Ividiyo ye-Aston Martin Rapide Luxury 2011

BATHI wonke ama-Aston Martins abukeka afana futhi lokho kunengqondo. Uma ubona enye yalezi, ngokushesha wazi ukuthi i-Aston - ihluke kakhulu - kodwa ingabe kwakuyi-DB9 noma i-DBS? I-V8 noma i-V12? Awuvamisile ukubabona bobabili bendawonye, ngakho-ke kunzima ukukusho.

Nokho, ngisePhillip Island Speedway ngizungezwe izimoto ezingaphezu kuka-40 ezimele zonke izici zohlelo. Lolu wusuku lokuqala lwengoma lwenkampani e-Australia futhi kungaba umbuthano omkhulu wama-Astons e-Australia.

Abanikazi abaningi beza lapha ngezimoto zabo, kanti abanye bandiza besuka eNew Zealand. Uma sezihlangene kanje - izimoto, hhayi abanikazi - kuyamangaza ukuthi ugqame kanjani umehluko. Bahluke okungenani komunye nomunye, njengokuthi, i-Porsche.

Ibanga le-Aston lisanda kunwetshwa ngemoto eyodwa, kanti iyona engajwayelekile kuzo zonke. I-Rapide iyimoto yokuqala ye-Aston enezicabha ezine selokhu yajoyina umjaho wokuklama ama-sedan athambile. Lesi sigaba, esasungulwa yiMercedes-Benz CLS kanye neMaserati Quattroporte, sikhula ngokushesha. IPorsche Panamera ingenye into entsha, kanti i-Audi ne-BMW bahlose ukwenza "ama-coupes aneminyango emine".

Design

Kuze kube manje, iRapide yiyona eyenza inguquko isuka ezicabheni ezimbili ukuya kwezine ngokuhlehla okumbalwa ngendlela. I-Panamera ivuleke kakhulu ngemuva, kodwa ibukeka kabi futhi iyinkulu ngemuva. U-Aston uthole ibhalansi ehlukile.

I-Rapide inamathela embonweni owamangaza umbukiso wezimoto waseDetroit wango-2006 futhi wawubukeka njenge-DB9 enwetshiwe. Ngokusobala kwakukhona okungaphezudlwana kwalokho okwakuseduze.

Yinkulu ngayo yonke indlela kunesiginesha ethi 2+2 pin-up, kodwa kunqunywa ukuthi yinde ngo-30 cm. Kodwa iphaneli ngalinye lihlukile, futhi izakhi ezifana nezibani zangaphambili nemigqa eseceleni zinde. Iphinde ithole nobuso obuhlukile obune-grille endaweni edonsa umoya kanye namalambu aphezulu ahlotshiswe ngochungechunge lwamaLED.

I-Aston ithi iyimoto enhle kunazo zonke enezicabha ezine, futhi kunzima ukuyiphikisa. Eminye yemiphumela isekelwe kumaqhinga okubukwayo. Iminyango yangemuva mikhulu kakhulu kunezikhala zangempela; ingxenye yalokho abakufihlayo yisakhiwo. Kuyimpintshi ukungena, futhi uma usufikile, uminyene kodwa uyabekezeleleka kwabawusayizi ogcwele, ongcono ezinganeni. Izihlalo zangemuva ziyagoqeka ukuze zithwale izinto ezinde, nakho okuhle ngoba isikhala somthwalo sincane kakhulu esingu-317 litres.

Olunye uphawu lombuzo luphathelene nokuhlanganiswa kwemoto, okwenziwa ngaphandle kwase-English Midlands endaweni ekhethekile e-Austria. Ukutshala isiko lengcweti lomkhiqizo kubonakala sengathi kusebenzile; imoto engangihamba ngayo yayinhle ngesandla isezingeni eliphezulu. Njengenjwayelo, okubonakala njengensimbi empeleni kuyinsimbi, okuhlanganisa i-Bang & Olufsen speaker grilles namapaddles e-magnesium alloy shift. I-Rapide izizwa inobukhazikhazi obuthe xaxa.

I-TECHNOLOGY

Akukho lutho olungadingekile lapha, nakuba i-centre console, ebolekwe ku-DB9, inezinkinobho ezixakile, futhi uhlelo lokulawula alunangqondo uma luqhathaniswa namaJalimane angcono kakhulu.

Ngokombono wezobuchwepheshe, iRapide ilandela i-DB9 enenjini efanayo namagiya ayisithupha azishintshayo atholakala ku-ekseli yangemuva. Njengezicabha ezimbili, iningi le-Rapide lenziwe nge-aluminium futhi u-Aston uthi i-chassis yeluliwe ngaphandle kokudela ukuqina. Ukuzuza kwesisindo kuyinhlawulo: iRapide isinda ngo-230kg kune-DB9 kuyilapho inesisindo esingaphansi kwamathani amabili.

I-Rapide ineziqalo ezimbalwa zohlobo lomkhiqizo, okuhlanganisa ibhuleki lokupaka lika-elekthronikhi ne-twin cast iron nama-aluminium brake discs. Uphinde afake ama-dampers aguquguqukayo e-DBS ekumisweni kwe-double wishbone.

Ukushayela

I-Rapide akuyona nje i-Aston enkulu kunazo zonke nesindayo, kodwa futhi ihamba kancane. Ukusheshisa ku-5.2 km/h kuthatha imizuzwana engu-100, okuyimizuzwana engu-0.4 ngaphansi kwe-DB9. Iphinde ilahle ngaphambili, ifinyelela ku-296 km/h ngaphansi kuka-10 km/h kune-DB9. Nokho, phakathi kweminyango emine, lezi zibalo azilona ihlazo.

Ngenani lokuqala lika-$13,000 nje elingaphezu kwe-DB9 Coupe ezenzakalelayo, isikhulu esiphezulu se-Aston uMarcel Fabrice ulindele ukuthengisa i-30 Rapid ekupheleni konyaka. Emhlabeni jikelele, inkampani izoletha izimoto eziyi-2000 ngonyaka.

Uhambo lwami lokuqala uhlobo lokulethwa. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kosuku ithrekhi ye-Rapide idinga ukuhanjiswa isuka endaweni yombukiso yomkhiqizo eMelbourne iye e-Phillip Island ukuze iboniswe abanikazi nenqwaba yamakhasimende angaba khona amenyiwe. Ngike ngawenza lawo makhilomitha angu-140 phambilini futhi awajabulisi kakhulu. Sekuvele kumnyama futhi liyana, ngakho-ke ngigxile ekuhleleni indlela yokufika ekhaya eMelbourne futhi ngifike lapho ngaphandle kwedrama.

Kulula ukukhululeka, isondo lokuqondisa ngokushesha lenza umbono omuhle. Iqondile, inembile, futhi inesisindo esesabekayo. Lokhu kukuvumela ukuthi uzulazule kalula kule mitha engu-5, ucezu olubonakala kakhulu olungavamile kuthrafikhi ephithizelayo.

Ukuthula kwangaphakathi kanye nekhwalithi yokugibela nakho kungcono kunalokho obekulindelwe, futhi izinsuku zokulethwa kwe-Astons ngaphandle kwe-cruise control sezadlula kudala. Inazo zonke izinsiza nokunethezeka, okuhlanganisa nezihlalo ezifudumalayo. Uma kukhona isicefe, wuhlelo lokulawula nezinkinobho zalo ezincane okwenza ukuthola umsakazo ofanele kube wumthwalo.

Lokhu akuyona inkinga emzileni ngakusasa, lapho isimo sezulu sesiphelile futhi abanikazi be-Aston bahlezi ngesineke lapho bexoxa nabashayeli. Ngaphezu nje kwethuba lokuhlola izimoto zakho zihamba ngesivinini, lo mcimbi ulingiswa ngokwemijaho yase-UK, Europe nase-US lapho abagijimi abangochwepheshe begibela isibhamu nabanikazi ukuze babafundise ukuthi bangathola kanjani okuningi emotweni yabo. Laba bafundisi abathathu bavela e-UK, lapho uhlobo lunezifundo zokushayela ezichwepheshile iminyaka eyishumi. Abanye abantu basendaweni abanolwazi lweminyaka yomdlalo wezimoto.

Ngaphansi kokuqondisa kochwepheshe kuka-Briton Paul Beddoe, ngingowokuqala ukugibela i-Rapide. Ngangingakaze ngishayele i-Aston kusekethe ngaphambili futhi ulwazi lwaluyinto yesambulo kimi. I-Rapide ayizizwa njenge-sedan, kodwa njengento encane futhi ebukhali kakhulu - ungacishe uphelele kwenye yama-coupes. Isiteringi ebengisithandile emgwaqeni singcono kakhulu lapha, namabhuleki mahle futhi igiya liyashesha kunalokho obekulindelwe. Le njini engu-V12 iyisisetshenziswa esihle esingakunaki ukusebenza kanzima. Kungase kungabi i-Aston eshesha kakhulu, kodwa i-Rapide ayizwakali ihamba kancane.

Emini kunethuba lokuzama yonke i-Aston range futhi uma uyigibela uyibuyisela emuva, uma uwabona ehlangene, umehluko uyamangalisa. I-Rapide iyilungu eliphucuzekile futhi eliphucuzekile kububanzi, elizipholele ngokumangazayo ukushayela ngisho nakuthrekhi, kodwa liqinile futhi liyakwazi ngesikhathi esifanayo. Amazinga okubamba kanye nesivinini sokumisa amakhona siphezulu.

TOTAL

I-Rapide iqedela ukuthuthukisa okuqale nge-DB9. Le moto yasiza u-Aston ukuba agqashule umkhuba wokuboleka izingxenye kumnikazi wangaphambili wakwaFord futhi ahwebe ngedumela elaliyingxenye yomlando wemijaho, okuyingxenye yeqhawe laseHollywood.

Kulandela ukunwetshwa komugqa nge-Vantage V8 engabizi kakhulu, ubunikazi be-Aston bukhule kakhulu. Manje inkulu ngokwanele e-Australia ukwenza imicimbi efana naleyo ese-Phillip Island yenzeke. Abanikazi abaningi bahlole izimoto zabo emzileni okokuqala ngqa. Futhi iningi labantu engikhulume nabo bebezokwenza futhi ngokushaya kwenhliziyo.

I-Rapide kufanele ikhulise amakhono ka-Aston. Iqhawe okungenzeka lincane kakhulu ohlwini lizokwenza izinsuku zethrekhi ezizayo zibe ngcono, hhayi kancane. Futhi lapho abanikazi bebonisa ukuhlola i-Rapide, bazomangala ngokujabulisayo.

Ngenkathi kuma-trainspotters e-Aston, ekugcineni kukhona ukukhetha okulula.

I-ASTON MARTIN FAST - $366,280 kanye nezindleko zokuhamba

IMOTO: okunethezeka sedan

INJINI: 5.9-litre V12

OKUPHUMAYO: amandla angu-350 kW ku-6000 rpm kanye no-600 Nm ku-5000 rpm

UKUDLULISWA: Idonsa ngamasondo ayisithupha ezishintshayo, edonsa ngamasondo angemuva

Funda kabanzi mayelana nemboni yezimoto ehlonishwayo e-The Australian.