Aston Martin Rapide: New Photos of Production Model

New photos of the production version of Aston Martin's Rapide sport sedan have been leaked into the web. The crew over at Autocar that released the pictures claim that Aston Martin's Porsche Panamera rival will be revealed this autumn, most likely at the 2009 Frankfurt Show in Germany. The allegedly official, computer generated images show that not much has changed in terms of design from the 2006 Detroit show Rapide concept.

The most noticeable changes concern the stronger crease that runs from the front wing vent through both doors, the redesigned front apron that does away with the side vents and the restyled rear-bumper.

The four-seater British sports saloon is based on a stretched version of the DB9's platform with power coming from a 6.0-liter V12 engine generating around 500HP. The Rapide will be the first car in the marque's history to be built out of Britain as production will be carried out by Magna Steyr at the firm's Austrian plant in Graz.

Via: Autocar