When Aston Martin->ke13 announced the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S we were pretty impressed by the company's ambitions to enter a hydrogen-powered car in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. However, it looks like the company did more than just enter the race, as the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S made quite a splash at the race where it managed to become the first race car to complete emission-free laps in an international automotive race. Even more so, there were moments when the car hit a top speed of 160 mph, while running just on hydrogen.

The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S was the only car to enter a special E1-XP2 race classification. The car needed only 30 seconds to refill, with the hydrogen being stored at 350 bar (5,076 psi) of pressure.

After the race, Aston Martin said that the new racecar "has showcased the most practical technology available to fundamentally address the challenge of global emissions without disrupting the automotive industry."

Click past the jump to read more about the 2013 Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S.

2013 Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S

The new Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S is based on the standard four-door Rapide and is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 engine that can be run on pure gasoline, pure gaseous hydrogen or a combination of the two.

The model features a special Hybrid Hydrogen system that includes a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management system. The system includes four ultra-high-strength carbon-fiber tanks that can hold 7.7 pounds of hydrogen stored at a 350-bar pressure.