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Aston Martin Poached “Three Of Ferrari’s Key Guys” For Its 488-rivaling Supercar

When Enzo Ferrari was running the show, it wasn’t uncommon for Il Commendatore to annoy its employees – sometimes the most talented of the lot – into walking out on him and the Prancing Horse. But even today, when Ferrari is more business-oriented than it was during Enzo’s reign, some of the Italian outfit’s workers will gladly jump ship and help competing automakers.
Aston Martin Valkyrie 19 photos
Photo: Aston Martin
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In a recent interview with Autoblog, the head honcho of Aston Martin confessed that he’s “got three of Ferrari's key guys.” For what purpose, you might ask? To make Andy Palmer’s vision come true, giving Aston Martin a competitor for the segment-leading 488 GTB. “It's a big compliment to Ferrari. That's the defining car in its segment, and it's really, really good,” Andy noted.

There’s still not a definitive timeline on when to expect the production-ready model’s debut, but previous reports peg it in 2020 at the earliest and 2021 at the latest. A mid-engine supercar with supersport credentials, the yet-unnamed newcomer will employ technical know-how from the mind-boggling Valkyrie.

When asked about the current state of development, Andy Palmer came clean about eight quarter-scale clay models. “There's one in particular that I'm leaning toward. We've got it pushed out; it's gone to a second studio in Milton Keynes.” Want to know what Formula 1 outfit is based in Milton Keynes? That would be Red Bull Racing, whose chief technical officer helps Aston Martin with the design and the aerodynamic trickery of the Valkyrie hypercar.

It’s no wonder, then, that Aston Martin is extremely serious about delivering a superior supercar than the Ferrari 488 GTB, although it’s only natural to expect a replacement for the 488 by 2020. Slotted between the next-gen Vanquish and Valkyrie, the mystery supercar is likely to wow its segment.

One of the three Ferrari employees snatched by Aston Martin hasn’t been formally announced, but the other two are confirmed to be Max Szwaj and Joerg Ross. Szwaj is the former head of innovation and body structures at the Prancing Horse, while Ross used to carry the title of head of advanced engines.
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Editor's note: Aston Martin Valkyrie (2017 design evolution) pictured.

About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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