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ASTON’S
DEVIL
SPAWN
VANQUISH & RB 003! Two new hybrid V6
Aston Martin models seek to cut Ferrari’s lunch
ASTON MARTIN MEANS BUSINESS –
big business. Not content with being
solely the producer of luxurious and
powerful GT cars, the British marque is
going straight for the jugular with mid-
engined, rear-wheel drive offerings. Built
to rival the likes of Ferrari, McLaren,
Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG on
differing hypercar and supercar levels is
the AM-RB 003 and all new Vanquish.
Unlike the Valkyrie, which is a rung
above, the AM-RB 003 – or ‘Son of
Valkyrie’ – is a car Aston allows us to
compare to the likes of AMG One. “This
is the bridging project between Valkyrie
and Vanquish; the latter is the ‘cooking
product’ for want of a better term in our
mid-engined line-up,” explains Aston
Martin CEO Andy Palmer.
While clearly inspired by Valkyrie,
the 500 AM-RB 003s will blend that
car’s extensive use of carbon fibre
with elements of Vanquish’s V6 hybrid
powertrain in place of Valkyrie’s boostedV12. To an extent, development of the
AM-RB 003 will run in tandem with that
of the Vanquish, though it’s the more
expensive, carbon-tubbed car that will
hit the road first.
“Obviously the point of the V6 is that
it’s a smaller, easier-to-package engine,”
says Palmer. “One of the lessons we’ve
really embraced from the Adrian Newey
collaboration is an obsession with mass,
and wrapping everything as tightly as
we possibly can for reasons of efficiency.
You’ll see that in this car.”
Palmer confirms that Red Bull and
its celebrated aerodynamicist will work
directly on AM-RB 003, whereas their
influence on Vanquish is less direct. That
attention is evident in 003’s moveable
aero surfaces. Aston claims improved
efficiency and reduced noise versus a
conventional aero solution.
Inside, Aston’s designer Miles
Nurnberger talks of a ‘more habitable,
but still focused place’.22 may 2019 whichcar.com.au/motor