So, here’s the situation – James Bond has got married and now has a couple of kids and the DB10, his latest car which, by the way, will never be built for the likes of you and me, is hardly what you would call a family vehicle and anyway it got a bit shot up by the Russians.
The new DB11 isn’t quite big enough either, so what now? Well, being Bond, he can’t possibly look at another manufacturer and he has no need to because the answer is another Aston Martin – the sleek and sophisticated Rapide S, a four-seater with the performance of a supercar and the practicality of having more than enough room for the baby Bonds in the back – perfect.
Aston describe the Rapide S as the most beautiful four-seater sportscar in the world and although beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder I would find it hard to argue with them – it really does look very impressive, particularly from the front where the deep grille, spoiler and those shark-eye like headlight clusters give it an imposing aggressive look.
The side view is extremely athletic and sleek with the signature Aston Martin side strakes on the front fenders and the rear is pure Aston muscle with double exhaust pipes giving a clue to its performance capabilities. Gorgeous 20-inch ten-spoke gloss black wheels on our test drive car set the whole thing off rather nicely.
Interiors don’t come much more luxurious than the one in this car. The Sahara Tan and black combination with carbon fibre and piano black trim looks very special, and there are plenty of other bespoke options, but it is the attention to detail which really impresses.
The leather seats are sculpted and diamond quilted and are supremely comfortable and if you didn’t look behind you once you are settled in the driving seat looking at the classy instrument panel and elegant carbon ‘water-fall’ effect front facia which cascades down into the centre console you would think you were in a classic two-seater Aston because it really does feel extremely compact.
Sleek aesthetics: Rapide S.
There are fewer buttons on the front facia than on the car it replaces and although it is a thing of beauty the infotainment screen which folds in and out of the top of it is clumsy and out of date.
The latest AMi infotainment and sat nav works perfectly well but there is no doubt this antiquated screen lets the car down and needs to be replaced in the next generation. And that is the beauty of the Rapide S because it gives you that intimate sportscar experience you would get from its stablemates and yet there is a good amount of room in the back.
The last time I drove the Rapide I found the rear seats far too cramped but this latest model has more legroom. Again, the seats are remarkably comfortable and there is a good amount of leg room for adults although a journey in excess of two hours might result in feeling a little cramped but for kids, there is plenty of room and even entertainment screens embedded in the back of the front seats.
There is also a centre-consul which doubles up as an arm rest and AC controller. Access to the back seats is also much improved thanks to the swanwing doors on the Rapide S which open really wide making it easy to get in and out.
So when it comes to exterior aesthetics and spacious interior luxury the Rapide S ticks all the boxes but the real joy of this car lurks under the bonnet in the form of a mighty 6-litre AM29 V12 engine which has 552bhp, an increase of 18 per cent on the first generation Rapide and 630nm of torque so this car is clearly licenced to thrill.
Lavish interior.
And it doesn’t disappoint with the power put down to the rear wheels by an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox which is a vast improvement on other Aston gearboxes I have struggled with. It is exceptionally smooth with lightning quick changes and there are paddle-shifts if you want to up the ante and get a bit more involved. It really is great fun as you blast through the gears and roar from 0-100kmh in 4.2 seconds accompanied by the gorgeous note coming from that engine.
The joy of this car is that this thrilling experience can be shared with the people in the back and you can take them to a top speed of 326kmh if you really want to show them what this car can do.
I have to say that the Rapide S is a very refined yet gutsy piece of kit and does exactly what it says on the tin, delivering a true four-seater sports car.
The thing is that Aston will be slowly replacing all their cars over the next few years as they begin an important new era which the DB11 kicked off and there is talk of an all-electric version of the Rapide S in the next few years.
But for now this current model is an example of timeless beauty and breathtaking performance – just the thing for a secret agent and his family.
