[DJ]

ASTON MARTIN V12 ZAGATO READIES FOR NÜRBURGRING CHALLENGE

8 June, 2011. Aston Martin's new V12 Zagato endurance race car concept will return to the Nürburgring this weekend for final preparations ahead of the 24-hour race hosted at the famous German circuit at the end of the month.

Competing in the 51st ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen VLN5 four-hour race on Saturday will be two examples of the V12 Zagato endurance race car which won the Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes at its first public appearance at the Villa D'Este Concours last month.

This warm-up race - used as a test session ahead of the Nürburgring 24-hour race which takes place between 25th - 26th June - will be the first time two new V12 Zagato race cars have been in action together after one of the pair enjoyed its first running under race conditions at the 53rd ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN race last month. This weekend will be used to refine race setup and allow further driver familiarisation with the new cars on the gruelling 25.378km circuit.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez will lead the driver team joined by the company's Nürburgring Test Centre Director, Wolfgang Schuhbauer plus experienced amateur racer Peter Cate in the first of the two V12 Zagato's. The sister car will be driven by One-77 Chief Engineer Chris Porritt, experienced sports car driver Oliver Mathai and automotive journalist Richard Meaden.

Introduced as a modern interpretation of the famous Aston Martin and Zagato collaboration in the 50th anniversary year of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, the V12 Zagato revives a collaboration which has produced some of the most beautiful and sought-after cars in the world. The partnership takes inspiration from the past to create a modern interpretation based on Aston Martin's ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range: the V12 Vantage.

The 51st ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen VLN5 four-hour race starts at noon Central European Time on Saturday 11th June with live updates on the progress of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato available by following @astonmartin – the company's official Twitter feed.

[Source: Aston Martin]