Aston Martin Rapide & F10

I got my 528i a month ago in Dark Graphite II / Oyster. I've been having seconds thoughts on the color as it's on the conservative side in my opinion. I'm coming from a 2008 550i Sport in Carbon Black / Saddle Brown. I felt better about my color choice after today when I attended an Aston Martin event and 3 of the 4 cars they had available for test drives came in a color almost identical to my car. Even the interior had the same oyster / black combo. It was really a beautiful car.

As far as the drive in the V12 exotic, I honestly wasn't overly impressed. I guess I was expecting more from a $200K+ vehicle. Acceleration and power reminded me of my E60 550i. I can't comment on the handling as most of my drive was on the freeway. I haven't driven the F10 550i but with the added turbo, I'm guessing it's probably on par if not a better performer than the Rapide. Conclusion - If I had $200K to spend, I'd probably get a 550i and Panamera instead of one Rapide.

LDD

I've always regarded the Aston Martin as the pinnacle of automotive design from a purely aesthetic perspective.
Looking at the two cars from a side view I'm amazed (in a very good way) at how similar they look. Especially so in view of the fact that the 1st Aston Martin pictured is a coupe while the F10 is a sedan.
In my book that's very, very high praise.

***Sent from the interwebs on technology that's way beyond my pay grade***

The colors compliment each car very differently, as both cars look extremely different and have very different characters.

The conservative color on the F10 coincides with its more conservative look, while the Rapide's balances out the more extraverted and relatively overstated design.

Personally, I'm not big on the Rapide myself. Aston does 2-Doors about perfectly, but something just looks "off" with the 4-Door. Doesn't turn me on.

Originally Posted by K-A

Personally, I'm not big on the Rapide myself. Aston does 2-Doors about perfectly, but something just looks "off" with the 4-Door. Doesn't turn me on.

I agree that the unique Aston Martin 'look' doesn't really hold up well with four doors. Amazingly, in that comparison, the F10 looks much, much better to my eyes. But the A-M coupe is "to die for."

Agree, the AM coupe is stunning and the sedan is no slouch either. That said, the F10 holds up well in comparison.
Not crazy about the interior of the AM though. Looks kind of boxy to me. Not a pleasing design at all.

Originally Posted by PsychDoc1

I agree that the unique Aston Martin 'look' doesn't really hold up well with four doors. Amazingly, in that comparison, the F10 looks much, much better to my eyes. But the A-M coupe is "to die for."

I myself like cars that are more stylishly conservative, and timeless. Oddly enough, I'm a big fan of off-the-wall, uniqueness in most all arts, but with cars, if they get too fashionably off-the-wall, I just don't find them aesthetically pleasing. I feel more comfortable looking at the F10 design, and I know that it will always look good. The Aston is here to make a statement, one that is obviously much louder than the F10's, and IMO won't age very well (but Exotics rarely do, which is why, at least until my finances can comfortably consider it, Exotics just don't excite all so much).

Naturally, the F10 does does come across as quite "boring" when looked at next to the Rapide, and that's kind of the whole point of both, but that can be a good or bad thing (boring doesn't mean flawed, when it comes to cars ).

Where is the gear shift in A M?

Originally Posted by GunsBMW

Where is the gear shift in A M?

Push buttons on dash. Just like an old Chrysler!

The Aston in 1st the photo is the 4-door Rapide. From that angle, it it surprising how similarthe two cars look. I think it's due in large part to the chrome window trim. I think it plays an optical illusion making the two cars look more similar. Seen from the front, I would imagine they look totally different. And as striking as the Aston's interior is, the F10's oyster leather interior is simply gorgeous. That is very high praise for aBMW. I think it begs the question though: Are the premium brands elevating themselves to the point where there's hardly any separation between them and exotics now? And I agree with the OP. If it were my money, it would be hard to justify the 2.5 times. the cost for the 2 Aston...