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Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing are today revealing their ground-breaking hypercar; codenamed AM-RB 001.
The product of a unique Innovation Partnership between the British luxury brand and eminent F1TM team, this ambitious, uncompromising and wholly extraordinary collaboration combines the vision and skills of two world-leading brands to create a road car the like of which has never been seen before.
The three men charged with realising this shared vision are Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer and the world’s most successful F1TM designer, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer and David King, VP and Chief Special Operations Officer. Together they spearhead a formidable alliance. One that combines more than a hundred years of specialism – both with heritage, making some of the world’s most beautiful and charismatic GT cars, and with technological brilliance and relentless pursuit of speed and efficiency that has seen Red Bull Racing excel in the ferociously competitive world of Formula One.
Reichman and Newey are working closely on all aspects of the project, striving to ensure the AM-RB 001 is an unprecedented fusion of form and function: a car engineered to be entirely useable and enjoyable as a road car, but with the capability to perform like no road car before it on a race track. For those who crave an even more intensely focused driving experience, a track-only AM-RB 001 is also in development, the projected performance of which is in line with that of today’s LMP1 Le Mans sports prototypes.
Built around a lightweight carbon fibre structure, the AM-RB 001 boasts truly radical aerodynamics for unprecedented levels of downforce in a road-legal car. Thanks to the genius of Newey’s design much of this downforce is generated through underfloor aerodynamics, leaving Reichman free to craft a pure yet breathtaking dramatic form that elegantly expresses both the AM-RB 001’s cutting-edge dynamism and the unmistakable essence of Aston Martin.
Uncompromising in all respects, the AM-RB 001 is a bespoke machine from the tyres up. It will be built by David King and his team at Gaydon, in the purpose-built facility created for Aston Martin’s original hypercar, the One-77. More details of the AM-RB 001's technical specification will be revealed in due course, but its heart is a new, mid-mounted, high-revving, naturally aspirated V12 engine with the potency to achieve a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio; 1 bhp per kilo of weight.
To cope with the extreme aerodynamic loadings at high speeds yet deliver the on-road usability and comfort levels that sit at the heart of the concept, the AM-RB 001’s suspension system will feature innovative technology and employ principles honed by Newey over his thirty year career. Likewise, the transmission is a clean-sheet design conceived by Newey and developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
While boundary-pushing performance is clearly of paramount importance, so too is exceptional efficiency and packaging. Newey’s unrivalled knowledge has enabled the AM-RB 001 to be extremely light and compact, yet offer genuine comfort and space for driver and passenger and house a V12 engine.
Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, says of the AM-RB 001 project: “I’ve long harboured the desire to design a road car. The formation of Red Bull Advanced Technologies brought me a step closer to realising that ambition, but I believed we should work with an automotive manufacturer. Aston Martin was at the top of my list. The synergy between Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin is clear. I knew Red Bull Racing had the ability to handle the pure performance aspects, but Aston Martin’s experience of making beautiful, fast and comfortable GT cars is of great benefit to the project. I’ve always been adamant that the AM-RB 001 should be a true road car that’s also capable of extreme performance on track, and this means it really has to be a car of two characters. That’s the secret we’re trying to put into this car - the technology that allows it to be docile and comfortable, but with immense outright capabilities.”
David King, Aston Martin’s VP and Chief Special Operations Officer, adds: “Working at Aston Martin means you get to be a part of some truly special projects, but the AM-RB 001 is a dream - a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Of course it’s a huge engineering challenge, too, but the game-changing objectives of this programme have a uniquely energising effect on everyone involved. We have world-class people and facilities at Gaydon. We’re all motivated to achieve great things and take Aston Martin to the absolute pinnacle of road car performance.”
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, says of the AM-RB 001: “Working so closely alongside Adrian and an organisation like Red Bull Racing is a fabulous experience. By definition the objectives we’ve set for the car ensures there has never been an Aston Martin - or any car, actually - quite like the AM-RB 001. The shared challenge has been finding that magical tipping point where we achieve the most efficient engineering solutions and the most beautiful styling solutions without any compromises. My personal challenge has been expressing the AM-RB 001’s extraordinary performance and the unique way in which it delivers that performance. Its style reflects its revolutionary nature, while possessing the form and beauty that makes it unmistakably an Aston Martin.”
