Affordable Dream Car: Why The Aston Martin Rapide S is AutoTrader's Biggest Temptation
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Today on the channel, I finally get to drive the mighty 6.0L V12 Aston Martin Rapide S. Having waited over two years to get a go, is it really worth it and what is the drawback?
#AstonMartin #Rapide #V12
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Saw one of these on the road recently This era of Aston design was the pinnacle I don’t think it looks aged at all, truly timeless
The Callum years. They drew some great looking cars under him.
I was tempted to put a private plate on as I keep getting told they can’t believe it is 10 years old. The shape is timeless.
@@andrewstevenson9747 wow you own one? Cheers! Do you have the pre-facelift model?
My ONLY complaint was the enlarged grille. But there is no expiration date on sleek. The real pity is that the back seat isn't really useable. But she's a looker.
My Dad owns a rapide (not the S). We wouldn't trade it for anything. Stunning looks, beautiful interior, amazing speed, incredible quality and surprisingly practical. Being able to fit four people in it, a dog and luggage for a week is unbelievable in a car such as this.
What is the average fuel consumption please?
@@sumi7366Want to know too
Is about 40 mpg. Downhill, in neutral. Jokes apart, what a machine, that sound... many many smiles per gallon.
@@sumi7366Aston says it'll do about 20mpg... but I bet you could very easily halve that number, with a little bit of enthusiastic driving.
I own a Rapide also and it's an incredible car, Surprisingly reliable and easy to maintain provided you find a good mechanic not named the dealer.
I love my rapide S. Had it for almost 4 years now. Think of it this way, i have a bmw 640i F12. And i bring my two kids around in that car. There are times when i think "how nice would it be if there are two tiny doors behind for my kids to go in and out without me stepping out of my car folding the front seats - and this is how the rapide was envisioned. Its a realiable car but every owner must cut away the stage 1 catalytic converters as the ceramic linings will deteriorate and ceramic gets ingested into the exhaust chamber due to overlapping intake and exhaust valves (this car doesnt have exhaust gas recirculation). That happened to my car and had a series of misfires and zerp compression combustion chambers until we found the issue. And today, i got a call informing me my car is done and tmrw im gonna pick it up. Love the car, wouldnt sell it. How the car drives? Well theres a road up north about 200km from where i stay, a highway coming down the mountains where i can probably only do 160kmh in my RS6 while the entire car is already squatting on its right outer wheels with even in the sportiest setting, the rapide s can do the same turn at 180kmh flat. Its a sports car chassis underneath with its torque tube and transaxle layout, versus the RS6's passenger car fundamentals with a godzilla of an engine in front. The rapide feels special. And then theres the sound. That aston V12 sound that is beautiful, masculine, grunty. It doesnt sound as good as ferrari v12s from 4500rpm onwards, but anything below, from the get go, aston's V12 sounded way better
Great words, well said, when you know you know, we love our Rapide and do not intend to sell, was driving down a road last night with the exhaust switch on and in sport mode. Glorious. The Rapide’s make such a fab noise, and the cold start annoys the neighbours too 😂
Bobby, agree completely about the car, I had my '15 8spd for a year now, 4K thoroughly enjoyable miles and the sound is just to die for. I honestly never use the B&O stereo and always drive with windows at least partially open, even in the death of winter! Suffice it say that I have a huge grin on my face ANTICIPATING the drive, let alone seeing the car or actually driving it. I have to agree with James that the car does somewhat lack steering feel, which I found disappointing. But for me this car is all about the sound, driving it in manual mode and just accelerating and decelerating just to hear the noise. And of course, the ability to bring kids along with their own doors and seats is just like having cake and eating it too. Regarding the catalytic converter, I was concerned about that as well, however, my dealer correctly advised me not to worry about it and instead ensure that I NEVER turn the car off while it's cold. So, I just never shut the car off until the coolant gauge points straight at 9 o'clock and I think I will be okay. My motor sports mechanic said he does the same with his race cars. It's a little annoying having to go short distances in the winter, but I have workarounds. Hope this helps!
