The long awaited four-door Aston Martin Rapide has been spotted, completely undisguised, outside the company's headquarters in Gaydon, England. Previous prototypes were last spotted on the frozen lakes of Sweden for winter testing, and since then Aston Martin has released two official images of the car - albeit computer generated renderings of it.
Inside, the Rapide will be almost identical to the DB9 but will differ thanks to more generous rear seats, headrest mounted LCD monitors, and a panoramic glass sunroof.
Under the hood will likely be a 500hp (373kW) V12 engine in a range-topping model and a less powerful V8 unit in a base version. RWD and a six-speed automatic are likely to be the only drivetrain options.
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.
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 Martin.
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