Aston Martin V12 Vantage Goes to Nurburgring

Click to enlarge [V12 Vantage Nürburgring 24 Hour]
V12 Vantage Nürburgring 24 Hour
Aston Martin makes a comeback for the fourth consecutive year at the 37th ADAC Nurburgring 24-hour race, set to start on May 23, with its new V12 Vantage. The driver of the V12? Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO.

“This is the final engineering durability test for the V12 Vantage programme. We will be subjecting the car to the toughest assessment yet under public scrutiny as we successfully did with the Vantage N24 programme,” Bez said in a release.

Featuring a 6.0l V12 engine, which develops 510 horsepower and 570 Nm of torque, the car has undergone only little modifications for the race. It will be as close to production standard as possible, the major differences being the safety enhancements brought to the car.

“We already have a proven track record at the Nurburgring racing our road cars with limited modification and in 2009 we also celebrate our 50-year anniversary of winning the ADAC Nurburgring 1000 km with a DBR1,” added the CEO.

The V12 will be shoed with specially selected Pirelli P Zero Circuit Racing slick tires to enhance the performance of the car. The tires are designed to withstand the car’s 190 mph top speed and its 4.2 seconds naught to sixty acceleration time.

The V12 will not be the only notable presence at the 20,000 miles plus endurance race, as the yellow V8 Vantage, (the original inspiration behind the N24/GT4 program) will also be making a return to the Nordschleife.

“The Vantage N24/GT4 programme has been a huge success to date. Since its inception in 2006, no standard N24 from the factory or customer team has failed to finish a 24-hour endurance race in 13 starts around the world – a remarkable testament to the durability of the Vantage,” David King, Aston Martin head of motorsport said.

For enthusiasts, the V12 Vantage will become available in July, with a starting price of £135,000. Only 1,000 units will be built.