Hi @Bobby ! Nice to see you here 😊
@@aaronmuir8082 p
There is no one making videos like James right now. It's like he has a crystal ball, telling him exactly what car you're thinking of and then boom a video drops. He belongs in the goat category of motoring journalists along with the likes of harry metcalfe , henry catchpole, chris harris and the OG top gear trio.
Yeah there are.
`He understands trends and the current craze of fetishising modern classics, no matter how compromised they are. He's not a "goat" by any means, but his coverage and productivity is mightily impressive.
'Goat' The cringe term of the century. What exactly IS your major malfunction?
Outdated top gear style of presenting. Constantly contradicts himself. Can’t drive a car so can’t take his opinion seriously. Chris Harris can peddle a car so when tells you what a car is like to drive you 100% believe him.
Don’t be daft we’ve all seen him drive cars, I also assumed that in JM’s case GOAT meant Greatest Of All Tummies, Rapides are not very flattering for the fuller figured amongst us (includes me)
This era of Aston Martin cars were so beautiful. I think they really stood out against competitors and have aged like fine wine.
I passed one on the motorway once. It wasn't until I came alongside it that I realised what it was. Absolutely stunning profile. Immediate object of desire.
I like that James is a truly independent journalist not having to trade his integrity to get the latest model. You can trust his presentation. Well done James
I saw one of these in Australia WAAAAAAY before they were supposed to have come out over there - I was STUNNED to see this, my cabbie was wondering why I was standing there looking at this car parked outside the post office while his meter was running (I'd just ducked in to pick up a package on the way to work). I was surprised at how big she was - they absolutely nailed it with the styling (as they did with everything in this golden era for Aston).
This is the video I've been waiting for. I absoluitely adore that car. Thanks Jay
I have always loved the look of these. Great review, as always, James. Great sound…and great color on this one!
The Rapide is probably the best looking luxury four door saloon ever.
Yes, but also best sounding!
Even in grey an Aston Rapide is an object of desire. This guy I knew used to own one and ran it as his daily. Looks absolutely stunning. Ended up selling it after the (admittedly aftermarket) exhaust - fitted by the first owner who ran away from the workshop for refusing to pay for the labour fee for said exhaust - suddenly let loose when he was driving at considerable speed. I am not joking, the exhaust just went adios on the motorway.
😂😂😂
This is the best sounding Aston Martin ever heard on way to work some years ago and the driver really floored it... Cool video!
Holy crap!! 😂 I never thought an Aston's exhaust note would be drowned out, but James, you have done it! That shirt is an absolute corker!! 😂 I think that is the loudest shirt I've seen you in as yet over the 3yrs or so that I have been following your channel, well bloody done! I'll also add that I absolutely love the Rapide S, I never really knew much about it until Hoovie bought one and lived with it, which totally won me over....coming from a guy who is a lifelong avid fan of the V550, I feel that is quite a feat.
As previous 2010 Rapide owner, I loved my Rapide. I think the Rapide S looks gorgeous. Yes, it’s a beautiful car and fun to drive. Your review captured the charisma and value the Rapide S provides. Thanks for spreading the word about this fabulous car!
Always remember the first time I saw this parked at Heathrow Airport as a teenager, the first car I ever fell in love with. Few more years and I'll finally have it!
Thanks J, always good to see an Aston! 🙏🙏
Gorgeous motor & love the rarity of it , Great Video as always James !!!
Great review! Keep reviewing these cars, including Rapide S 8spd and the new versions with the updated center stack. The car takes some time to figure out where it might fit in one's garage.
