What's the news?
Aston Martin hasn't even delivered one of its hyped-up Valkyrie hypercars yet and already there's a more extreme version to think about, falling under the company's AMR Pro brand. If you've been paying attention, that means it'll be a limited edition and developed solely for track use. It'll be lighter and more powerful than the already quite extreme Valkyrie road car, too, plus it will have a lot more downforce and other upgrades that will, according to Aston, make it able to lap a race track at a similar pace to LMP1 and recent Formula One racers. That's quite a claim for a car based on one you could, theoretically, pop to the shops for milk in.
Exterior
The 'standard' Aston Valkyrie already looks remarkably different to most supercars and hypercars on the market thanks to the unusual shape of its underside and what we assume will be pioneering aerodynamics. Adrian Newey, 'the most successful Formula One designer of all-time', is responsible for the design, which has resulted in a diminutive vehicle with remarkably minimal bodywork. The AMR Pro version, however, takes that relatively simple shape and covers it in further aerodynamic appendages, all in a bid to create masses of downforce. The front and rear wings are much larger and the active aerodynamics work differently to how they do in the road car. Weight savings have been found in the carbon fibre bodywork and there are polycarbonate side windows and windscreen with heating elements built in. Finally, the AMR Pro's wheels, at 18-inch in diameter, are smaller than those in the regular Valkyrie to allow fitment of Michelin racing tyres, as used by the World Endurance Championship (WEC), no less.
Interior
Inside, there's more weight reduction at work, including a ditching of the heater, demister fan and infotainment screens. The two seats will be moulded race items too, fixed in place.
Mechanicals
Cosworth's naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine will be used in the AMR Pro Valkyrie, but, without the limitations of emissions control, a recalibration has released more power and torque (Aston isn't saying how much as yet). A freer-flowing and lighter exhaust is also included. Apparently, the combination of weight reduction and increased engine outputs will result in a top speed of about 400km/h, while the track-only Valkyrie is expected to sustain cornering forces of up to 3.3g and braking of 3.5g. The latter is thanks to all-carbon brakes inspired by those used in Formula One.
Anything else?
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Valkyrie has always been about pushing the limits and redefining the possible. The road car will set new benchmarks for performance, engineering and technology - a hypercar in the truest sense - and with the track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro those limits will be pushed further still. It's a remarkable project. One that's propelling Aston Martin and 25 of our most passionate customers into a new and extraordinary realm".
Palmer is referring to the 25 collectors that will take delivery of the AMR Pro, as that's all that will be made. And every one of them is accounted for already. We don't know how much they've paid, but it's probably of the order of two million Euro.