Who says Aston Martins all look the same? The AM-RB 001 is a hypercar that backs up astonishing looks with a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio and a promise to upset the ‘Holy Trinity’.
The Aston Martin AM-RB 001 is the result of a partnership between itself and Red Bull Racing and will come in both road and track-only versions when it goes on sale in 2018. Between 99 and 150 examples will be built of the former and 25 of the latter for an undisclosed price.
Red Bull Racing chief Adrian Newey, F1 designer Marek Reichman and Aston Martin chief creative officer David King are the three main names behind the car, which features a mid-engined, two-seater design.
The AM-RB 001 is built around a carbon fibre structure designed to save weight, provide rigidity and maximise aerodynamics, resulting in ‘unprecedented levels of downforce in a road-legal car’. Power comes from a naturally aspirated V12.
While the power output of which is yet to be officially specified, Aston Martin says the AM-RB 001 has a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio – like the Koenigsegg One:1 – and that means there is 1bhp for every kilo of weight.
Newey did, however, say to expect LMP1 levels of power, which means around 1,000bhp is likely ─ a figure he nodded at when asked by the chaps at Top Gear. To be specific, Newey said it will average higher than an LMP1 car but peak somewhere lower because of a lower electric contribution.
Because a modern-day DCT automatic would be too heavy and bulky, a custom solution is going to be used although exactly what is still being decided.
As for the track-only version, it will do more than just offer an LMP1 output. Newey said it will match the same lap times, too, with bigger wings, wider tyres, stripped-back cabin and bigger diffusers making it more potent than its road-going brother.
If the AM-RB 001 seems familiar, it’s because it shares a few design aspects in common with the DP 100 concept from Gran Turismo, save for the fan that sucked the car onto the tarmac, which would be impractical.
Newey, who has wanted to design a road car since the age of six, said: “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.”
Newey said to expect performance beyond that of the current crop of hypercars, including the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari (collectively known as the ‘Holy Trinity’). Can this car really push other hypercars in the supercar bracket? Only time will tell, but the confidence and knowhow is certainly present.
Production of the Aston Martin AM-RB 001 will take place at Aston’s Gaydon plant in the UK. It will serve as a halo car, sitting above the Vulcan. Expect more details as we get them.
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