100% agree about the old Vantage being a timeless stunner and one of the best looking cars ever. The Rapide itself looks great from many angles and the compromises in interior space and running costs are worthwhile, particularly when it's a £30-40k car!
sat in a vantage and it was like looking through slits in a tank
I’d have one in a heartbeat. I think they look glorious. Rarely seen in Melbourne Australia, but the odd one I see, I can’t help but stare, and think, thank you Aston Martin for building these.
I have been waiting for this review, thanks. 😊
Drove a Rapide S. Most underrated Aston of all. Brilliant car.
The effort you put into synchronizing audio throughout every camera perspective (editing) adds a great deal of professionalism to this video.
Thankyou - glad you notice it :)
That color is spectacular and the car looks amazing on that road in the sun! Very cool
Congratulations JayEmm another great review.You have hit the mark again.
fantastic videography, btw! Really nice touches!
Great video, James. Glad you finally got to review one. In reality they are compromised, but still very special cars.
Yep, agreed
Always loved these so imposing
Thanks Jay and most importantly John. Cheers🍺
The commenter Jay is very erudite and has a great command of both the Kings and Queens english. Very concise, languid and to the point. Says exactly what he thinks. I subscribed for more good stuff. 😆
There's plenty of videos in the back catalogue, hope you enjoy them!
I worked on many of those when they were new. If they're well taken care of, they're actually really good cars, and they like to be used. I did have a customer that did use his as a family car. He had matching Sparco Kiddie Seats too. The Rapide S is the one you really want but you will pay more for it.
An honest and realistic review . Thanks
We won’t ever sell our Rapide. Sits next to a 612 in the garage as they simply won’t be making cars like this any more
Another great car story/review 👍
Drove one of these back in November, a gorgeous grey-beige metallic S. The interior felt like an expensive handbag, never felt thicker and smoother leather in my life. Oh, and the sound was insane. Much more compact in person than I expected too.
The leather is so good I thought it was vinyl for a long time because it looked uniform and flawless as if it was manufactured. But no, Aston uses cow hides from cows pasturing in the highlands of Scotland without barb wires or mosquitoes.
Jaguar & Aston Martin forever ♥️
This is my absolute favourite car - I absolutely love the looks, and you still get the engine and style of an aston with the added practicality of the bigger boot and rear seats..whats not to love!?
Your presentation is brilliant, very watchable
The 8-speed changes everything. The 2016 and 2017 model years are the best: 8-speed AND brand new center console from the Vanquish.
Agreed, although I go back and forth on the new center stack (mine is 2015). I do wish the main controller was higher as in the Vanquish or the 2016+ Rapide, but I do like the fact that I can keep the screen folded and still use all the other functionality. Ultimately, for me the car is all about the sound, so I mostly ignore all other features...Manually shifting at redline, accelerating and decelerating just to hear that exhaust note, that puts a huge grin on my face. No center stack would ever give me this much joy
The 8 speed is a revelation. Better, faster more powerful than the DB9 which never had the AM29 engine or ZF 8 speed. Couple this with the new dash and its a 203 mph supercar with the best V12 Nat Asp engine Aston ever fitted to a car. This was the car the Rapide should always have been but sadly very few were made for the UK. The rest (bulk of them) all fall way short and feature heavily in KZhead reviews. Talk to people who work at Gaydon Aston that really know these cars and you will see how much respect this version of the Rapide S commands.
@@philbaines5893 Agreed. I rented a Rapide for a week before buying a Rapide S 8spd without a test drive. It met my high expectations with the exception of steering feel that Jay complained about as well. My 2014 Caddy CTS Vsport has better steering feel and that is even electric. So, I use the Rapide primarily for aural pleasure, looking for drives with tunnels, overpasses, high walls as well as opportunities to accelerate and decelerate just to hear that sound. I never use B&O stereo. But I do still have to figure out how to use the car on highways because lack of steering feel does make steady cruising a little bit boring. I find myself just driving in manual mode (gear 3 or 4) and just oscillating between 3K-4K revs with windows down. But I generally opt to drive the Caddy on the highway due to aforementioned steering feel. Maybe I need to try Michelins on the Rapide. Oh, and I never opt for the Rapide in the rain...just because I can't drive with windows down which for me is a must.
