Aston Zagato V12 racer: new pics

This weekend, over 200 cars will converge on the terrifying, harrowing and oppressively walled asphalt of the Nordschleife for the annual 24hr race. These racers will brave the forested hell of the Nurburgring's 15.7 miles in the hope of a) finishing, and b) not oversteering out of shot into some neighbouring barriers.

And six of those fielded on the terrifying track will wear an Aston Martin badge, including that machine you see above; a machine nicknamed 'Zag' which just weeks ago was premiered in Italy and transformed into an endurance racer, forming one of two Zagatos (the other's called ‘Zig') competing at the ‘Ring.

Zag will be piloted by, among others, Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, who will be hoping for a rather more favourable AM result than the catastrophe of France two weeks ago.

The two Zagatos will be joined by ‘Smurf' (V8 Vantage GT4), together with three privateer teams racing V8 Vantages.

"For five years we have signed off our new products by subjecting it to the toughest 24 hour test on the extremities of public roads," said David King, AM motorsport chief. "This year we go a step further by testing a car at prototype stage."

Click through for new pics of Zag, and stay tuned to TopGear.com over the weekend. We'll be avoiding a potentially embarrassing pit-lane accident and getting run over by a V12 this weekend, reporting live from the Nurburgring 24hrs, so stay tuned to TopGear.com.