Project AM-RB 001 is, for all intents and purposes, one of the two most heavily anticipated hypercars of the near future. Slated to be unveiled in production form late in 2017, then start production 2018, the Aston Martin hypercar developed with the help of Red Bull Racing doesn’t look alien merely for design’s sake. It does so because it’s gunning for more than 250 mph (402 km/h).
The information according to which the AM-RB 001 is capable of making the McLaren F1 put its money where its mouth is comes courtesy of design director Marek Reichman. Marek told Motoring that he and Adrian Newey get together like two peas in a pod. “We set out to find a solution that isn’t a compromise to either party,” told Marek, adding that the V12 engine will “displace between 6 and 7 liters.” A KERS system that's “more like a big capacitor” rather than an F1-spec KERS unit will help the V12 with a boost of 80 hp (60 kW). Thus, the Aston Martin official tells that it's best not to call the production version of the AM-RB 001 a hybrid hypercar, but just a hypercar.
Aston Martin Lagonda’s design director further told the Australian publication that the 12-cylinder powerplant will rev to a screaming 9,500 rpm, will have a flat-plane crankshaft, and will boast a “more open angle between the Vee,” to keep the vehicle’s center of gravity as low as possible. The aluminum block V12 will have its upper components made from carbon. Regarding the aero, Marek teases an active rear spoiler inspired by an F1 car’s DRS. A mind-boggling 4.5 Gs of lateral cornering force are on the model’s to-do list.
The design chief further let it slip that “there isn't a single piece of steel in the whole car,” explaining that carbon, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, and kevlar are the chief materials that will go into the making of the AM-RB 001. Each and every car will be tailored to the driver’s physique, including the driver’s seat, pedal box, and steering column. Even though production is limited to no more than 150 examples, crash safety gets top priority.
The Aston Martin official isn’t too happy about the idea of having to crash four AM-RB 001s in this regard, but here’s the thing: “the car is so rigid, we can do offset barrier, side, and rear on one tub.” How is that for a jaw drop? Oh, and another thing. The pictured concept is “95 percent of the final car.”
These being said, the similarly impressive Mercedes-AMG R50 hypercar has seriously tough competition coming its way from Great Britain.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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