What appears here are the first real pictures of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide, leaked from official sources. A couple of teasers have recently crept up but none as clear as these. Aston Martin could debut the Rapide at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show which kicks off during the first week of March. There isn't much new that can be seen on these shots that we haven't seen before. The dark glass roof is there, the shiny wheels, two tailpipes and side air intakes can all be easily spotted.
Just to recap, the Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door coupe sedan/ saloon which can sit only four people. Its segment is fairly new in that it will compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Porsche Panamera and the upcoming Audi A7. If BMW and Lamborghini do eventually turn concept to metal we will add the CS and Estoque respectively to that growing list. Power sources are not yet known but the new 4.7-litre V8 that powers the V8 Vantage 420 is a strong candidate for the job. It produces 420hp (313kW) and 470Nm.
Manufacturing of the Rapide begins later this year and will peak at 2,000 units a year. The first customer deliveries are expected in early 2010.
[UPDATE 02.03.2009] Special thanks to NetCarShow.com for the hi-res images.
