Aston Martin's presence at the Nürburgring marks the sixth successive time factory engineers complete a product sign-off test in what has been dubbed 'the toughest 24 hour race' under public scrutiny. Since 2006, the marquee has used the race to prove the reliability and durability of its new models -- first for V8 Vantage itself, then the new Sportshift transmission in 2007, the 4.7 liter engine V8 Vantage in 2008, the V12 Vantage in 2009, the four-door Rapide in 2010, and now, rather more ambitiously, for the first major test of a new concept car -- the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

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