@@sidelnierealise this was 9 months ago but wondering what tyres you run? Mine (just purchased) is currently fitted with mid range tyres which I plan to upgrade and have been advised by Bamford Rose that Michelin PS4s are the best tyre for Rapide.
@@PakdbyCellpak I bought OEM Bridgestones last year cause they were on a major sale…next time I will get Michelin Pilot Sport 4S/5S. I expect more road feel from the Michelins which are somewhat lacking from Bridgestones
I love fact that it doesn't have all the repetitive and artificial cracks and pops from the exhaust, over and over again. Lovely car and a great review as always!
Great review. I have wanted one of these on and off over the last 10 years. The need for a family car with more space has stopped a purchase, but still think they look fabulous. A bit disappointed with your comments on steering and ride quality, but would still buy if a good deal came along whilst the wife is away😅
Personally, I still think the DBS of that generation is the best looking car of all time, Astons have always been beautiful but that particular era was the peak
Very nice! Interesting comments around some being reliable and others being lemons, and then you immediately mentioned DB9 and DBS' - are they similar? I'm looking at DBS' as a possible next car ❤
Really good vid, thank you
Superb video on a very beautiful car❤.... buy one . Immediately 😊
The early ones were screwed together by Magna Steyr in Austria and I've heard it said they're the best built Astons of the era. That may have changed after the production was brought back to the UK. Edit: I wrote that before James mentioned it.
Glad I don't have the s version then 🤣
I didn't even noticed that he did say that; this is why I commented pretty much the same you did say.
Love this red colour Aston has. Would love it more if it came with panoramic roof. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
Funny story about panoramic rooves on the rapide actually. In the original concept car, which I have seen up close in real life, they originally had an electro-chromatic panoramic roof, so you could make it opaque or transparent at the click of a button. However, during testing for the actual car, everytime it would exceed 5mph, the whole thing would shatter and they never got it working so they ultimately gave up. However, at special request, they did make one customer car with it, but that had the same issue from when they were testing it so...
Back in the day, I bought a Ferrari California instead of a Rapide.......And every time I see a Rapide, I regret it!
Lovely sound and the pop up tweeter is very cool 👌🏼
pop up tweeter is unfortunately useless because you never want to miss that sound. That's what this car is all about...enjoying that sound ALL of the time.
That’s got to be the best 32 seconds intro to any u tube glued straightaway
Great review! I have been wanting this car since I brought my Maserati Ghibli in 2017, when the dealer (who was a Aston dealer also) had a return lease one sitting there on the showroom. It would have been double the money and I was not going to try that with the wife. I been looking for the past year to get one ( I think I can afford it now 😒 )for my Sunday church car only. I can only find 2016 and lower in the US, but nothing above that. I found a AMR version, but they wanted $189,000 still.
This car is a bit counter-intuitive...It's not too fast which is good...The slower it is the more you can enjoy that V12 sound... Think about it...If you love sound of exotic cars, do you want to enjoy it for, say, 2 seconds while accelerating or 4 seconds? See, the slower, the better! Jay Leno says he likes older, slower cars because he likes watching the tach...The Rapide is a perfect application for this kind of enjoyment. Nothing with turbos or battery can compete. It's just a completely different kind of old school driving enjoyment.
They really do sound absolutely monstrous. A guy dialled one up across the intersection from me years ago and you could feel it through the bloody pavement. 🤣
Stratstones of Amersham (sadly no more) invited me to test drive one as soon as it came in. It was 💯 Aston. The sales man came with me and I asked him to drive on the way back, so that I could try out the rear. It was snug-ish in the back, I’m 6ft, but, weirdest of all, it felt like wearing clown shoes with all that body flapping around in front 😄 it wasn’t bad, it just really felt as though you were sitting so far behind the front-rear pivot point, whatever that’s called 😀
I got tempted by a “high mileage” one of these 76k miles full history just 24k !
splendid car. highly underappreciated.
