Aston Martin Rapide S

Aston Martin has lifted the veil off of the 2013 Rapide S, the most powerful four-door sedan it has ever built.

The Rapide S' front end gains minor visual upgrades that include a new hood, a bigger grille and a revamped bumper.  The new parts were designed to comply with the European Union's latest pedestrian safety regulations without resorting to fitting the car with a plastic grille and a protruding bumper.Inside, the Rapide retains its four-seater configuration and its dashboard remains largely unchanged.  The sedan can be ordered with a host of luxury and sport-oriented option packages that add a healthy dose of either carbon fiber or wood trim.

The major changes are found by popping the hood.  Aston's big sedan is powered by a 5.9-liter V12 engine that churns out 550 horsepower and 457 lb-ft. of torque, a noticeable improvement of 80 ponies and 14 lb-ft. over the regular Rapide.  Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed Touchtronic 2 transmission and a limited-slip differential.

With more power comes more speed, and the Rapide S sprints to 60 mph from a stop in 4.7 seconds, 0.4 quicker than the Rapide.  It reaches an Autobahn-worthy top speed of 190 mph and returns 19 mpg in a mixed European cycle when driven conservatively.

To keep the extra power in check, the Rapide S packs the latest generation of Aston Martin's Adaptive Damping System.  It features Normal, Sport and Track modes, enabling the driver to change the car's handling characteristics at the flick of a switch.

Pricing information will be released closer to the car's on-sale date.