The FINANCIAL — Irvine, June 17th, 2011 – The Aston Martin Rapide will take to the track for a 24 hours endurance run to be held at Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch, Nevada, starting on June 25th.
Drivers from Aston Martin and Road & Track Magazine will run the Rapide road car simultaneously with Aston Martin’s participation in the Nürburgring 24-hour race in Europe, demonstrating the durability of Aston Martin’s four door sports coupe as well as raising money for charity.
Aston Martin has a long tradition of motorsport success and this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour will see a number of Aston Martins, including a brace of the company’s new V12 Zagatos and customer teams, competing in the endurance race. Aston Martin engineers have harnessed motorsport learning and incorporated race car derived technology to build some of the world’s finest sports cars for the road.
The Rapide combines sports car performance and Aston Martin craftsmanship with the everyday practicality of four doors. At the core of the Rapide lies a hand-built 6.0 liter V12 engine giving a power output of 470bhp and the standard feature Touchtronic automatic gearbox allows the driver to shift gear automatically or manually, allowing for a more refined or engaging driver experience as desired.
Designed at Aston Martin’s award winning headquarters in Gaydon, England, the beautiful Rapide is both luxurious yet functional. Four “swan wing” doors provide access to cosseting sports seats both front and rear bestowing occupants with ample accommodation and a 317 litre luggage compartment affords space for belongings, creating a truly versatile Aston Martin sports car.
Julian Jenkins, Aston Martin the Americas, said: “Since its launch, the Rapide has been popular with customers looking for an exclusive sports car with a combination of exhilarating performance, handcrafted style, and added four-door practicality. As well as raising money for Heart for Japan, this 24-hour initiative will give us an opportunity to showcase the endurance capabilities of the Rapide which in turn demonstrates its everyday usability and durability.”
Matt Delorenzo, editor-in-chief of Road & Track magazine, added “We’re truly excited to participate in this challenge. Since the Rapide made its racing debut at last year’s 24-hour race at the Nurburgring, we wondered how a street version would compare if driven continuously for a day over a closed circuit. Seeing how close we can get to the race distance covered last year will be an excellent measure of the car’s real-world performance.”
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