Aston Martin Rapide - 4 Door Aston concept based on DB9

[henk4]

trying to imitate the QP, which still has the cleaner lines

[Dino Scuderia]

Design wise Aston is in a conundrum with Jag's practically coming out of the same mold...it's damaging both brands...when will companies ever learn.

[RazaBlade]

Continue here.... more info, high-res pics too.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...d=1#post460323

[PerfAdv]

Impressive, I like it. AM needs to take this chance.

[Coventrysucks]

trying to imitate the QP, which still has the cleaner lines

It's essentially a stretched DB9, which came out before the QP, so it can't really be imitating it...

Design wise Aston is in a conundrum with Jag's practically coming out of the same mold...it's damaging both brands...when will companies ever learn.

That doesn't really make sense.

How does a four door £160,000 Aston damage sales of a £60,000 XJ?

Apart from the new XK sharing broadly the same proportions as the DB9, there aren't a lot of identical Jags and Astons...

Both companies have always been close in terms of design, and their designs have always been great.

Would you rather that Jaguar or Aston started making shit looking cars for the sake of boosting sales of the other marque, or would you prefer them to both continue making great looking cars?

I'm certainly not going to complain if Jaguar make a car that looks a-bit-like-a-DB9-if-you-squint for half the price...

[henk4]

It's essentially a stretched DB9, which came out before the QP, so it can't really be imitating it...

do you think Ford would have considered a four door version without the success of the QP?

[Dino Scuderia]

It's essentially a stretched DB9, which came out before the QP, so it can't really be imitating it...



That doesn't really make sense.

How does a four door £160,000 Aston damage sales of a £60,000 XJ?

Apart from the new XK sharing broadly the same proportions as the DB9, there aren't a lot of identical Jags and Astons...

Both companies have always been close in terms of design, and their designs have always been great.

Would you rather that Jaguar or Aston started making shit looking cars for the sake of boosting sales of the other marque, or would you prefer them to both continue making great looking cars?

I'm certainly not going to complain if Jaguar make a car that looks a-bit-like-a-DB9-if-you-squint for half the price...

You don't have to make shit designs, just different. Recent Jag XK's and DB's look too much alike and it's obvious Jag is the red headed stepchild who's designs get compromised so Aston can be the shining star. It's no big deal to me really but Jag sales are down 44% so something is wrong with their marketing IMO. If the two are gong to have cars which play in the same market it occurs to me that the two should be unique to one another as far as the XK's and DB's.

So a cheaper look-alike isn't working for them to well it seems, why not try something else.

[carsnut]

I personally think Astons are unique even though they based on jags. Would take this Rapide over the DB9, although I'm hoping it can do good like the Bentley Flying Spur :l

[ZeTurbo]

It looks fabulous!

Those back doors are wicked.

[QBridge]

I like those switches and dials and things. I would turn them all day.

[Coventrysucks]

do you think Ford would have considered a four door version without the success of the QP?

Yes.

I don't think that the relative success of a very large four door saloon selling for c.£60,000 really shows what the market will be like for a smaller four door "coupe" style saloon for c.£160,000

They probably wouldn't have produced the concept so soon if the Porsche Pananarama didn't exist though.

Recent Jag XK's and DB's look too much alike

The out-going XK doesn't particularly look like any Aston, apart from being a two door coupe of roughly the same size.

The incoming XK is a bit more DB9 in proportion, but I have seen both cars and I was in no danger of confusing the two.

The surfacing, volumes, and stylistic detail are very different.

It's no big deal to me really but Jag sales are down 44% so something is wrong with their marketing IMO. If the two are gong to have cars which play in the same market it occurs to me that the two should be unique to one another as far as the XK's and DB's.

Yes, total Jaguar sales are down.

Having the XK looking a bit like a DB9 doesn't affect the sales of X-types, S-Types and XJs which make up the vast bulk of Jag sales though.

As for being "in the same market", the XK is about half the price, so that isn't really "the same market" at all. You might think they are, but I know that Aston and Jaguar aren't trying to court the same type of people into their respective showrooms.

[LPFAN]

HEY ppl, i never heard of this Aston before

[aNOBLEman]

I can't wait till the Detroit Auto Show. I'll be sure to take some good pictures.

[RazaBlade]

Porsche Panamera has got some serious work to do to better this, it looks just too good, even if the Porsche was faster, would still take this......

[mc_watson]

The rapide looks the bomb... it seems very stylish, but i wonder if the performance will match up with the extra weight