One-Off Aston Martin Rapide Wagon Is The Real Connoisseur's Family Cruiser
Wagons are getting increasingly rare these days, and high-performance ones like the BMW M5 Touring are even less common. There's one stunning station wagon that puts almost every other to shame in terms of rarity, though, as just a single Aston Martin Rapide wagon exists and it's heading to auction.
Aston has a history with ridiculously rare, unbelievably wonderful wagons and shooting brakes, like this exquisite DB5 build and, my personal favorite, an old DBS shooting brake. This one-off wagon is based on the Rapide, which launched in 2010 as the brand's first foray into the "sensible" car category. It had space for four, five doors and even a mildly practical trunk. Oh, and there was a roaring V12 under the hood that could propel the sedan up past 200 mph.
Read more: SEMA Was Full Of Wild Concepts In 2002
I'm a big fan of the original Rapide. It looked great and felt like a fresh, forward-thinking car from a slightly stagnating British car company. There's always room for improvement, though, and that's where design house Bertone came in.
The Italian company came swooping in and chopped up the rear of a 2013 Rapide to create a real Aston Martin station wagon, called the Bertone Jet 2+2. The conversion kept the slick stylings of the Rapide, and its six-liter, 475hp V12, and added an enormous trunk, as Road & Track explains:
The Jet has an extended roofline, when compared with the stock Rapide, and boasts rear seats that fold flat electrically — a first for Aston Martin, and a feature that makes it easier to access the full cargo area.
Other neat flourishes on the Jet 2+2 include a full-length glass roof that can be dimmed on command and a custom leather interior that's said to be even softer than the one you'll find in a standard Rapide.
The Jet 2+2 was commissioned by Aston super-fan Barry Weir, but when it was showcased to execs at the British automaker they were as smitten as I am. As such, a further 10 shooting brakes based on the Rapide were ordered.
Super-rare car fans can breathe a sigh of relief, though, as Bertone tragically folded before the 10 follow up cars could be constructed. As such, the Jet 2+2 that you see here is the only one in existence
Why is this stunning station wagon being featured on Jalopnik more than a decade after it launched, I hear you ask? Well, that's because it's finally being sold on, of course.
The 2013 Rapide is heading to auction on March 29 with Dore & Rees. With less than 25,000 miles on the odometer and its one-off status, the Jet is sure to command a pretty high price tag when the hammer finally does fall.
If the Rapide isn't quite the right Aston Martin wagon for you, then maybe this DB5 shooting brake is more your cup of tea? Or what about the slick Vanquish Zagato shooting brake? You can't have the DBS Estate, though, because that's my dream car.
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