Frankfurt 2009: Aston Martin Rapide comes good - finally

The production version of the 4-door Aston Martin Rapide concept unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show certainly has the looks department locked down. A few concessions have been made in the three-year run to production readiness, including bigger side-view mirrors and a less tapered roofline to offer more interior space – especially for the rear passengers.

But those few details – which promise to make the car more usable and, dare we say, practical – hardly detract from the car's beauty. But don't take our word for it.

Aston Martin One-77: The 2nd most expensive car in the world proves its worth it

£1.25 million. That's Brit-speak for $1,800,000, give or take. A staggering amount of money. More than a Bugatti Veyron, more than a Lamborghini Reventón. Quite simply the most expensive new car, well, ever. Er, well, it would have been if not for the $2.2 million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. And for what? Before last night, we would have said nearly two million smackeroos gets you a widened DB9 with a large 7.3-liter V-12. Yes, there will be only seventy-seven hand built Aston Martin One-77s made, but so what? That's just way too much lucre, filthy or otherwise.

As for power, Aston Martin was a little light on details, but here's what we got out of them. The engine was just dyno'd in England at 740 crank horsepower. That's not the official number, as final tuning hasn't happened, but for a naturally aspirated mill, yowza. As for torque, we couldn't get a straight answer besides the usual British "adequate" refrain, but we did sneak a peak at some documentation sitting off in a corner and it said 553 lb-ft of the stuff. That's as much as a VW twin-turbo TDI V10 – the same motor Clarkson used to tow a 747. Keep in mind that this document stated the horsepower at 700, not the 740 hp they just spun on the dyno. For comparison's sake, the 6.5-liter V12 in the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVelocemakes "just" 487 lb-ft of twist. And the ragingist of all bulls hits 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. Translation: the One-77 is going to be a monster.

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REPORT: No Aston Martin SUV...for now

Aston Martin has grown accustomed to success. Since the DB7, its sports cars have only gotten better, while on the track the British automaker continues to rack up trophies. The Lagonda SUV concept which the company unveiled this past March in Geneva, however, was another story. The awkwardly-shaped crossover got a cold reception at its unveiling, and Aston pulled it off the show stand before the public even got there. Now reports indicate that the entire project has been put on hold.

Chief executive Ulrich Bez reportedly proclaims that the decision to axe the Lagonda venture was purely financial. And in this economic climate, that's a reasonable claim. But other sources suggest that the automotive media's reaction to the concept dictated its demise. Will Aston give it another shot? Aston Martin Lagonda chairman David Richards reportedly wants to get a new concept on the stands before the end of the year. We wouldn't be surprised if he gets his way.

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Car Porn: 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante Photo Gallery

A new gallery of the Aston Martin DBS Volante has made its way online. We have added the new images for your enjoyment, so check them out below.

The new DBS features a 6.0-litre V12 engine with 501-horsepower and 420lb-ft of torque. There is a 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 191mph. The engine is connected to a 6-speed gearbox in auto or manual form. Expect the roof to drop in 14 seconds.

Carlyle Motor Club is the only leasing company in the US to offer the Aston Martin DBS (non-Volante) for NO CREDIT CHECK leasing. Please call us for details and pricing. (888) 804-7852