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Lately it seems like the hippest new segment into which sportscar makers should be attmepting to break is that of the sedan. Porsche has done it with the Panamera, Lamborghini is considering doing so with a production version of the Estoque, and of course Aston Martin has the hyper-sexy new Rapide. But that seductively stretched DB9 derivative is hardly that iconic British marque’s first dance at the four-door ball. And the most memorable (for reasons of the good and bad varieties) of Aston’s prior saloons is the radical Lagonda of the 1970s and ‘80s. But just how many areas, if any, has the Rapide improved over its decidedly polarizing daddy? Read on and find out.


 


Performance: The Lagonda used Aston Martin’s 5.3L quad-cam V8 backed by a Chrysler-supplied 3-speed automatic transmission. The most powerful European iterations were rated at 300hp, while U.S. models made do with just 240hp. It reached 60 mph from a standstill in 8.8 seconds, and top speed was in the neighborhood of 140 mph. The Rapide features a 6.0L (technically 5.9L) V12 coupled teamed with a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. It’s rated at 470hp, sprints to 60 in 5 seconds flat and maxes out at 184 mph.


 




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Generation Gap: Aston Martin Lagonda vs. Rapide was originally published by Automobile Makes and Models Aston Martin - Articles - Zimbio. Read the full story by clicking here.