Is the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S James Bond’s Retirement Ride? [Quick Pics Review]

The 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S is a grown-up car, but is it worth $203,000?
The 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S is a grown-up car, but is it worth $203,000?

With its four-door layout and bespoke executive sedan persona, the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S befits our theory as James Bond’s retirement ride.  With a starting MSRP of more than $203,000.00, though, will the Rapide be exposed in this Quick Pics review as having an expected level of exclusivity, or does it not quite add up to the sum of its parts?

Either way, the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S is a looker – its new-for-2015 decklid shape, updated wheel design, and exclusive Divine Red exterior color blend to create a work of automotive art.  The rear doors are neatly integrated into the Rapide’s coupe-like profile.

The 6.0-L V-12 under the hood, boasting 552 HP, certainly helps matters of exclusivity as well.  Paired this year with a new ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and revised Bosch engine management software, the mellifluous 12-pot offers gobs of torque, revving quickly and smoothly all the way from idle to redline.

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Chassis improvements were also bestowed on the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S, including revised front and rear spring rates and larger front brake rotors.  It all adds up to a vehicle which feels dynamically capable, although not quite superior.

Still, if exclusivity and tailored, bespoke features are your bag, the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S should suit perfectly.  It’s a luxurious and capable four-door saloon which we feel Bond would be quite happy driving into his retirement years, should they ever actually arrive.

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