the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide is, according to company insiders, "the world's most elegant four door sports car". And for once the PR hype is right -- the first production Rapide, unveiled at a private party the night before the first press day at the Frankfurt Show, looked damned elegant under the lights at the hip Roomers Hotel. And it is a sports car. Let's cut to the chase: The Rapide's back seats are nowhere near as roomy as those of the Porsche Panamera. Elegance has a price -- whereas my 6'2" frame will fit behind a driver's seat set to my optimum driving position in Porsche's four-door with an inch of kneeroom to spare, my knees are brushing the backrest in the close-coupled Aston. Surprisingly, I have an inch or so of headroom in the Rapide, but that swoopy greenhouse means I can't see much out the side window without stooping. And getting my big feet out from the deep footwells involves some ungraceful contortions.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows/frankfurt/2009/112_0909_2010_aston_...