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The Aston Martin Rapide will cost from £139,950.

That comapres £95,298 for a top-spec Porsche Panamera 4.8 V8 Turbo PDK and £89,860 for a Maserati Quattroporte 4.7 V8 GT S.

See Aston Martin Rapide pictures

Standard kit in the four-seater will include a Bang & Olufsen sound system, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and will feature an adaptive samping system.

The car...Read the full article

In a world of £330k Lexi this looks like a bit of a bargain. Relatively speaking of course.

 rapide - hand made in austria. very british ! was there a spare production line sitting there. are austrian labour costs cheaper. make it in india with tata body panels. is britain not posh enough. bring back beckham.

Does look good and no doubt drives well etc etc - but can't help wondering whether a price that is £45,000 more than a Panamera can really be justified. Also, don't most people buy an Aston because it's BRITISH, can't see that building it in Austria really makes sense from that point of view.

ordinary bloke:

Does look good and no doubt drives well etc etc - but can't help wondering whether a price that is £45,000 more than a Panamera can really be justified.

Definitely, even if it is just on the styling front!

I really can't get my head round the looks of the Panamera in the flesh and I just don't think dynamically the high end models such as the Turbo are accomplished enough.  Also the Aston will certainly have a more luxurious interior compared the the slightly sterile Teutonic one found in the Porsche.

The Porsche is best value (and best driving) at the low end of the range, which puts the Aston in a different part of the market.  If I were looking at cars like this, then yes, the Aston is definitely worth the extra money and I get the feeling I wouldn't be the only one thinking that.

I agree that the Panamera looks awkward in the flesh althought the interior looks great. Just my opinion really.

I like the look of the Aston but can't help thinking that it already looks old. Maybe it is because it has the same front end, rear, and dashboard as the DB9. I find it a little disappointing that there is no new design, just an added door on a model that has been around for a long time. Pleasant but disappointing. The interior looks nice but the rear seat looks very compact with limited headroom. I don't think this car really fits any niche, i.e to big for a coupe and too small for a proper 4 seater. Maybe that is where the Panamera has an advantaage over the Aston. The only way that the proportions of the Aston have been kept neat is by sacrificing its ability to carry 4 people. I think it may be a bit of a pointless car.

Aston Martins are designed like a dining room table.  If you want to make a bigger one, you insert an extra leaf in the middle.  If you want to make a smaller one, you take one out.  Perhaps they will make a six seater next.  Wouldn't take ten minutes to draw it. 

What does Aston Martin now have in common with the company upon which the legend is based?  I would love to know how many staff have worked for it for more than 10 years.  I don't see that there is really any more connection than there is between the new Lotus F1 team and Colin Chapman.  Just imagine if 10 years ago Ferrari had moved to Naples and was now producing three different length versions of the 599.  Would that still be Ferrari?

 

The styling alone is worth £45k over the pig ugly Panamera. I think this car is in a different class. The 4dr Lambo will be a true rival (if it ever happens).

With such low sales volumes its a shame it wasnt built over here to retain british jobs.

Quattro369:

The styling alone is worth £45k over the pig ugly Panamera

 

Agreed - the Aston has style - the Panhandle is the ugly illegitemate son of a 997 and a Tatra T600

 

matt29:

The only way that the proportions of the Aston have been kept neat is by sacrificing its ability to carry 4 people. I think it may be a bit of a pointless car.

you've nailed it. a 4 door 2+2. it's even official:

"Aston describes the Rapide as a 2+2, managing our expectation of quite how roomy the rear pews will be."

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Secret-new-cars/Search-Results/Spyshots/Aston-Martin-Rapide-2010-on-the-road/

if Aston can flog this £150k basic 'DB9+' to mug punters, they should chance their arm at selling coals to Newcastle, as obviously nothing is beyond them.

Sorry - "illegitimate" - I must proof read more carefully in future !

Its all about brand image, people will still have an association of Astons and Britain like they do with Audi and Germany, even though Audi build TT's in Hungary but everyone assumes its German built and therefore a superior built vehicle.