Aston Martin’s four door super-sedan the Rapide has been revealed early, ahead of its expected debut at next month’s Geneva Auto Show. These ‘official’ pictures which have leaked onto the web reveal the car in detail.

The Rapide essentially follows the Vantage’s design cues, both at the front and the rear. However there are two extra doors to make the Rapide a four-door, four-seater performance car. What that means is almost the same thrill and performance as the Vantage V8 but enjoyed by up to four people. Buyers can hope to get a massive 6.0 litre V12 motor with about 480 bhp of firepower which should help the Rapide accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in about 4.5 seconds (that is rapid indeed). The Rapide would obviously house all amenities and luxuries we have become accustomed to from an Aston Martin.

This performance sedan would be manufactured at Aston Martin’s Magna Steyr plant in Austria and would give a good fight to the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte. The car should go on sale by the end of 2009 and the company must be hoping the economic scenario is brighter then and buyers queue up to sign on the dotted line for this special car.