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Aston Martin Rapide

After years of building coupes, Aston Martin is back in the four-door game with the new Rapide. To keep things simple, Aston has simply lengthened DB9 by 10 in. and raised the roof 2.5 in. to accommodate two more doors and allow for the comfortable seating of adults in the rear seats.

At 197.2 in. long and 52.5 in. tall and weighing in at 4200 to 4300 lb, the Rapide is slightly bigger and heavier than its chief rival, the Porsche Panamera. Expected to start at over $200,000, it's more expensive as well. With the DB9's 480-hp, 6.0L V-12 under the hood, though, the Rapide is still expected to reach 60 mph in the sub-5-sec range with its ZF Touchtronic automated manual transmission handling the shifts.

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Outside, the Rapide looks essentially like a four-door DB9, which isn't a complaint. The beautiful Aston Martin shape has taken well to the stretch and retains its graceful lines and classic styling, certainly more so than the Porsche Panamera. While the Rapide has been spied repeatedly in near production trim, Aston is still being coy about its launch date. We expect to see it on the road sometime next year.

Bottom line: Aston Martin swings for the bleachers with its first sedan in decades