Four-door Aston Martin on display at CityCenter

Nestled on the Aston Martin showroom floor between a DB9 and a V-8 Vantage, the highly anticipated, four-door Aston Martin Rapide looks remarkably at home.

"You can tell it's an Aston Martin," said Ken Cox, who drives a 2006 Aston Martin DB9 and stopped by Gaudin Jaguar Porsche Aston Martin earlier this week for the dealership's launch party of the British manufacturer's first true four-door, four-seater sporting GT coupe. "It's a beautiful car and there's not many four-doors out there that can compare with the style and the lines."

As part of the car's North American debut, this one-and-only Rapide is on loan to Gaudin Jaguar Porsche Aston Martin until Sunday and, starting today, the Rapide will be on display at Crystals at CityCenter. Representatives from Gaudin Jaguar Porsche Aston Martin will be available throughout the weekend to answer questions and distribute literature about the car.

The Rapide is based on Aston Martin's flexible VH (vertical horizontal) aluminum space-frame architecture that is also the support structure for the DB9 and V-8 Vantage. It's powered by a front, midmounted 6.0-liter V-12 engine, capable of producing 470 horsepower. Driving the rear wheels is Aston Martin's "Touchtronic 2," six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire technology.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's director of design, resolved to build an elegant four-door sports car and retain the company's core values and character. Signature Aston Martin details like the "swanlike" doors that open outward and upward help provide access to the rear seats. From the rear and sides, the classic Aston Martin silhouette is palpable.

"The Rapide is designed to parallel the DB9 -- same engine, same lines, same pedigree -- but, it's 12 inches longer," said Gaudin's Aston Martin sales manager Paul Jarrett. "This is meant to be a GT, or grand touring car."

Aston Martin aficionados will know this is not Aston's first foor-door vehicle. The company actually made 645 of the dramatic William Towns-designed Lagonda sedans between 1976 and 1989. The just-under-$200,000 Rapide will easily beat that total with no more than 3,500 built per year, starting with the 2010 model.

Gaudin's first Rapide (a silver blonde exterior with Sahara tan and black leather interior), which will be used as a demonstration vehicle only, is expected in April. Custom orders will be taken then and Jarrett expects about a six-month delivery time.

For more information about the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide, stop by Crystals at CityCenter this weekend or visit Gaudin Jaguar Porsche Aston Martin at 7200 W. Sahara Ave. Gaudin Jaguar Porsche Aston Martin can also be reached at 284-7000 or www.jplv.net.