The long awaited four-door Aston Martin Rapide has been spotted, almost completely undisguised, turning laps on Germany’s legendary Nurburgring. Positioned to compete against super-sedans like Porsche’s upcoming Panamera, Maserati’s Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz’s CLS pseudo-coupe, the Rapide is part of Aston Martin’s charge into higher-volume production.

Previous prototypes were last spotted on the frozen lakes of Sweden for winter testing, and somewhere in between its journey from Sweden to Germany the Rapide was given a full-length glass roof. While the rear lights in the shots captured by spy photographers are similar to the plain red ones found on the DB9, it is uncertain whether the production version will sport those or share the same clear taillights of the original concept version from the 2006 Detroit Auto Show.

Tough competition, several variants mean outsourced production
Other than this, the testing model remains faithful to the stunning concept and it looks like it’s shaping up to be one of the best looking four-doors on the planet. Porsche’s upcoming Panamera and the Mercedes CLS will have a tough time competing with the new Aston, which is expected to develop more than 370kW in some guises. A less powerful V8 model is expected to debut after the launch of the introductory V12 range-topper.

Unfortunately for purists, the Rapide will not be built at Aston’s traditional Gaydon plant in England - production of the four-door has been contracted to Magna Steyr who will build the vehicle at its Austrian plant. The move to outsourced production is intended to help Aston Martin cope with the huge demand for its products it has experienced in recent years.

Already the Gaydon plant is booked to its production capacity of 8,000 cars, so building the Rapide in sufficient volume to meet the market and compete with its main rivals in the segment will require the aid of a contractor. Magna Steyr was chosen because of its experience in building luxury cars for the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Some of the company’s most famous contract work includes the BMW X3 SUV and Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4MATIC. Magna Steyr officials are now at work on establishing a dedicated production line for the new Rapide at the Austrian plant.

Super-sedan scheduled for 2009 launch, price tag above $350,000
Production is expected to start in 2009 for the Rapide, giving it ample time to get into the market against the upcoming Panamera, although rivals like the CLS and Maserati Quattroporte already have a big head start over the new four-door Porsche and Aston.

Pricing for the Rapide should exceed that of the DB9, although by how much is unknown. Still, expect a price well above $350,000.

The company also has its Vantage V12 RS and DBS - most recently of Bond fame - for sale, although both models are targeted more directly at the extreme performance end of the market. The DBS is Aston Martin’s link from the road-going DB9 to its race-track only DB9R, offering a 6.0 litre V12 and race-bred handling in a luxury sports car package.

The Vantage V12 RS is still in development, having only been glimpsed under heavy camouflage during testing or in concept form, but already it’s expected to offer over 400kW and will target Ferrari’s 599GTB Fiorano as its main competition.

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