Design Story

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Charged with creating the world's most beautiful four-door sports car, Aston Martin's Director of Design, Marek Reichman and his team focused on the essentials; proportion, surface and form.

'Beauty has always been a part of Aston Martin,' says Reichman, 'this is a very elegant car with a great stance, a very powerful muscular body, a great line, and all of the features you would expect from an Aston Martin. Above all, it has purity and simplicity'. Since the Rapide concept car was first shown in 2006, the intensive design development has focused on bringing true four-door practicality to the production model, ensuring all the while that its sports car qualities were not in any way compromised.

The Rapide is a prime demonstration of Aston Martin's meticulous treatment of materials and surfaces. For example, light is carefully modulated as it plays across the car's broad flanks to accentuate the curve of the bodywork and draw the eye from front to back. Aston Martin's design vocabulary has been honed through a combination of sculptural vision, technological prowess, craft skills and the use of advanced materials. As a result, the Rapide has a strong familial resemblance, despite the larger length and height. It is instantly recognisable as an Aston Martin, with a highly evocative silhouette.