Auto Express – August 07, 2019

14 7August

NEWS AstonMartinRapideEEVride

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

LOWDOWN

Auto Express

editor-in-chief

Steve Fowler

(right) learns

all about the

Rapide Efrom

Andy Palmer

“He flexes his right foot

and the familiar EV hit of

instant torque propels the

Rapide down the straight”

ASTONMartinhasn’tbeentoocoy
aboutwhyitsnewall-electricRapideE
exists–it’satestbedforthereturnofthe
Lagondabrand.Only155RapideEsare
goingtobemade,withAston’sCEOAndy
Palmerapotentialcustomer,too.Soitonly
seemedrightthatwhenthebrandinvitedus
foranexclusiveridearoundSilverstone’s
StowecircuitinaRapideEprototype,it
wasPalmersittingbehindthewheel.
We’darrivedina1981Lagonda(see
panelright),acarthatsignalledthebrand’s
seventiesrebirth.“Lagonda’sabitlikethe
Phoenixrisingfromtheashes,”Palmersays.
“Onlythistimewe’rebringingitbackforgood.”
Lagondawillbeanall-electricmarque,
rebornbyoriginalEVpioneerPalmer,who
helpedlaunch theNissanLeaf.Histhinking
behindapure-electricluxurybrandissound.
“Youcanspendanawfullotofmoneyona
Tesla,butit’snotreallyaluxurycar,”hesays.
Butbeforeanyonegetsanywherenear
aLagonda,AstonwillusetheRapideEto
betterunderstandhowbuyerswilluseit.
“We’llgetquantitativedatafromthecar,but
everyoneofthe155buyershasagreedto
giveusqualitativefeedbackonthecar,too,”
Palmeradds.They’llbegettingamodel

that’sasdeeplyengineeredasanyother

Aston,too,withtheprototypewe’reinbeing

usedtofinetunethings.Butwhyelectrify

theRapide?“Itwasanobviousthingtodo,”

Palmersays.“It’sgotalongwheelbaseand

there’sspaceatthefrontforbatterieswhere

thebigV12engineusedtobe.“

Palmerisquitehandyonacircuit,ashe

proveswhiletheRapideEgentlybuildsup

speed.“We’vestillgotsomeworktodoon

thecar,”headmits.“MattBeckerandhis

teamhavegottoworktheirmagic;we’re

currentlyundersteeringalittletoomuch.”

TheCEOisclearlyenjoyingbeingbehind

thewheelasheflexeshisrightfootandthe

familiarEVhitofinstanttorque–inthis

caseawhopping950Nm–propelsthe

bigRapidedowntheshortstraight.

Thebrakesdoanimpressivejobof

reiningthingsinbeforearightandleft,

leavingusimpressedbythespeedofthe

car’sreactionstoPalmer’sinputsandthe

lackofbodyroll.Yettheridedoesn’tfeel

●We ride with CEOAndy Palmer in Aston’s

first electric car, and meet an ancestor

Aston’sRapide Epointsthe

SteveFowler

[email protected]

@stevefowler

assolidasinmanysportscars,letalonea

heavyelectricone.“It’sstillgottobeaGT

aswellasasportscar,”Palmertellsus.

Hegetsfasterandfasteraseachshort

lapticksby,andit’seasytoforgetthat

you’renotinoneofAston’smorefocused

machinesandthatthereareelectricmotors

poweringtherearwheels.“Youcaneven

driftit;look,”Palmersays,playingwiththe

throttletoadjustthecarasweexitthetight

cornerattheendofanotherlap.

Astonhaseschewedamassivebattery

andchasingaludicrous0-60mphtime,

insteadconcentratingonbeingableto

completeafewcompetitivelapsofthe

13-mile-longNordschleifecircuitin

Germanyandusing800Vhigh-voltage

batterytechtoenablesuper-fastcharging

using100kWorhigherchargers.

Thatsaid,theRapideEwillstillgetfrom

0-60mphinlessthanfourseconds,ontoa

topspeedof155mph;thesamefigureas

thenumberofcarsthatwillbebuilt.Thetwin

motorsontherearaxleproduce604bhpand

anintoxicatingEVwail.Butit’sthecar’s

sheerpacethathelpsyouforgetthatthere’s

notthenoiseofascreamingV12underthe

bonnet.Italsoleavesusinnodoubtthatwhat

thefirmhasplannedforLagondainthe

comingyearswillbeasexcitingasanything

we’veseenfromAstonMartinbefore.

TECH

All-electric

Rapide Eis

packed with

innovation,

much likethe

Lagonda was

in the seventies

“Lagonda will be an all-electric marque, reborn by EV

pioneer Palmer,who helped launch the Nissan Leaf”

EXCLUSIVE