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and CEO, commented: “The AM-RB 001 is a truly remarkable project and something of which I’m extremely proud. To have Aston Martin working alongside Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing and the invaluable assistance of project partner AF Racing AG is an extraordinary creative collaboration. One that unites the very best of road and race car thinking. As the project gathers pace its clear the end result will be a truly history-making hypercar that sets incredible new benchmarks for packaging, efficiency and performance and an achievement that elevates Aston Martin to the very highest level.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing said: “Red Bull Racing has always steered an innovative course in our ongoing development of a competitive Formula One car. The conception and modus operandi of Red Bull Technologies has been to apply our expertise to truly progressive projects and partnerships. Our relationship with Aston Martin and the realisation of the AM-RB 001 is pioneering and borne of our synergies and desire to break new ground. The AM-RB 001 is the inspirational product of this collaborative spirit.”
Continuing the on-going Innovation Partnership, the task of engineering the AM-RB 001 will be shared between Q by Aston Martin Advanced and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, with production taking place at Aston Martin’s Gaydon facility. Total volume will be between 99 and 150 road cars inclusive of all remaining prototypes and 25 track-only versions, with first deliveries commencing in 2018.
And, coming from Aston Martin, looks wise, it is disappointing. I mean, at least they could have incorporated some classic AM stylistic elements into the design, be it the headlights, or other features of the car. Also, really hope there are other wheel options but I am pretty sure those look the way they do for a functional reason.
Compared to their past race car efforts, this falls very short in the looks department.
F**k it. Don't care how it looks because it's as close as we'll get to a street-able F1 car designed by Newey.... The performance stats promise to be crazy.
Additional details on the track-only version of the Aston Martin Valkyrie have been released prior to its arrival in 2020.
The track-focused Valkyrie, dubbed Valkyrie AMR Pro, will be limited to just 25 units globally. It will be powered by the same 6.5-liter V12 and Rimac-developed hybridsystem as the road car, but with output boosted by a yet to be specified amount. It will roll on smaller diameter 18-inch wheels, which make room in the wheel wells for meatier Michelin rubber made of the same compound as an LMP1 car. Bringing things to a stop will be F1-inspired, race-spec carbon ceramic brakes.
Aerodynamics and weight reduction will play a major role in the Valkyrie AMR Pro’s quick lap times. It will do away with some of the creature comforts of the road car, such as the HVAC and infotainment screens, and will also feature a polycarbonate windscreen, lighter carbon bodywork, new suspension uprights, carbon fiber suspension wishbones, molded race seats and a lighter and louder exhaust system. The aerodynamics, developed by Red Bull F1 technical chief Adrian Newey, will be further enhanced with larger front and rear wings and revised active aero parts.
Aston Martin claims the Valkyrie AMR Pro will be “capable of achieving lap performance to rival recent Formula One cars,” or LMP1 cars. The automaker predicts the top speed to be around 250 mph and that it will be capable of pulling 3.3g in the corners and more than 3.5g under braking. Given the car’s extreme performance, Aston says Valkyrie AMR Pro customers will be taken through an “intensive and comprehensive driver development programme,” prior to taking the car out on the track.
“Valkyrie has always been about pushing the limits and redefining the possible,” said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. “The road car will set new benchmarks for performance, engineering and technology – a hypercar in the truest sense – and with the track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro those limits will be pushed further still. It’s a remarkable project. One that’s propelling Aston Martin and 25 of our most passionate customers into a new and extraordinary realm.”
The first Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Customers will take delivery of their cars in 2020, so expect the finished product to debut sometime in 2019.
Aston Martin has played the ultimate Top Trumps card at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show with the world debut of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro - the sensational track-only evolution of the marque's spectacular hypercar.
Taking the world's most extreme road car as its basis, the AMR Pro version distills the combined knowledge, expertise and aspirations of Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, and Aston Martin's most talented design and engineering teams, led by Marek Reichman - Aston Martin's Chief Creative Officer - and David King - Chief Special Operations Officer - to create a car with the performance capabilities of a current Le Mans LMP1 prototype or Formula One car.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro completed a magnificent trio of track thoroughbreds displayed on Aston Martin's new Geneva Show area at stand #2229, located in Hall 2 of the Palexpo Exhibition Centre. Flanked by the 2018 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1TM show car and Aston Martin Racing's new Vantage GTE World Endurance Championship challenger, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro was unveiled by Newey and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's Team Principal, Christian Horner. Joining them were Reichman and Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer - the official watch partner of Aston Martin and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
Full technical details of the Valkyrie AMR Pro will be revealed in due course, but those headline figures that can be disclosed provide a remarkable statement of intent. Key to the car's unprecedented track performance are its lightweight construction and high-downforce aerodynamics - a combination that will result in a car that weighs 1000kg, yet is capable of generating more than its own weight in downforce.
