As the eagerly awaited Aston Martin Rapide four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in quarter one 2010, Aston Martin confirms UK pricing.
The price of the Rapide will start from £139,950 in the UK which features an impressive level of standard specification including: Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for Rapide, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.
The Rapide is Aston Martin’s first production four-door sports car encapsulating the practicality of a car with extra doors and fusing it with the trademark sports car dynamics synonymous with modern Aston Martins.
Customer deliveries will commence at the beginning of quarter two 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant in Graz, Austria. The new 17,000 m2 building has been designed to reflect the quality levels established in Gaydon since 2003 permitting the fusion of modern technology, advanced manufacturing processes and hand-built craftsmanship. Each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build and will benefit from timeless craft skills just like the existing range; DBS, DB9, V12 and V8 Vantage do at Gaydon.
It is anticipated that +/- 2000 Rapides will be built in the first year attracting a high proportion of new customers to the brand. Core to this trend is the mix of huge attention to detail throughout the car, ample accommodation for up to four adults and the spacious boot (317 litres with seats up, and 886 litres with seats down) while maintaining Rapide’s elegant beauty and sports car profile.
The Rapide is on sale now available to order from the Aston Martin dealership network around the world.
So, you have just got enough money to buy the car of your dreams, your mind is racing with choice and the thought of driving the car you choose. But and it’s a big but you must assess correctly what you want from your super car and how you will be using it. It can also get very tempting to stray over budget and get the next car up the automotive food chain. Stick to your budget and take into account the extras, some cars come with many extras as standard and don’t really offer a list. Others will come in a very basic state, your 200mph canvas will be ready to be painted with the very expensive glossy list in your hands.
Do some research on the company that you want to buy from. Look at how they are rated on customer service, after sales repairs, and general tone of voice. Some companies rely on making money out of their customers after they have brought the cars, they can charge massive amounts for servicing and maintenance. A recent study showed that your super car can cost you between £3500 a year to £100,000 (Bugatti Veyron) a year. Your super car will never be cheap, you already know this but over expensive tires and oil changes will just piss you off and deter you from driving it as a day to day car. Track days are quite cheep at about £150 and could be the best way to test drive what you have got your eye on.
Choosing the correct super car for your needs is paramount. Some cars are designed for strict track use and others for touring. There are in fact massive differences between most super cars, research will be paramount. Pay particular attention to the ride quality, some cars have a great set up which is perfect for track use and also deliver great ride quality. There has never been a selection of 200mph cars this vast before, it can be easy to over look companies like Noble, Ultima, Spyker and tuning companies which offer real performance for your money. Sticking to Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche might help you sleep at night but it won’t give you exclusivity.
Have a look at how much the cars will depreciate by, if there are no used examples available look at other models and how they have depreciated. Look at the amount being built, if there is no limit to the production then this could effect the second hand costs as there will be many for punters to choose from. Truly exclusive super cars or hyper cars often go for around a million pounds so don’t become disappointed when you realize your 150k cannot buy you what ever you choose. Ferrari (458 Italia) and McLaren (MP4-12C) recently released new super cars both priced at 150k but the actual price that people will be paying will be closer to 200k after “bits and bobs”.
So after doing all of the above, what do you do? You join a super car hire club. This could save you thousands and you can choose between a selection of 20 plus cars worth between 50k – 700k depending on where you go. So choose carefully and don’t rush. Not that you would…
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