This is the “last hurrah” for Aston Martin’s 6.0-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine, and for the petrol-powered Rapide, says Alex Goy in The Daily Telegraph. On the newest iteration, the engine has been given a “power boost”, meaning it can now achieve a “staggering” 595bhp and 465lb ft of torque. “In a hurry, with a raucous V12 at full chat, the car surges forward at a pace so brisk your breath takes a break en route to your lungs.” Thankfully, the Rapide AMR is also “immensely grippy”, says Goy. “All of its power meets the road via the rear wheels, and unless you turn the traction control fully off and nail the throttle, it manages to keep traction and fire you off into the distance with glee.”
Aston’s naturally aspirated V12 will always be one of the best-sounding engines on planet Earth, says Jake Groves in Car, so when it’s piped through a stainless-steel, quad-pipe sports exhaust system, the “aural delights are biblical”. It might drink petrol “at a similar rate to a cargo ship burning bunker fuel while sat in the docks” says Stuart Gallagher on Evo, but not a single drop of super-unleaded is wasted in the creation of its soundtrack and forward momentum.
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Visually, the Rapide’s svelte look has also been worked over, says Gallagher. This model comes with a new carbon fibre bonnet with additional cooling vents for the V12, a front spoiler, rear diffuser and side sills, and a lip spoiler for the boot. Unfortunately, there’s still not a lot of space in the back: “if you have been blessed with the gift of a head and/or are more than four feet tall, this will be a no-go zone”, says Groves. Overall, “it’s big, has the outward visibility of a submarine and is a bit OTT”. However, “this old dog still has some new tricks to show the sniggering, digital-obsessed, emissions-regulated millennial sports cars out there”.
Price: £194,950 Engine: 5,935cc V12 Power: 595bhp at 7,000rpm Torque: 465lb ft Top speed: 205mph 0-62mph: 4.8 seconds
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek
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