To achieve this remarkable figure all the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro's aerodynamic surfaces have been revised in the pursuit of significantly increased downforce. Most obvious changes are wider bodywork and much larger front and rear wing elements, which together with revised active aerodynamic control strategies tailored for the demands of track driving. In order to save weight this bodywork uses a lighter construction of carbon fibre. Likewise the removal of items such as the heater/de-mister blower and infotainment screens fitted to the road car, and through the fitment of new ultra-lightweight track-specific components such as a polycarbonate windscreen (with heater elements) and side windows, carbon fibre suspension wishbones, moulded race seats and a lighter exhaust system ensure the AMR Pro hits its 1000kg weight target.
Calibration changes to the 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine's emission control systems and re-programming of the Energy Recovery System control software will result in a combined power output of more than 1100bhp - more than the Valkyrie road car and a figure than comfortably exceeds the magic 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. That's to say more than 1bhp to propel every kilogram of mass.
The single-minded pursuit of top speed has never been part of the Valkyrie ethos, yet even in high-downforce track configuration the AMR Pro is still capable of hitting 225mph. Of far greater benefit to lap time is the track-only Valkyrie's ability to achieve lateral acceleration in excess of 3G - a figure far beyond that of any other car derived from a fully homologated road car.
Red Bull Racing's Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey said: "Seeing the Valkyrie AMR Pro and this year's Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1TM show car together at Geneva is a special moment for me. The Aston Martin Valkyrie road car draws extensively from the knowledge I have gained during my career in Formula One, but the AMR Pro version has allowed me to work beyond the constraints of road legality, or indeed practicality! We've told a few of its secrets, but by no means all. I will leave it to the public to ponder the lap time predictions. Suffice to say they're quite impressive."
Commenting from the Geneva Show stand, Aston Martin's Chief Executive Officer, Andy Palmer, said of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro: "Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a true racer at heart, so to see the track-only Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro together with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's Formula One and Aston Martin's World Endurance Championship cars here at Geneva is fabulous. I'm starting to get used to some of the extraordinary things Adrian (Newey), Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin and all our exceptional technical partners - now including Mobil 1 and Esso as Valkyrie's official oil and fuel partners - are capable of, but the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is something truly mind-bending."
Speaking at the debut event, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing said: "It is hugely rewarding to see the Valkyrie AMR Pro unveiled here in Geneva, another evolutionary step in the relationship between Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin. We set out together with an ambitious and pioneering road map to create something extraordinary in partnership, and the Valkyrie AMR Pro is yet another turn of that wheel."
Just 25 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pros will be built. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2020. All cars are sold.
It appears Aston Martin wants to build a bridge between the street-legal Valkyrie supercar and the track-only AMR Pro model with an optional track pack model.
The Supercar Blog reported Friday that Aston Martin will offer a Valkyrie track pack model and cited unnamed sources. It's unclear if the rumored track pack is an optional equipment package for the already-announced 150 street-legal Valkyries, or if there will be a separate production run. The British company will make 175 cars—25 will be AMR Pro models that will not be street-legal.
Should the sources' information pan out, the track pack will allegedly build on the standard Valkyrie and add aero-focused body panels from the AMR Pro model. The track pack could also unlock more horsepower over the regular Valkyrie and customers may also get the choice of an even lighter carbon-fiber tub. More power over the confirmed 1,130 bhp is a wild thought for Aston Martin supercar and the lighter monocoque would surely create a power-to-weight ratio greater than 1:1.
But Aston Martin hasn't provided any solid information on this rumored track pack. The company could be offering the option behind the scenes to customers, but anything is possible when it comes to the exclusive supercar. Each customer will have the ability to personalize and customize the car to his or her liking with a bevy of options on their disposal. The final price sits at $2.6 million.
If the company has stuck to its timeline, Aston Martin should start building the Valkyrie soon and the first examples will be delivered in early 2019. If the so-called track pack does exist, we'll likely learn about it when production kicks off for the British supercar.
The naturally aspirated engine produces 1,000 horsepower and revs up to 11,100 rpm.
Just about every automaker is getting ready to hop on the electric bandwagon – including Aston Martin with the Rapid E – but today we’re here to talk about an old school naturally aspirated engine. “Old school” is perhaps not the right term to describe the Valkyrie’s V12 as it’s a state-of-the-art engine developed by the experts at Cosworth.
As massive as the 6.5-liter unit is, the entire engine weighs only 206 kilograms (454 pounds). What impresses the most is the sheer power of the V12, developing 1,000 hp at a screaming 10,500 rpm and 740 Newton meters (546 pound-feet) of torque at 7,000 rpm. The Cosworth heart of the Valkyrie can rev all the way up to 11,100 rpm and produces 153.8 horsepower per liter.
