Aston Martin head Ulrich Bez announced during the Geneva Motor Show that the CC100 roadster will debut at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours. The roadster fuses the styling of the iconic, historic DBR1 sports racer with more modern design. The first CC100 will honor founder Aston Martin’s 100th birthday, and the second model will commemorate Sir Sterling Moss’ victory at the 1959 Nürburgring race where he crossed the finish line in his Aston Martin DBR1.
These are the only two CC100s the British sports carmaker has in the works at this time, and they won’t be cheap. The V-12 Vantage-based open-air sports car, which has an open cockpit, will sell somewhere in between the V12 Zagato’s 330,000 pounds (US $497,145) and the One-77’s 1.4 million pounds ($2,109,100).
Aston Martin will also roll out the latest in advanced vehicle technologies – its Rapide race car powered by a hydrogen hybrid engine (pictured). It’s got a 500-horsepower engine and will join the CC100 at Nürburgring 24 Hours. As a hybrid, it’s also powered by gasoline, which will fuel the car for most of the race. Still, the Rapide will deliver the very first “race-pace zero emissions lap” powered by hydrogen, according to Aston Martin.
Aston Martin’s Bez says that the Rapide is more than just a technology statement. He thinks that hydrogen hybrids may be the best way to achieve zero-emissions transportation in the coming decades. To reach zero, though, Aston Martin will need to find something other than gasoline for the miles traveled hybrid style.
