Aston Martin Valkyrie 01
Feann Torr20 Mar 2017
NEWS

Aston Martin Valkyrie successor possible

It won't happen overnight, but it will happen… Aston's hypercar race with AMG could be tip of iceberg

Aston Martin's $5 million Valkyrie hypercar will not just reset the benchmark for what a road car can do, it will obliterate the bench then vapourise the mark.

With a combination of extreme aerodynamics developed by the Red Bull F1 Team's aerodynamic mastermind Adrian Newey and a new V12 hybrid powertrain developed by a who's-who of the motorsport world, it's the kind of a car that'll go down in automotive history as a game-changer…

For now, says Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer.

Although the 745kW (1000hp) F1 racer for the road is as extreme as it gets – occupants are required to recline back in the seats to fit inside the compact passenger cell, which features a screen that pops up between occupants to stop arms and legs slapping/kicking during high g-force manoeuvres – its volatile performance could be outdone.

That's the word from Palmer, who commissioned the AM-RB 001 project and told motoring.com.au that at present the Valkyrie cannot be topped… At present being the operative phrase.

"I won't say it's impossible, but it's not possible in the next five or 10 years," Palmer said of a Valkyrie successor.

"You're going to need a revolution in materials technology or engine dynamics or aerodynamics before you could go further.

"That's what Adrian Newey is doing, he's pushing everything he knows about Formula 1, which is already the pinnacle of automotive technology and he's putting all of it into the Valkyrie."

Everything except an F1 engine, which is exactly what AMG is doing with its rival Project One hypercar, another bananas road car that will make its global premiere at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show in September.

But when talk of the Valkyrie's performance being outshone continued, the term "AMG" never entered the conversation. Perhaps that's because it's still an unknown quantity?

Supply and demand in the exulted hypercar world
It's understood that of the 275 AMG Project One hypercars being built and there are a number of vehicles without names next to them, whereas the 150 road-legal Valkyries were more popular than Google shares.

"Yes, there were over 600 requests for the car. It's a nice problem to have," explained Palmer, who reckons anything more than 150 units reduces the prestige of owning one.

"We worried about going beyond 150 because we have to balance exclusivity versus profitability, if you like. The more you make the better it is for us. But we didn't imagine we'd get the reaction we did, and it speaks volumes to the brand and speaks volumes to the dream of having that kind of a car.

He also added that "not everyone wants to be driving around in electric pods" and later expounded on the subject of homogenous vehicle design and what it spells for the future of exclusive brands like Aston Martin.

"There are still passionate people out there that are passionate about cars. And we found ourselves in an enviable situation. We had to choose customers, rather than customers choosing us. We tried to do it fairly," said Palmer, who confirmed he had the unenviable title of axe-man for the cull.

"There's an element of loyal customers, there's collectors too, but you spend most of your time looking at the names around the margins. Obviously some people are disappointed."

Some of those who missed out on the Valkyrie could be pacified by the emergence of a new family of mid-engine Aston Marton sports cars, but they may also jump ship to snap up the AMG Project One, which is somewhat more affordable at a mere $3.2 million.

The AMG hypercar has only been public knowledge for around six months and will no doubt sell out by the time construction begins. Nevertheless, Dr Palmer reckons the Valkyrie has set the theoretical benchmark and will continue to do so.

"When we started the project, no one had ever done a 2.5 million pound car," he stated.

Considering the explosive popularity of an extreme vehicle such as the Valkyrie is, and knowing the drive to be the best that a bloke like F1 maestro Adrian Newey has, it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility to see something with four wheels that could eclipse the upcoming generation of hypercars by 2030.

Forget redefining the benchmark, this next generation of road rockets could create a meta-benchmark.

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