2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato Racecar Picture
Aston Martin is putting the final touches to its race preparations in readiness for the toughest 24 hour race of all of them - the yearly ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hrs on 25 and 26 June, 2011 exactly where a brace of new Aston Martin V12 Zagatos will compete.
This weekend marks the next step of an ambitious challenge which began when the Aston Martin V12 Zagato was unveiled at the Concorso D'Eleganza at Villa D'Este in Might 2011, profitable the Style award for Ideas and Prototypes. The display vehicle was then transformed into the number 3 race automobile, nicknamed 'Zag' (red) and will probably be piloted in the 24 hour race by Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, the company's Nürburgring Test Centre Director, Wolfgang Schuhbauer and automotive journalists Horst von Saurma and Matthew Marsh.
In addition, a green Aston Martin V12 Zagato (nicknamed 'Zig') - automobile quantity 5 to the race - was prepared through the tiny group based at Aston Martin's global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Zig is going to be driven by One-77 Chief Engineer Chris Porritt, experienced sports activities car driver Oliver Mathai, automotive journalist Richard Meaden and experienced amateur racer Peter Cate.
Becoming a member of the Zagatos will likely be a V8 Vantage GT4 affectionately nicknamed 'Smurf' (now orange but formally blue) which might be driven by Aston Martin Racing works driver, Darren Turner, journalist and skilled 24 hour driver, Shinichi Katsura, Australian racer Rob Thomson and seasoned Nürburgring pilot Jurgen Stumpf.
Three further consumer group V8 Vantages are going to be competing above the weekend bringing the Aston Martin presence in the race up to 6 automobiles with Mathol Racing (#62), Bratke Motorsport Crew - AVIA (#85) and Group Pflanz (#75) driving Vantage GT4s inside the SP10 class.
Aston Martin's Head of Motorsport, David King said: "Our entries this 12 months extend our Nürburgring racing philosophy. For 5 decades now we have signed-off our new items by coming into a auto which is as near to the street car as attainable and subjecting it for the toughest 24 hour check on what ideal simulates the extremities of public roads. This 12 months we go a action more by testing a vehicle at prototype stage."
"As ever, the race will existing an enormous challenge inside a huge and increasingly competitive discipline which might be fraught with all of the unpredictable components related to racing at the Nürburgring. Even so, we're ecstatic through the potential we've noticed from your Aston Martin V12 Zagato within the testing we've accomplished and that provides us terrific wish for that job forward. We look ahead to a safe, successful and enjoyable race for our groups and consumers."
Aston Martin's presence at the Nürburgring marks the sixth successive time factory engineers total a product sign-off check in what continues to be dubbed 'the toughest 24 hour race' underneath public scrutiny. Since 2006, the marque has applied the race to show the reliability and longevity of its new designs - initial for V8 Vantage alone, then the new Sportshift transmission in 2007, the four.7 litre motor V8 Vantage in 2008, the V12 Vantage in 2009, the four-door Rapide in 2010, and now, relatively extra ambitiously, for the very first main check of a brand new concept vehicle - the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.
In the Nürburgring the roofs of each V12 Zagatos are going to be sporting a 'Heart for Japan' dedication as component of Aston Martin's assistance for that Tsunami victims of Japan. In May perhaps, Dr. Bez auctioned his firm Rapide raising £100,000. During the construct up to this year's 24 hours Dr. Bez will hand the cheque to Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda and their Donation Fund for Employees within the Affected Catastrophe Area charity.