How does a company like Aston Martin celebrate its 100th birthday? The answer: go racing, of course! Well, there was a smattering of lightly glitzed-up
special editions
, but we’ll just gloss over that for now. Racing! Yeah!
Hybrid hydrogen racer will make N24 debut
Yes, Aston Martin has announced that this weekend’s Nurburgring 24-hour race will form part of its centenary celebration. Astons and the Nurburgring have plenty of previous, of course, with the company having been in regular attendance since 2006, not to mention having won the 1,000km race there three times in a row from 1957 to 1959.
This year, there'll be not one, not two, but three very different Aston racers out taking part. As you’d expect, one of those will be a V12 Vantage GT3, this one sponsored by Bilstein and the marque's most serious hunt for N24 glory. It’ll be joined by a “close to production” V12 Vantage racer, as well as Aston’s experimental hydrogen hybrid Rapide S, which recently became the first car to complete a zero-emission lap of the ’ring, and will now become the first hybrid hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international racing event.
V12 Vantage will also be in attendance
It won’t just be in competition that Aston will be celebrating, though, as before the start of the race there’ll be a procession of 100 Aston Martins around the legendary track, celebrating historic and modern models in the marque’s history. That’s not all, though: we’ll be there! Yes, PH will be driving out in a
Rapide S
to take part in the parade lap, as well as to see the race first-hand. Of course, we’ll be updating the site regularly with the story of the trip, so be sure to keep checking back over the course of the weekend to hear all about the experience!