These mind-blowing numbers are no match for the surreal sound delivered by the 65-degree internal combustion engine, which by the way will work together with a battery hybrid system for an even greater combined output. Aston Martin isn’t ready to talk about the entire electrified powertrain of the Valkyrie, but promises it will disclose juicy details later in the hypercar’s development program.
Billed as being the “ultimate expression of the internal combustion engine,” the V12 developed by Aston Martin and Cosworth uses pistons derived from the ones used in Formula 1 cars. Most of the engine’s internal parts are machined from solid material while the crankshaft is 50 percent lighter than the one used for the V12 engine powering the rare One-77. The ICE will be linked to a bespoke single-clutch gearbox engineered by Ricardo and designed by Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey.
As you may recall, all 150 cars planned for production have already been pre-sold for $3.2 million apiece and customer deliveries are programmed to kick off next year.
In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is a fierce maiden who swoops down to choose fallen warriors to carry them to Valhalla. Aston Martin is channeling that otherworldly vibe with its new track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro, which shakes a fist at the law of physics by maintaining an extraordinary amount of downforce even with its astonishing weight savings.
The Gaydon, UK-based automaker ditched the battery-electric hybrid system in favor of the sole use of a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 that revs to 11,000 rpm. The weight-loss plan also includes a fair amount of carbon fiber in the bodywork and suspension wishbones; a Perspex acrylic windscreen, which is more durable and transparent than you might imagine, takes the place of heavy glass.
This hypercar’s history began several years ago, when Aston Martin teamed up with Adrian Newey, Red Bull Advanced Technologies, and Multimatic to create the Valkyrie race car design, aimed squarely at winning the 24H Le Mans race in the Hypercar class. Starting with that concept, Aston Martin stripped out the constraints of racing and on-road regulations to create the Valkyrie AMR Pro. The AMR Pro version has twice the downforce of its on-road sibling, generating lateral acceleration of more than 3G. Some people can black out from that amount of force, so drive carefully if you get behind the wheel.
If you have the $3 million-plus for one of these examples of automotive art, Aston Martin will bestow you with a track experience at an International FIA Circuit with an instructor so you can learn how to drive it. Dinner, racewear, and support from the team are the icing on top of the full package.
Deliveries of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro will begin at the end of this year, with a production run of 40 cars plus two prototypes.
Aston Martin is having a big year. The British sports car marque has joined Formula 1 after rebranding the Racing Point team part-owned by executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, launched a new AMG-powered Valhalla, and, as we recently reported, slashed its pretax losses thanks to the success of the new DBX SUV. Now Aston Martin is planning a reveal at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which gets underway next week.
The biggest debut is a new vehicle that Aston Martin says will “extends the company’s performance credentials a step further.” Although the company didn’t specify the model, the teaser image provided shows what appears to be an Valkyrie roadster. In the photo, we can see the seat headrests poking up behind the top edge of the windshield and scissors doors rather the roof-mounted gullwing doors on the Valkyrie coupe. Aston Martin has yet to reveal whether this convertible Valkyrie will have a removable roof or if it will be permanently open to the elements. The hypercar is set to be revealed August 12 at a private event before going on display for the Concours on August 13.
The recently-unveiled Valhalla, which sits below the Valkyrie (but should still cost north of $1 million), will also have its North American debut at the Concours, and Aston Martin confirmed that the Valhalla will be limited to 999 units over two years of production.
Aston Martin is using the show to celebrate the 70th anniversary of selling its first vehicle in the American market, as the company says that around a quarter of all Aston Martins built to date were first sold in North America and that the Americas still make up about 30 percent of Aston Martin’s annual global sales.
The new Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider, unveiled at 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, is a thrilling next-step in the progression of the Aston Martin Valkyrie bloodline. It promises an even more intense experience. One shaped by the unbeatable sensory stimulus that comes with roof-off driving in one of the world's most extreme hypercars. One that delivers the most comparable experience to that of an F1® car, not limited to the track.
The pursuit of open-top luxury comes with the challenge of ensuring the core experience remains true to Aston Martin and Adrian Newey's exacting performance objectives for the original Aston Martin Valkyrie programme. As these positioned Valkyrie at the very cutting-edge of hypercar design and engineering it means the Aston Martin Valkyire Spider has benefitted from unique engineering solutions born from the combined talents of Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT).
While the Aston Martin Valkyrie's unique 1155PS hybrid V12 powertrain remains unchanged, the Valkyrie Spider has received revisions to its carbon fibre structure, plus precise recalibration of both the active aerodynamic and active chassis systems. All with an eye to maintaining optimal Valkyrie performance when driven in a roof-off condition.
