The front seat of an Aston Martin Rapide S is pictured. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

New Rapide S shaves 0.3 seconds off its 0-62 mph time, which drops from the 5.2 seconds to just 4.9 seconds. Top speed climbs to more than 190 mph. Fully CNC machined combustion chambers; lighter, hollow, cam shafts; dual variable camshaft timing; knock sensing – these important advances all help reinforce the V12 engine's position as a mainstay of the Aston Martin range.

More efficient, as well as more potent, the new Rapide S cuts its CO2 emissions by seven per cent - from 355 g/km to 332 g/km - while fuel economy now stands at 19.9 mpg on the official EU combined cycle.

A product of the latest generation of Aston Martin's world-renowned VH engineering philosophy, which debuted in 2003, the car is based on the new Gen4 VH architecture.

New dynamic stability control (DSC) and the latest Gen4 iteration of Aston Martin's hi-tech Adaptive Damping System (ADS) sharpen already crisp dynamics. The ADS system now offers three distinct settings: 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Track', with the character of each being tailored to the nature of Rapide S.

The interior of an Aston Martin Rapide S is pictured. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The different damping modes help to significantly broaden the character of the Rapide S, adapting its set-up to suit the driver's precise requirements. Thus it can be a luxurious GT car in

Normal mode with the capacity to morph into a more assertive sports car in Sport and Track modes.

Meanwhile, as with the new DB9, the new Rapide S achieves compliance with the latest European pedestrian protection regulations courtesy of its innovative new front grille design. ?

The new Rapide S is priced at $199,950 in the US.

Vanquish Centenary Limited Edition

Elsewhere on the Geneva stand Aston Martin's ultimate Super GT - the new Vanquish - showcases a painstakingly created Centenary Edition specification that is available worldwide on just 100 examples of each of the car maker's model lines: Vantage, DB9, Vanquish and Rapide S.

An Aston Martin Vanquish Centenary Edition is pictured. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]