Tuesday 6th March 2018

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro: Geneva 2018

Over 1,100hp, under 1,000kg, this is Aston Martin as you've never seen it before

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Such is the pace of the hypercar world these days that the Aston Martin Valkyrie almost seems like rather old news now. Since it was christened at last year's Geneva show, car's like the McLaren Senna and Mercedes-AMG Project One have stolen the limelight in the previously non-existent segment. This is something Gaydon isn't willing to take lying down. Or rather, it is, but only from the reclined, F1-style driving position of its own world-beating machine.

But how to improve on something supposed to already be at the pinnacle of road-legal performance? Well, in this curious age of four-door coupe versions of two-door coupes based on four-door saloon cars, up is down and down is up, and the best way to better your track car for the road, is to make your road car for the track.

This, then, is the Valkyrie AMR Pro, a track-only, very much road illegal take on Aston Martin's 'race car for the road'. Full technical details, says Aston, will be revealed in due course, but here's what we know for now.

Wider bodywork and significantly larger front and rear wings allow the Valkyrie AMR Pro to generate more than its own weight in downforce. Those elements are now made from a lighter carbon fibre than the standard car utilises which, in tandem with the removal of items such as the heater and infotainment screens and the fitment of a new ultra-lightweight polycarbonate windscreen, carbon fibre wishbones, moulded race seats and a lighter exhaust system, allows the Valkyrie AMR Pro to tip the scales at just 1,000kg - 30kg less than the road car.

Meanwhile, a re-calibration of the Cosworth-built 6.5-litre V12's emission control systems and a re-programming of the software governing the Energy Recovery System has resulted in a new combined power output of more than 1,115hp. The keen mathematicians among you will note that this means the AMR Pro far exceeds the current automotive holy grail of a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. The combination of the above with LMP1 spec Michelin racing tyres and F1 inspired carbon brakes means that, even in its high-downforce track configuration, the Valkyrie is still able to hit 225mph on the straights, before taking corners at over 3g.

Just 25 Valkyrie AMR Pros will be built, sitting at the top of the rapidly expanding AMR Pro series which already includes the Vulcan and Vantage. Each car will cost well in excess of the £3 million charged for the road car, with deliveries not expected to commence until 2020. We suspect to be seeing a lot more of this car before then, though.

[Macboy]

This is the automotive embodiment of the green puking emoji for me. Downforce, engineering, Newey, all sold blah blah. Every new iteration and public showing it looks worse than the last time I saw it.