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The Rapide S was unveiled to the world just ahead of the Geneva Motor Show where it made its public debut. The reaction to the new Rapide S has, shall we say, been divided among enthusiasts. The front grille has been a topic of hot debate while the 81 PS increase is an uncontested win for all. The new Gen 4 AM11 Rapide engine also improves peak torque by 20Nm and torque at 2500 rpm by 50 Nm. The Rapide also gets Aston Martin’s new Adaptive Damping and a new ‘Track’ mode.

Design

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The front grille is now a single piece full-face aluminium grille. We’re sure Aston Martin would’ve continued with the older grille if not for the pedestrian safety norms. The new grille moves backward in case of an impact with a pedestrian as it absorbs the energy of the impact. This enables Aston Martin to retain the aluminium hood while the others in the industry move to other materials that are more easily deformable.

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The side profile is largely similar and the at the rear you have a more pronounced lip spoiler that reduces lift at high speeds.

While we aren’t big fans of the new grille, multiple sources claim that those who’ve seen the Rapide S in person have nothing negative to say about the looks of the new four door Aston. The grille is said to be menacing and aggressive.

 

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Interiors

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The Rapide S uses more leather than any other Aston in the history of the marque. The attention grabbing leathers in use this year are Aston’s exclusive new perforated duotone black and red leather with pure black top surface with a subtle red undertone. Two new interior styling packs, Piano Black and Carbon Fibre are available to order.

Engine, Handling

The Rapide S is built on Aston Martin’s VH architecture, which means the chassis is constructed from lightweight aluminium and bonded with sophisticated epoxy resin. The V12 powerplant of the Rapide gives way to the Gen 4 AM11 Rapide powerplant which shares a major part of its design with the powerplant of the new Vanquish. 558 PS of power and a peak torque figure of 620 Nm. The power has increased by 81 PS while the torque has increased by 20 Nm relative to the Rapide. While the numbers themselves are phenomenal, the new mill also wins hearts for 40Nm more torque between idle and 4000rpm, and 50Nm more at 2500rpm. These figures translate to improved driveability.

The engine is now placed 19mm lower, which lowers the centre of gravity as well as improves pedestrian safety. The increased gap between the engine and the hood makes for a more effective crumple zone of the hood.

The Rapide S gets Gen4 Adaptive Damping. In addition to last generation Rapide’s Normal and Sport mode, there’s also a new Track mode. This also means that the Normal mode is now more plushy, if you can use that word when talking about an Aston Martin.

Oh, lest we forget, there’s also the new alloys. These optional 10 spoke lightweight forged alloy wheels are unique to Rapide S. The alloys are 11% lighter than the standard wheel. The alloys are available in a Silver or Black Diamond Turn finish.

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