Forget the Monaco Grand Prix, 24 Hours of Le Mans->ke1591 and Indy 500. The Nürburgring 24 is absolutely the greatest racing->ke447 spectacle in the world. The Nordschleife->ke999 and GP circuits combine to form a 15.5-mile course that was built to break cars. It attracts a field of nearly 200 teams that run everything from purposed-built GT3 cars to hatchbacks->ke304 to a vintage Opel Manta with a raccoon tail dangling from its aerial.

Then there are the fans, who are as passionate about racing as they are about swilling the local brew, Bitburger. A friend of mine once described the N24 campgrounds as Jurassic Park. The partying is non-stop for the entire week leading up to the race, with techno and metal blaring against a backbeat of race engines. If going to this race isn’t on your bucket list, it really needs to be.

But, if you can’t make it, then this video->ke278 might be the next best thing. Chris Harris was invited by Aston Martin->ke13 to drive a new Vantage GT12 in the 2015 N24, and other than its slick tires, required safety equipment and 50-horsepower drop to meet class requirements, it was a street-legal road car with a racing livery. Chris proves it by taking it for a spin on the roads around the Nürburgring before the race. Check out the video to see how he and the GT12 fare during the race.

Without restrictors, the 2016 Aston Martin GT12’s 6.0-liter V-12 produces 592 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm. In the sports car->ke506 tradition of paying more for less, it features a stripped out interior that helps save 220 pounds. It does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, but outright top speed is sacrificed in the name of downforce-generating aero add-ons that make it look like a GT3 racer for the road.

This is a wonderful video.

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT12

Read our full review here.