Future: Aston Martin Rapide Concept

Ulrich Bez has thrown down the gauntlet to his former employer Porsche with this gorgeous four door concept, the Aston Martin Rapide. The rakish Rapide takes aim at Porsche's planned front engine, V-8-powered Panamera four-door, due 2009. Because it's based on the versatile VH architecture that underpins the current DB9 and Vantage, it could beat its Stuttgart rival into production by at least a year.

Aston Martin is no stranger to four-door cars, having unveiled its first in 1927 and worked on an experimental four-door, the Atom, in the 1940s. Just over 630 of the striking, William Towns-designed Lagonda four-doors were built by Aston between 1978 and 1989, and the company later built a number of special bodied four-door V-8 and Virage models for wealthy customers such as the Sultan of Brunei.

My, You're Fast
6.0-liter V-12 from the DB9 has been uprated to 480 horses; brakes are carbon.

Hello, Gorgeous
Although obviously based on the svelte DB9, the Rapide's shapely silhouette is the work of new Aston design director Marek Reichmann, who started working on sketches of the car last summer. The Rapide is nearly a foot longer than the DB9, but just 1.6 inches taller and 308 pounds heavier.

Smart, Too
Bluetooth technology allows rear passengers to use sat nav.

A Bit Showy
The champagne, glasses, and chess set are pure concept-car show biz. But the wide-opening hatchback allows room for up to three golf bags or four sets of skis. "If there's a space, then you should also offer accessibility, otherwise you're not being honest," says Dr. Bez.

But A Great Personality
Polycarbonate roof ensures low-slung interior feels light and airy. All four doors feature Aston's trademark "swan wing" articulation, opening upwards at an angle of 12 degrees to clear high curbs. Bez insisted the Rapide kept the elegant proportions of the coupes: "If we couldn't have achieved that, we wouldn't have made the car."