Sampling Aston Martin’s Product Range

2. Rapide S

It may be “just” a sedan but the stylish Rapide S turns heads like no other Aston Martin. This shapely four-door garnered more attention from California’s jaded motorists and pedestrians than any other model I sampled. This car has a commanding presence on the road and it appears substantially larger than the company’s other models. This could be why it got so many looks, though the dark purple-metallic paint covering the example I evaluated probably amped up its eye-catching appeal.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II Review

The big news with this car is the inclusion of a brand-new eight-speed automatic transaxle. This cutting-edge unit was co-developed with ZF and is mounted at the rear of the car, the first time it’s ever been installed this way. Overall this unit is 3 percent lighter than the six-speed gearbox it replaces and can change ratios in as little as 130 milliseconds.

Thanks to its new transmission the Rapide S is half a second quicker to 60 miles an hour, making the run in 4.2 seconds. It’s also more fuel efficient, returning a claimed 19 miles per gallon on the highway. Not bad for a car with a howling 6.0-liter V12 engine!