Seeking to leverage the longstanding competition heritage of Aston Martin Racing, Aston Martin announced the formation of a new AMR sub-brand and unveiled the first two models in Geneva. In addition to presenting the Aston Martin Rapide AMR and the Vantage AMR Pro, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin’s president and CEO, confirmed the company eventually plans to introduce an AMR derivative for every core model in its entire portfolio. The vehicles will come in fully street-legal AMR guise or track-only AMR Pro spec, the latter crafted by Q by Aston Martin Advanced Operations.
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According to Marek Reichman, Aston Martin executive vice president and chief creative officer, the decision to greenlight a line of high-performance/limited-run AMR-branded variants was made after watching overwhelming buyer demand for the limited-run Vantage GT8 and GT12. “Each time we have pushed the boundaries and done something extreme, the customers have loved the cars," he said. "AMR enables us to take Aston Martin into a new dimension. One where we can turn-up the sporting DNA present in all of our models and make a true statement. An AMR model will have an instantly recognizable design language, one that accentuates and amplifies, together with the latest GT race car technology for the road. They will be special and rare cars that are credible, thrilling to drive and hugely desirable to own.”
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Motivated by a 592-horspower/6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 that gives it a top speed of 210 mph, the Aston Martin Rapide AMR is finished in AMR’s signature Stirling Green with lime-green accents set off by a selection of carbon fiber detail bits. This ultra-swift sedan complements bespoke grille treatment with a unique front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and supplemental aero lip on its decklid while distinctive 21-inch alloy wheels round out the exterior revamps.
The cabin of the new Rapide AMR boasts a similar kind of motorsport flair, starting with lightweight carbon fiber front bucket seats trimmed in Dark Knight Alcantara also with lime-green accents. Carbon fiber also is used on the console, waterfall and doors. Aston has confirmed it will build 210 Rapide AMR models.
Aston Martin Vantage AMR Pro
A more dramatic–and more exclusive, as just seven will be created–exercise, the Aston Martin Vantage AMR Pro reprises the same exterior/interior color scheme but adds a load more competitive edge. This “ultimate iteration” of the Vantage V8 packs a 500-horsepower version of the naturally aspirated 4.7-liter used in AMR’s GT4 racer and matches its unique grille/valance, deeper splitter, front fenders and rear diffuser with a hood and rear wing borrowed from the V8 Vantage GTE competition cars.
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The Vantage AMR Pro pairs its race-spec fully adjustable suspension with stouter engine/transmission mounts and wraps its super-sticky Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires around 19-inch staggered-width center-lock alloy wheels. Inside, carbon fiber-rich cabin of the Vantage AMR Pro pairs lightweight shell-style buckets with a custom roll cage.
Aston Martin Red Bull hypercar to be called Valkyrie
Aston Martin also used Geneva to confirm its upcoming hypercar developed in partnership with Red Bull Racing will be called the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Initially referred to as the AM-RB 001 Concept while under development, the final designation hearkens back to Norse mythology and by no small coincidence, also maintains Aston Martin’s tradition of having its car names start with the letter “V.” Due to arrive in 2019, the Valkyrie will have a Cosworth-sourced 6.5-liter firm naturally aspirated V12 engine expected to make 900 horsepower. Aston Martin will build 150 road-going versions of this carbon fiber stunner and 25 track-only versions.
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