Aston Martin set to take Nurburgring 24 hours by storm

Aston Martin will head to the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nurburgring (N24) in Germany that is happening this weekend (18^th - 20^th May) with three very different race cars - an international championship winning V12 Vantage GT3, a record breaking Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S and a close-to-production specification V12 Vantage.

Alongside the Bilstein V12 Vantage GT3, which marks Aston Martin's most focused attempt yet to challenge for honours at the N24, and its close-to-production V12 Vantage sister car, the company has entered its unique Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S.

Announced earlier this year, and after a shakedown on the Nordschleife at a VLN endurance race in April, the ground breaking race car - based on Aston Martin's new four-door, four-seat sports GT - is returning to the Nurburgring to become the first Hybrid Hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international racing event.

Working in partnership with hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston Martin's engineers have developed the prototype, which will complete its qualifying lap on pure hydrogen.

"The prospect of making history at the Nurburgring 24 Hours with the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in this, our centenary year, is a great thing for Aston Martin. Alongside our partners Alset Global, we have worked incredibly hard to prove out this exciting engineering and I'm looking forward to taking the wheel of the race car at the Nurburgring on Sunday," said Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, who will be one of four drivers behind the wheel of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in the 24-hour race.

Aston Martin has a long standing relationship with the world famous Nordschleife - its race cars won the Nurburgring 1,000km race in 1957, 1958 and 1959 and the British sports car maker has been a regular at the annual 24-hour endurance race since 2006.

This year, the British manufacturer also has ambitious plans to celebrate its centenary in front of more than 200,000 race fans at the N24.

Leading up to the main event, the Aston Martin Centenary Parade - a lap of the legendary 22km-long Nordschleife with 100 VIP and customer cars - will also take place to celebrate 100 years of Aston Martin and to offer customers the chance to share in the Nurburgring experience that is so close to the brand.

Aston Martin will compete in the ADAC Zurich Nurburgring 24 Hours for the eighth successive year with the goal of maintaining its 100 percent finishing record. More than 200 cars will start the 24-hour race, which runs on the daunting 22km circuit that combines the legendary Nordschleife with the modern Grand Prix track.