Rapide AMR

Segment
Sedan

An incredibly rare example of the beautiful Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf sedan has come up for sale, but you'll need deep pockets to afford it. After all, the often-dormant Lagonda was supposed to be an ultra-luxury sub-brand to take on Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Listed by O'Gara Beverly Hills with the price available only by request, The Drive initially spotted the ad and confirmed that this Taraf is selling for $800,000. As outrageous as that number may be, it's still around $200,000 less than what the Taraf initially sold for when it was launched in Dubai in 2014.

With only around 120 ever being built and many being sold in the Middle East, it's a notably challenging sedan to get your hands on, and this 178-mile example is in immaculate condition. It's finished in Satin Jet Black over a Kestrel Tan leather interior contrasted with white stitching.

Unlike the four-seater Rapide, the Taraf has a more traditional three-box sedan shape. Even today, it holds up well as a striking luxury vehicle with its slatted Aston Martin grille, and the unusual shape has aged surprisingly well.

Certain aspects of the meticulously crafted cabin betray its age, though, with this 2018 example's tacked-on infotainment screen looking outdated by modern standards. Below that is an endless array of physical switches and dials, although these are quite charming as automakers seem determined to eliminate physical controls wherever possible. The second row is configured for two, with a bulky center console housing individual rear controls for the climate control system and other functions.

The Taraf draws inspiration from the Williams Towns-designed Lagonda of 1976, a futuristic car of the period distinguished by its wedge-shaped styling. Like the more modern Taraf, this original Lagonda sedan was also one of the most expensive cars of its time, and it was one of the first cars to introduce a digital instrument panel.

The Lagonda Taraf - still the most recent car to be built under the Lagonda brand - was hand-built at the British automaker's Gaydon facility. It sports carbon fiber body panels. Its 6.0-liter V12 engine produces 540 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and the power goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the sky-high price is difficult to justify considering you can buy something like a new Mercedes-Maybach S V12 with more power and far superior technology for a fraction of the cost, you're unlikely ever to see another Lagonda Taraf on the road, and it's a rare glimpse into what Aston could have achieved if it decided to take the full-size luxury sedan segment seriously.

The future of the Lagonda brand remains uncertain, as Aston scrapped plans to develop and sell an all-electric Lagonda SUV.