Spy Shots: Competition-spec Aston Martin Rapide spotted testing on 'Ring

Aston Martin announced its intent to race a lightly modified Rapide at this year's Nürburgring 24-hour race, and what has to happen before that? Testing. Here is the black beauty with slicks and perspex windows caught measuring its mettle on that very track before doing the real thing in May.

The marque has taken class wins the last two years with its Vantage coupes, but it would still make for quite the hubbub if it pulls off the same in a 4-door hatch. All of a sudden, matte black as a production color really doesn't seem so bad. Have a look at it in the gallery of high-res photos below.