Aston Martin makes history at 24 hours Nürburgring

We brought you news of the hydrogen powered Aston Martin Rapide S making its way to the gruelling Nürburgring 24 Hours. Finally, it was Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez who made history by driving the first ever zero CO₂ emissions lap in an international motor race in the manufacturer’s #100 Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S race car at the 41st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Based on Aston Martin’s naturally aspirated Rapide S, the 6.0-litre V12 twin-turbocharged prototype punches out 550 bhp and goes from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. The Rapide S runs on a blend of gasoline and gaseous hydrogen.

Dr Bez commented: “We exceeded our already very ambitious target of completing a full lap of the Nürburgring and went on to cover 40 km in race conditions – nearly two laps – before the car automatically and smoothly switched to gasoline power.”

The intention of Aston Martin during the gruelling 24-hour endurance race is that it will complete at least one lap in each stint on pure hydrogen.