VIDEO: Aston Martin Rapide Sampled in Kuwait

Aston Martin may not be ready to move journalists behind the wheel of the new Rapide for a test drive as the sports sedan is still undergoing development, but the British automaker did offer Autocar's Steve Cropley the chance to take a seat on the passenger's side as he joined the firm's development team during hot weather testing of the saloon in Kuwait.

Besides the fact that Cropley didn't look to be enjoying himself much, we kept two things from the video: one is that in our opinion, the Rapide's exterior styling doesn't seem to have the same effect on us as the concept did three years ago and the other is that judging by Cropely, the rear passenger area looks a little cramped for adults -let's not forget that it's a five-meter (197-in.) long sedan. Watch the video below and tell us what you think.

VIDEO: Aston Martin Rapide Sports Sedan Filmed in Kuwait

You never know when or where you're going to stumble upon a prototype model these days. This time some folks spotted a thinly disguised Aston Martin Rapide test car on the roads of Kuwait. Apparently the British automaker was performing hot climate tests on its forthcoming four-door sports sedan that is planned to get its first public outing at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

First seen at the 2006 Detroit auto show as a prototype model, the production Rapide is almost identical to the 196.9-inch-long concept study. Due to go on sale in the beginning of 2010, the Rapide is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine which is rated at 480HP, and linked to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission with Aston's Touchtronic control.

Via: es.Autoblog