The AM-RB 001 hypercar has been revealed overnight by Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing with the companies claiming it is “a road car the like of which has never been seen before”.
THE JOINTLY PRODUCED AM-RB 001 has been revealed overnight by representatives from both Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing. The opening line from the release read: “The product of a unique Innovation Partnership between the British luxury brand and eminent F1 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.” Wow.
Built around a lightweight carbon fibre structure, the AM-RB 001 claims “unprecedented levels of downforce in a road-legal car” and that much of this downforce has been generated via underfloor aerodynamics. I can’t see it myself, but apparently the design “elegantly expresses both the AM-RB 001’s cutting-edge dynamism and the unmistakable essence of Aston Martin”. In addition to the development of a road-legal car, a track-only version of the AM-RB 001 is also in development with the companies claiming it will offer performance in the realm of a LMP1 Le Mans sports prototype.
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.
Despite all the hoopla around the reveal of the vehicle, Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing are keeping quiet about key details, although they did say the engine is a “mid-mounted, high-revving, naturally aspirated 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.”
