Aston Martin’s bid to compete in the Le Mans Hypercar class may have been shelved, but its plan to build an extreme track weapon is not. Unburdened from road and Le Mans rules, the updated Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro got cranked up to 11.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie was revealed over four years ago and the car, co-developed with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Multimatic, was supposed to compete in Le Mans in the Hypercar class. Things didn’t go to plan and the Le Mans idea was scrapped. Thankfully, the Valkyrie road car and the absolutely bonkers AMR Pro are still on. The road car should finally get into customers’ hands this summer while Aston already has an update to the AMR Pro.
The Valkyrie AMR Pro gets a list of changes over the regular car and its own 2018 concept. The wheelbase is extended by 15.0 inches from the road car with the rear wing adding an additional 10.5 inches to the car’s total length. Aston says that the additional length helps the car achieve twice the downforce of the Valkyrie road car, allowing it to exceed 3G in lateral acceleration, too.
The hybrid system used in the road car got chucked into a dumpster, leaving behind the 6.5-liter V12. This Cosworth-developed engine is properly capable on its own with 1,000 horsepower and a 11,000 RPM rev limit. The hybrid system was good for 160 HP and shaving it off saves weight, though Aston doesn’t say how much. Other weight is shaved off in the form of lightweight Perspex acrylic windows, carbon fiber bodywork and carbon fiber suspension wishbones.
This car sounds properly ready to carry you to Valhalla. To prove it, Aston Martin is targeting a three minute, 20 second lap time around the Le Mans circuit. Forget the Hypercar class, that’s right behind the fastest LMP1 cars.
There are some drawbacks. One of them is that you can only experience the AMR Pro on an International FIA Circuit. Nope, you aren’t taking this to the local car show. At least those track days come with food, racing attire and a scenic drive.
Another drawback comes in the form of production. While Aston increased production to 40 units, 25 are already taken from the previous AMR Pro. Aston also hasn’t released any pricing, but I wouldn’t expect them to cost less than the $3 million that the road car costs.
The Valkyrie AMR Pro sounds amusingly daft and I love this idea of making a former race car even faster since there aren’t any rules to adhere to, a track version of a street version of a race car.
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