One-of-24 Aston Martin Vulcan for sale
A Vulcan bomber was a sight and sound to behold - the same could be said for its namesake
Those fortunate enough to have seen an Avro Vulcan bomber in flight will know how utterly intimidating it was peering up at the sky and seeing a giant delta-winged silhouette moving slowly across it. Then there was the noise it made, not only from the roar of its four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines, but also the unusual, guttural howl from air being sucked into its two rectangular intakes (correct me if I’m wrong, AV geeks). Certainly not something you’d want to be on the wrong side of - and nor would you ever want to take its name in vain.
See, naming a near-38-tonne, nuclear weapon-toting jet aircraft after the Greek god of fire seems rather fitting; less so for a now-defunct British manufacturer specialising in lorries and domestic motorcars (I had to Google it). This thing, however, has to be the most fitting use of the Vulcan name since the first Avro bomber took to the skies in 1952. Like the plane, the Aston Martin Vulcan is British-built, has wings and makes an almighty howl with the taps open. Unlike its namesake, the Aston hasn’t been parked up and resigned to the history books. Not yet, anyway.
That doesn’t mean you can simply jump in one and have at it, because of course you're not allowed to drive it anywhere beyond the confines of a race circuit (though some have figured out how to make it road-legal for those nutty and rich enough). This was Aston’s first attempt at creating its own Ferrari XX-style track toy for its wealthy clientele to muck about in. At its heart is a 7.0-litre naturally aspirated V12, available in various states of tune depending on how brave of a driver you are. On easy mode, the Vulcan can dish out a not-inconsiderable 507hp. That jumps to 684hp on its medium setting, while hard dials it up to 831hp.
Though the Vulcan’s carbon tub can be traced to the One-77, the rest is all motorsport-derived. The six-speed Xtrac sequential gearbox is almost identical to the one used in Aston’s old Vantage GTE racer, while the giant splitter, cavernous diffuser and towering, multi-tiered rear wing are said to generate up to 1,362kg of downforce. Those are similar numbers to a GT3 racer, though you’d need to get up to the Vulcan’s top speed of 208mph for the full whack - at which point you’re probably not doing much concerning.
You’d also need to be especially brave and talented to get up to those speeds in the first place. Reviewers at the time (and there were precious few) reckoned it could be a bit of a handful in its punchiest setting, even with the assistance of traction control. At least those who bought a Vulcan new benefited from driver training and Aston Martin’s bespoke track days; anyone who picks up this 2016 example will likely need to drop the carmaker an email to inform them of their latest purchase and that they’d like to be added to the programme, please.
It’s certainly worth mulling over though because only 24 Vulcans were ever produced (this is number 16) and most owners seem content on holding on to them. Either that, or they haven’t built up the courage to take it on track yet. Happily, this one has clearly been enjoyed by its previous keeper with 3,000 miles on the clock, roughly equating to the distance of every grand prix in an F1 season combined. A good excuse then to actually use the thing and not just leave it to the rear of a sprawling collection. If you’re feeling brave enough, of course…
k out of me. They’ve a price in mind for it, just state what it is that you want. What a machine though!, I hope that the new owner lets it breath out on a track somewhere in the world and not keep it tucked up as an ornament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyQsUMWcnpw&ab...
k out of me. They’ve a price in mind for it, just state what it is that you want. What a machine though!, I hope that the new owner lets it breath out on a track somewhere in the world and not keep it tucked up as an ornament.
Respect to the owner for doing 3,000 miles in this.
I remember the Vulcan bomber at the local Air show back in the day. The noise was truly extraordinary and the air would literally crackle with energy. Stealth was not its forte.
For a supercar at any price point this appeals so much more than Paganis, Bugattis, or anything else with 7 figure price tag.
Look at it, just a work of art, and underneath it is the same, then listen to that engine.......
Like others have saif, crying shame its natural habitat will likely be a dark dehumidified room, until it gets wheeled out to next auction.
Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff