Aston Martin reportedly readying 800-hp electric Rapide super sedan - CNET
First, Aston Martin stretched its well-known coupe shape, added a couple of doors, and the Rapide sedan was born. Then, in acknowledgment of legislative and environmental pressures, the luxury marque took the unusual step of re-trimming a prosaic Toyota/Scion iQ mini car, calling it the Aston Martin Cygnet overseas. That ugly duckling failed spectacularly, but the pressures for the UK firm to offer a more eco-friendly car remains, and now comes word that the British auto maker is planning an electrifying response: an 800-horsepower, battery-powered version of... That's because Aston Martin's current range of V-8 and V-12 luxury cars will have trouble meeting global emissions and fuel economy legislation unless those gas-guzzling models are offset by the introduction of much cleaner offerings. What's more, it won't be Aston's only electric model -- a battery-powered version of its forthcoming DBX sports SUV is also in the cards. "We don't do Ludicrous because Ludicrous speed is stupid," he said, taking a thinly veiled dig at the new Model S P85D's high-performance drive mode. Source: www.cnet.com
