Rapide Sports Sedan

The new Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports saloon will go on sale in the UK in the first quarter of 2010 with prices starting from £139,950 (US$232,800 or €154,000 at today's exchange rates), the British automaker announced today. In comparison, the Rapide's closest rival, the 500-horsepower Porsche Panamera Turbo is priced at £95,258 in the UK.

The Rapide is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine that cranks out 477-horsepower and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of peak torque, and is connected to a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission with steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Aston Martin said that the Rapide's will come equipped with many standard features including a Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for the car, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.

Customer deliveries will start at the beginning of the second quarter of 2010 with Aston Martin anticipating to produce around 2,000 units in the first year.

The Rapide is the firm's first sports car to be built outside the UK, as production will take place at the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. According to Aston Martin, each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build.

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Aston Martin Rapide Sports Saloon Wallpaper Galore: 60 High-Res Photos Plus Detailed Specs

The Brits sure took their time but Aston Martin has finally dropped a comprehensive image gallery and detailed specs of its new high performance Rapide sports sedan onto the web. A similar but much better looking proposal to the Porsche Panamera, the Rapide was introduced in production form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and is expected to reach dealerships early next year.

For the time being, the somewhat cramped four seater with the 301 liters of boot capacity will be offered exclusively with Aston Martin's hand-built 6.0-litre V12 engine that produces 477-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of peak torque at 5,000 rpm.

A specifically tuned six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission that allows the driver to change gear automatically or manually through the steering column-mounted magnesium paddles sends power to the rear wheels.

According to Aston Martin's claims, the Rapide can accelerate from standstill to 60mph in 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds) and reach an estimated maximum speed of 188 mph or 303 km/h.

Aston Martin Rapide Specifications

Body

• Four door body style with 4 individual seats
  
• Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
  
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy and composite body
  
• Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
  
• Single bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED side lights and direction indicators
  
• LED rear lamps and side repeaters
  

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 5.1 seconds; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds (predicted)
  
• Max Speed 188 mph (303 km/h) (predicted)
  

Transmission

• Rear mid-mounted 'Touchtronic 2' six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
  
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
  
• Limited slip differential
  
• Final Drive Ratio 3.46:1
  

Steering

• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
  
• Column tilt and reach adjustment
  

Wheels & Tyres

• 20" alloy wheels
  
• Front Bridgestone Potenza 245/40 R20
  
• Rear Bridgestone Potenza 295/35 R20
  

Suspension

• Front Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
  
• Rear Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
  
• Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
  

Brakes

• Front Dual cast brake discs 390mm diameter with six piston calipers
  
• Rear Dual cast brake discs 360mm diameter with four piston calipers
  
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
  
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
  
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
  
• Traction Control
  
• Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
  
• Positive Torque Control (PTC)
  
• Electronic Park Brake (EPB)
  

Dimensions

• Length 5019 mm (197.6")
  
• Width (including mirrors) 2140 mm (84.3")
  
• Height 1360 mm (53.5")
  
• Fuel Capacity 90.5 litres
  
• Kerb Weight 1950 kg (target) (4299 lb)
  

Interior

• Full grain leather interior
  
• Walnut facia trim
  
• Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
  
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
  
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (USA and Canada only) *1
  
• Electrically operated front seats
  
• Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
  
• Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
  
• Front occupant side airbags
  
• Head protection airbags for front and rear occupants
  
• Heated front and rear seats
  
• Heated rear screen
  
• Automatic front and rear temperature control
  
• Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
  
• LED map lamps and ambient lighting
  
• Trip computer
  
• Cruise control
  
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system *1,2
  
• Bluetooth telephone preparation *1
  
• Satellite radio system (USA only)
  
• Powerfold exterior mirrors
  
• Front and rear parking sensors
  
• Tyre pressure monitoring *1
  
• Alarm and immobiliser
  
• Remote-control central door locking and boot release
  
• Battery conditioner
  
• Tracking device (UK only) *3
  
• Boot mounted umbrella
  

In Car Entertainment

• 1000W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower® technology
  
• Integrated Apple iPod® connector *4
  
• USB connector with Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 audio file compatibility
  
• 3.5 mm auxiliary input socket
  

Options

• Cooled front and rear seats
  
• Twin screen rear seat entertainment system with 6-disc DVD player, auxiliary input, wireless headphones and remote control
  
• Alternative facia trim finishes – Mahogany, Piano Black, Bamboo, Tamo Ash, Double Apex Alloy, Nexus Alloy
  
• Matching wood door trim
  
• Colour-keyed steering wheel
  
• Second glass key
  
• Magnum silver rear lamp infills
  
• Delete model badging
  
• Delete protective tape
  
• 20" alloy wheels with graphite finish
  
• 20" alloy wheels with polished finish
  
• Alternative brake calliper finish – black, red, silver
  
• Personalised sill plaques
  
• Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
  
• Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
  
• Tracking device *1,3
  
• First aid kit
  
• Ashtray and Cigar Lighter

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