Key to Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider's unprecedented performance is the ultra-lightweight construction and high downforce aerodynamics package. The upper body surfaces of the teardrop-shaped cockpit and lower tub contours follow the envelope of space available between the huge full-length Venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit floor. Drawing huge quantities of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser, these tunnels are the key to generating Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider's extraordinary levels of downforce - >1400kg at 240km/h in track mode - while keeping the upper body surfaces free from additional aerodynamic devices that would spoil the purity of the open-top styling.
By following the same exacting Valkyrie ethos, and with just a marginal weight difference to the Coupe, Valkyrie Spider remains a quintessential package of efficient and lightweight solutions. Capable of achieving a vMAX of 330km/h+ with the roof removed (350km/h+ with roof on), its the fastest and most extreme open-top, road-legal Aston Martin ever built. Delivering LMP1 levels of performance, Valkyrie Spider is simulated to set impressive lap times, not normally achievable in a road-going car.
The same driver focused cabin sits at the heart of Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider. F1® inspired low hip-to-heel height and near-central seat positioning, along with a 6-point safety harness to keep the occupants safely in the car. A centre rear-view camera system along with front and rear parking sensors will aid the driver at both high and low speeds, with displays sitting just above the Instrument Panel.
Valkyrie Spider features a bespoke, removable lightweight roof comprising of a carbon fibre central panel, latching onto the tub at the rear and to the windscreen surround at the front, along with a pair of polycarbonate roof windows, hinged on either side. On opening the doors, the roof can simply be lifted off and stowed away. Modifications to the carbon fibre tub have been made to support the removable roof panels and the luxury open-top layout, as well as new doors. The now front-hinged dihedral doors, which are unique to Valkyrie Spider, have been redesigned to tilt forwards.
The task of implementing these changes will be completed by Aston Martin's engineering team, who are also responsible for managing the test and verification process. Extensive use of powerful simulation tools means development of the Valkyrie Spider is already well underway, ahead of the build and physical testing of the first development prototypes.
Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers said: "The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the product of incredible innovation and technology, but above all it has always been about emotion. With the Valkyrie Spider we are taking that passion and emotion to the next level. The driving experience promises to be truly sensational. The sound of that 6.5-litre V12 engine revving to over 11,000rpm with the roof removed is something I cannot wait to hear."
Red Bull Racing's Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey said: "Right from the very beginning of the Aston Martin Valkyrie project we were driven by exacting targets that went way beyond any previous road car and the Valkyrie Spider brings that same ethos to the open cockpit hypercar category. What you see is a simple removable roof panel, but the challenge of remaining true to the Valkyrie concept was anything but. Maintaining aerodynamic performance with the roof removed was of paramount importance, likewise keeping any unavoidable weight gains to an absolute minimum whilst maximising enjoyment for the driver."
Following unprecedented demand, the 85 examples of the Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider are over subscribed and allocations will begin shortly, available in both left and right-hand drive derivatives, with first deliveries scheduled for H2 2022.
We already know that the Aston Martin Valkyrie is immensely, obscenely and brilliantly loud, but CEO Tobias Moers recently told TG that the noise in the cabin would be around the 126 decibel mark, meaning customers will need to wear noise-cancelling headphones when driving.
Moers said that all Valkyrie buyers were “okay with that”, which is good news. Presumably none were expecting their Adrian Newey-designed, Cosworth 6.5-litre V12-engined hypercar to be a quiet cruiser. For reference, on most decibel scales a jet taking off ranks around 120 decibels.
The Valkyrie’s engine is structural and bolted directly to the chassis, and Moers admitted that the noise couldn’t be reduced any further. Would you really want it to be, though? The noise just makes the Valkyrie even cooler, and you’ll look like a fighter pilot in your headphones and cramped little cockpit. Plus, the oil pump Aston is using for the engine is actually from an Apache helicopter, so there’s a genuine (if slightly tenuous) link there.
Aston has delivered 10 Valkyries to customers so far, with seven being road cars and three track-only AMR Pros.
Big boss Lawrence Stroll recently told TG: “Valkyrie is an insane car for anybody to have undertaken. I’ve got a Formula 1 team, and it’s harder to build this car than an F1 car. A Formula 1 team has 800 people to build five cars a year, this is a harder car to build. There’s been nothing like it before, and I promise you there will be nothing like it again.
“I’m very proud that Aston Martin did this. No other OEM would take this on.
“When we started to build it I had to realise that we couldn’t use people from our production line, and I moved people from my Formula 1 team here to build it. That was not originally planned. It’s extremely complexed, but we’re building them. We’re getting them out the door.”
07-11-2016, 12:23 PM
