Geneva show: One-off Aston Rapide wagon

A ONE-OFF ‘shooting brake’ version of Aston Martin’s Rapide luxury sedan has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show next week.

Commissioned by an Aston Martin collector, the Jet 2+2 is the product of Italian design house and coachbuilder Bertone, which is celebrating 60 years of association with the hallowed British marque.

Behind the rear doors, the Jet 2+2 has completely different sheetmetal for the transformation from coupe-styled sedan to elegant hatchback/wagon.

The glass of the rear doors appears to have been elongated and the C-pillars reprofiled to meet the flatter rear glass, with a sculptured effect that accentuates muscular-looking haunches.

Bertone has taken the tail-lights from the new Vanquish and extended them across the bootlid with an LED strip, referencing the 2004 Vanquish-based Bertone Jet2 concept.

Finishing off the rear is a unique vented bumper, while at the front is a gaping grille similar to that of the recently announced Rapide S, but flanked by additional air intakes.

Bertone badges adorn the front guards and a gloss black feature plate on the C-pillar that elongates the window line.

As suggested by the name, inside is a 2+2 seating configuration with four individual buckets, the rear pair foldable, with an electric protective cover protecting them from loads and creating a flat floor to maximise versatility.

The interior has plenty of bespoke features including wood, glazed aluminium and two-tone leather trim.

Behind the Rapide S-style grille is the standard Rapide drivetrain, with a 350kW/600Nm V12 engine.

Bertone says the collector who commissioned the Jet 2+2 was involved in the “whole development of the project” from the first phase of style research to selecting exterior paint colours and interior upholstery.

It is not clear whether the collector was inspired by the conceptually similar Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo that was unveiled as a concept at the Paris motor show last September.