Concept Aston Martin Rapide : 2006
Concept Aston Martin Rapide Design:
Underpinning the Rapide concept is Aston Martin's VH architecture, developed to offer exceptional manufacturing flexibility. This high-strength, low-mass architecture forms the backbone of the current generation of Aston Martins, spearheaded by the DB9 Coupe and flanked by the DB9 Volante and the Vantage. The extruded aluminium construction of the VH architecture can be modified in both length and width, providing a myriad of packaging options, and the chemically-bonded structure (using glues derived from aircraft manufacture) is mated with bodywork that mixes aluminium and composite materials. The architecture’s flexibility is further demonstrated by its use in the DBR9 racing car, where it is combined with carbon-fibre composite body panels to produce a modern race car of rare beauty. Aston Martin’s traditional hand-finishing, craft skills and attention to detail operate side by side on the ultra-modern production line at Gaydon in Warwickshire. The VH architecture is at the heart of this manufacturing operation, its modular structure providing such inherent rigidity that it has given the company’s designers and engineers the same levels of freedom as their predecessors, 50 years before. In today’s marketplace, even low volume manufacturers like Aston Martin are governed by strict legislation and the need to balance power, weight distribution, handling and safety. Utilising the VH architecture as the foundation for the new Rapide concept, Aston Martin has illustrated how their current range might be expanded, a four-door coupé that complements the formidable DB9 2+2, DB9 Volante and the compact and muscular Vantage.
End of Concept Aston Martin Rapide review.