As the four-door sports car goes through final engineering and testing phases before being launched in the first quarter of 2010, Aston Martin has today confirmed its pricing for the Rapide in the UK market.

The price of the Rapide will start from £139,950 which includes an impressive level of standard equipment including; Bang & Olufsen Beosound audio system tailored specifically for the Rapide, heated memory seats, dual cast brakes and Adaptive Damping System.

The Rapide is Aston Martin’s first production four-door sports car encapsulating the practicality of a car with extra doors and fusing it with the trademark sports car dynamics of a modern Aston Martin.

Customer deliveries will commence at the beginning of the second quarter in 2010, and it will be the first sports car to be hand-built at the Aston Martin Rapide Plant in Graz, Austria. The new 17,000 m2 building has been designed to reflect the quality levels established in Gaydon since 2003 permitting the fusion of modern technology, advanced manufacturing processes and hand-built craftsmanship. Each Rapide will take approximately 220 man hours to build and will benefit from the same craftsmanship and skills as the rest of the range already receive at Gaydon.

Aston Martin anticipate that approximately 2000 Rapides will be built in the first year attracting a high proportion of new customers to the brand. Core to this appeal will be its ample accommodation for up to four adults and the spacious boot (317 litres with seats up, and 886 litres with the seats down), combined with its modest price when compared to its nearest competitor, the £212,000 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.

The Rapide is on sale now and available to order from your nearest Aston Martin dealer.