There is a Gun metal grey one that roars around Wellington, NZ - some guys Daily. It's such a Gorgeous car.
Former owner from new. A fair and well balanced summary. Just to note that the later model (2014-) with the ZF 8 speed Touchtronic 3 gearbox is probably the one to go for in my opinion. I found the ZF 6 speed clunky around town and too slow to change gear, the 8 speed much more responsive and the power boost was also noticeable.
QUESTION: How would a Rapide compare with the equivalent Bentley for reliability?
I've not owned the Bentley but assume some parts would be lower cost due to the Volks Audi Group shared platform. As for the Rapide, ancilleries such as engine oil, brake pads certainly aren't cheap. Equally, I'd be cautious about the electronics - faulty sensors and wiring (which are hard to diagnose), and the central entertainment console as some just never work properly. I'd probably opt for a warranty extension or buy from a Timeless dealer if I was getting another one. The engine is an absolute peach though.
What year Rapid did you own? ZF6 so 2010+
Was the Tiptronic 3 ZF 8 speed. MY 2015 Rapide S if I recall. Less clunky and faster shifts than the previous ZF 6. It suited the car very well though nothing awful with the 6 speed either. Just a bit lurchy in full auto at low speeds.
@@markantonio1673I hear you.
Not sure if this is the biggest temptation or a Bentley Mulsanne which are in the low 50s. Jay can you please do a review on the Mulsanne? DBS owner here, I think the biggest problem is the rear leg room, and the rear transmission for weight distribution causing the trans tunnel to be huge and tall. If they could fix that and possibly add AWD in a rapide remake I think theyll sell a bunch plus a DB12 interior
I would agree, however instead Aston is offering the 2025 DBX707 with your current wishlist.
Aston Martin is my 2nd favorite car after the Jaguar XKR. They are the most beautifully designed cars!
"Granted the early DB9 itself has begun to age a little bit" - _Shows a picture of automotive perfection that looks as fresh as a daisy._
Even if I'm from Italy, Aston Martin( especially DB 9, Rapide and Vantage( but only the first series) are the best cars in the world!!!! As for cars ( and music) you English are teachers, there' no doubt! Greeetings by Saverio from Cisternino( Brindisi), Puglia( in the south of Italy).
Absolutely overjoyed that you finally got around to the Rapide... Thank you so much
... and another great shirt...
I love James's strange, sing-song, almost patronising tone of voice as he carefully explains what appears to be painfully obvious. He sort of goes up and down the register as he speaks. It's oddly fascinating.
It was going great guns until the mention of the FF at the end. Possibly the best car i have ever seen you review.
This has been my dream saloon since they came out. Midnight blue with a cream interior!
This is why i Love this channel. Its such great content petrolheads love to watch, its pure left brain right brain thinking.
Well, it sounds magnificent, in my view looks magnificent and is built by the world's most charismatic car maker.
7:44 The 8spd ZF auto is a great box, it is also available in various Dodge pickups.
The smoothest car I have ever driven. Have a mate with a rapide s, just sent you the vid.
I own a 2010 Rapide and it´s my favourite car to drive. No other sedan has all the qualities of this model, such as confort, beauty, ridiculous exaust noise( better than a DBS), exclusivity and elegance.
I would love to have the set, Vantage, DB and Rapide, all of the era/shape, sitting in my garage.
My all time favourite aston martin👍 Infact my lottery win trio would be an aston martin rapide S, a porsche 928 gts And the latest range rover.
Great choices 👌
First Love this channel!
Having owned and enjoyed two Aston Martins all I can say is that as James had said you can get a good one or a money pit, my first one was great with few issues, but the Vantage was a disaster, there was always something that required expensive attention. Good luck to any potential buyers.
