161114 Aston Martin RapideS 01 ywju
Feann Torr21 Mar 2017
NEWS

Aston Martin Rapide axed

The world's fastest four-door sports car will soldier on as an electric vehicle only

In a sign of the times, premium sports car company Aston Martin has signed the death warrant for its petrol-powered Rapide sports sedan, which will be replaced by an EV.

The confirmation same from Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer, who told motoring.com.au "The Rapide as a car by itself disappears, [but] the four-door market is covered in a different way."

The V12-powered cruise missile will be directly replaced by an electric-only powertrain in 2018, dubbed the RapidE, and indirectly by the DBX crossover and Lagonda luxury sedan.

"So obviously there's a platform for the electric Rapide, so it has life in front of it, but the Rapide as you see it today is also going to be replaced by the DBX on one hand and the Lagonda on the other," said Palmer.

161114 Aston Martin RapideS 29 3t7k

First launched back in 2010, the Rapide is the world's fastest four-door vehicle, and the new Rapide AMR version will be capable of 338km/h thanks to its thumping 6.0-litre 440kW V12.

But that vehicle's beefy V12, it seems, doesn't measure up for future emissions regulations and will be replaced by the DBX and Lagonda vehicles from 2020.

And the RapidE?

"It's coming 2018. It's around the corner," said the Aston CEO.

That vehicle is expected to develop a neck-snapping 600kW or 800hp from its electric motors to give the Tesla Model S something to think about. The company has not divulged official figures but the battery-powered Aston Martin is tipped to have a cruising range of around 320km, depending on driving style.

The engineering behind the electric powertrain is being handled by Williams Advanced Engineering, which is affiliated with the Williams Formula 1 team, and development costs are being partly shouldered by ChinaEquity, one of the largest private merchant banks in what is the world's largest new car market today.

Aston Martin RapidE concept

Aston is expecting to make big inroads in China with this vehicle and the upcoming DBX crossover.

"We don't have any diesel but diesels are definitely persona non grata these days. The next thing you will see is that some cities demand you have an electric car on certain days," said Palmer.

"And remember Rapide is originally a nameplate of Lagonda," he said, confirming we'll see more Lagonda models in the mid-term future, expected from around 2020.

The axing of Aston Martin's biggest, heaviest and most accommodating vehicle will give the likes of the newd Porsche Panamera and upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT four-door sports cars more room to move, and Palmer concurred there will be crestfallen customers who will miss the Rapide.

"But hopefully they like their Lagonda, or they can go for the DBX, so we're giving them more choice," he said.

Aston Martin is one of the first car-makers to kill off a petrol-powered vehicle in favour of an electric one, but you can bet your bottom dollar it won't be the last to do so.

Aston Martin car production calendar:
2017: Aston Martin Vantage AMR Pro
2017: Aston Martin Rapide AMR
2017: Aston Martin Vantage AMR, V8/V12
2017: Aston Martin DB4 GT "continuation" vintage car
2018: Aston Martin RapidE
2018: Aston Martin Vantage
2018: Aston Martin DB11 Volante
2019: Aston Martin Vanquish
2020: Aston Martin DBX
2020: New Lagonda sedan
2021: Aston Martin mid-engine hypercar

Share this article
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.