Zig and Zag get ready for 24 hours of the Green Hell.
At the annual 24 Hour endurance race at the Nürburgring, Aston Martin is prepping two of their V12 Zagato racecars and a V8 Vantage GT4 to compete. Just weeks after being unveiled at the Concorso D’Eleganza at Villa D’Este and winning the Design award for Concepts and Prototypes, Aston Martin will send two of the concepts to one of the most grueling races in the world.
The two V12 Zagato racecars have been nicknamed “Zig” (green) and “Zag” (red) for the race. Zag will wear number 3 and be piloted by Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, Nürburgring Test Centre Director, Wolfgang Schuhbauer and automotive journalists Horst von Saurma and Matthew Marsh. Zig will wear number 5 at the Nürburgring and be driven by One-77 Chief Engineer Chris Porritt, experienced sports car driver Oliver Mathai, automotive journalist Richard Meaden and experienced amateur racer Peter Cate.
The other car that is being entered by Aston Martin is a V8 Vantage GT4, appropriately nicknamed “Smurf” for its original coat of blue paint. Now dressed in orange, the GT4 has a driver lineup that includes Aston Martin Racing works driver, Darren Turner, journalist and experienced 24 hour driver, Shinichi Katsura, Australian racer Rob Thomson and seasoned Nürburgring pilot Jurgen Stumpf.
“Our entries this year extend our Nürburgring racing philosophy. For five years now we have signed-off our new products by entering a car which is as close to the road car as possible and subjecting it to the toughest 24 hour test on what best simulates the extremities of public roads. This year we go a step further by testing a car at prototype stage,” said David King, Head of Aston Martin Motorsport. “As ever, the race will present an enormous challenge in a vast and increasingly competitive field which will be fraught with all the unpredictable elements associated with racing at the Nürburgring. However, we are excited by the potential we have seen from the V12 Zagato in the testing we’ve completed and that gives us great hope for the task ahead. We look forward to a safe, successful and enjoyable race for our teams and customers.”
The roofs of each Aston Martin V12 Zagato racecar will wear special “Heart of Japan” dedications for the Tsunami victims. The Aston Martin Rapide that was auctioned earlier in May for charity raised £100,000 for the victims. Before the race, Dr. Ulrich Bez will present the check to Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda and their Donation Fund for Employees in the Affected Disaster Area charity.
The green flag for the 39th ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hour race drops at 4pm CET on Saturday, June 25th. You can follow Aston Martin’s progress on twitter @astonmartin.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato Nürburgring Video
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq4NAEuFQZ4
Aston Martin Zagato 24 Hours Nürburgring Gallery
[Source: Aston Martin]
The V12 Zagatos finished well in their last race, how do you think they will do at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring? Leave a comment and let us know!