What Vantage did you have if I may ask?
@@radekpasecny4538 It was a 4.7 V8 manual, and that was the problem, it had done 28k , at 37K the clutch started slipping and cost over £3K to replace it failed just outside the dealers warranty and they offered no help. Other issues were electical, both rear lights had to be replaced under warranty. Like any modern car full of electronics owning one without a good warranty is not a good idea.
@@Barbarapape oh wow... I was expecting the 7 speed Sportshift... Hmmm it is my dream car and I was hoping I'm gonna get it one day... But I see for the similar price BMW M2 or something like that is gonna be more reasonable choice...
@@radekpasecny4538 I made a big mistake buying the manual, when an independent Aston specialist replaced the entire clutch he said that the manual gearbox was a common source of issues, soon after I sold the car before it took another chunk out of my.savings.
In terms of design it’s my favorite 4 door car
Bought one a year ago and absolutely love it!
Same here! A 2015 S in Volcano Red. One tip to make the car last: Never shut it off until coolant reaches operating temperature. This in the long run can unfortunately cause catastrophic engine damage.
Very good content.
The only one I ever saw was in the VIP parking area at Circuit of the Americas, the Formula 1 track in Austin, Texas. According to the VIP credential sticker in the window it belonged to the owner of Circuit of the Americas. The license plate: AUS F1
The fact it's longer than an M6 grand sport is amazing 🤷🏼
I have a Rapide S with the 8 speed ZF, and a similar age, similar mileage VW T5 California. Guess which one has cost me more to service? Yep, the VW!
Im going to admit when these first came out i really didn't like them, i always thought the design was always flawed,, but if you can find an AMR version with all the extra carbon parts, you've got yourself a great looking car.
Always thought these were kinda cool I think if they'd gone for more of a shooting brake design it would have been better
Ok my love for this car /two cents/pennies.. lucky enough to have had a few modern cars including a great ferrari gtc4lusso and vanquish s db11 etc.. fav car that is a keeper; is our beloved rapide s in meteorite. Alpina b5 touring for daily. Older cars for fun in the country. Children and wife agree. Slightly Sensible, classy and something different you cant put your finger on. Magic
Superb colour that.
You have to buy it, so I can watch a large number of videos about it. It is gorgeous!
She’s my dream car, best in combination with a Boxster ❤️
Hello. Will you adjust my catheter?
The last of the 70's Lagondas came off the production line at Newport Pagnell in 1989
I would love to see auto trader search correlation stats on whenever J releases a new video and
One of us can remember the early 1960s Lagonda Rapide, which was related to the DB4/5. This one is so much prettier and has such a wonderful engine. Oh yes please!
Amazing. I wish there were a better way to show the scale of this thing
Nice looking car then and now...sounds great too..veeeeeeee12
I mean the only way to enjoy this car is with windows cracked open and tranny in manual mode (no upshifting past gear 3). That's the formula for maximum enjoyment for urban setting and backroads....On the highway, best thing is just to close the windows, pop it in D, and turn up the Bang and Olufsen stereo.
Nice and I would also like to see you review non SUV family cars please that is a lift back and not a hatchback or booted saloon and thank you.
Nah.
It is my dream car! ❤❤
Get one James!
It is on my list.
Timeless classic. I pretend im driving a Rapide when im sat in my Firenze red Jaguar XE 😅
I owned a lovely Rapide S. The S part of the badge fell off or was nicked and that cost over 100 quid to replace. Overall it was lovely to look at, drive and hear but one day all my electrics failed catastrophically at the pump of one of the most frequented petrol stations in my city. and it would not move. It remained stuck there for over 3 hours until the Aston rapid deployment service team were able to travel from a neighboring city. Turns out the battery was under the rear seat and that was not accessible because the rear doors could not be opened. An embarrassing, potentially dangerous situation. So, folks be warned, if there are any electric issues, whatsoever, do yourself a massive favor and stay well away.