Aston Martin Rapide for Nurburgring
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Aston Martin
8th April, 2010
Aston Martin will return to the starting grid of the legendary
Nordschleife circuit for the fifth consecutive year at the 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race on 15th-16th May 2010
with the marque’s new four-door sports car; the Rapide.
Further underlining the sporting credentials of Aston Martin’s latest model, the Rapide will compete in the
demanding 24-hour race – as has been the case with other recent Aston Martin road cars, the V8 Vantage and V12
Vantage. The Rapide will compete in near-standard specification apart from mandatory changes required to compete in
this most demanding of endurance races and will be driven by a team of engineers from the company’s Gaydon
headquarters in Warwickshire, England.
Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez who will lead the Rapide driver team, explained: “This race
represents the ultimate final engineering durability test for any sports car – it subjects the car to the toughest
possible assessment under public scrutiny.”
“The Rapide has the capability to carry four people in comfort but first and foremost it is a sports car and
we will subject it to the same tests we would our other sports cars. We already have a proven track record at the
Nürburgring racing our road cars with limited modification and in recent years we have enjoyed success in winning
the SP8 class both in 2008 and 2009.”
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The Rapide race car will be close to production standard with only essential race safety modifications, interior
trim removed to reduce weight, re-tuned suspension and will run on slick tyres designed for track use.
The Aston Martin Rapide encapsulates the values of Aston Martin in pure four-door sports car form with an
unrivalled combination of performance, comfort, craftsmanship and exceptionally elegant design. Since the Rapide’s
original premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 the car has gone on to win the widespread approval of
customers and media commentators alike, prompting strong global demand for the car. Deliveries of the Rapide
commence later this month through Aston Martin’s 125-strong global dealership network. The first Australian
deliveries are anticipated in June 2010.
The Rapide race car will be joined by a V12 Vantage – again modified only slightly for racing – which in 2009
swept to a class win on its competitive race debut. The near production standard V12 Vantage – which finished in
21st place overall last year – saw off competition from a field of largely specialist race cars in the SP8 class
to claim an impressive debut win.
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