Aston Martin revealed further details about its unique new race car, a hydrogen-powered Rapide S, set for debut at this year’s Nurburgring 24 hours race. So Aston is going to be the first car maker in the world to set a zero-emission lap around the ‘Ring. Who’d have thunk it!

One of the best-looking cars on the grid this year, the N24 Rapide S is a large four-door saloon car powered by a twin turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine that is converted in collaboration with hydrogen experts Alset Global to run on hydrogen. The car will complete its qualifying lap on pure hydrogen emitting nothing but water. So we are not expecting a blistering time, but it’s not about the competition with this car, but promoting green motoring.

The Rapide S Hydro is capable of doing 0 to 62 mph in only 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph, but the weight of four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 3.5kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350bar won’t do it any good in the corners.

Competing is the duty of the specially-prepared Bilstein V12 Vantage GT3 that is equipped with a fantastic chassis and a brilliant 550 horsepower engine, as well as a good driver lineup – including Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D), Allan Simonsen (DN) and Pedro Lamy (PT).

Along with the GT3 and the Rapide S Hydrogen, Aston will also enter a close to production V12 Vantage, simply to test the car’s durability in one of the toughest races in the world and have a bit of fun.