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Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro | Screaming Viking from the Valhalla of speed

This summer, two years after Aston Martin debuted the 800-horsepower, track-only Vulcan, the English carmaker unveiled the harder, faster, more-aero-focused Vulcan AMR Pro. We still haven't seen the final version of the road-ready Valkyrie, but as of right now we know Aston Martin's 's how-fast-can-you-go roadworthy jewel will get a track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro flavor. Detailed specifics will need to wait, but we're told to expect lap times rivaling "recent Formula One cars." For perspective, insider trading on the Valkyrie road car suggests 1,130 horsepower and a 2,270-pound curb weight. A naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter V12 takes credit for most of those horses, the remainder coming from a Rimac-developed, F1-style kinetic energy recovery system. Yes, that Rimac. The Valkyrie AMR Pro will send owners to a g-force-induced Valhalla, having more power, less weight, and "significantly increased downforce." The designers used a lighter grade of carbon fiber, replaced the windscreen and side windows with polycarbonate, traded for a lighter, molded racing seat, threw out the infotainment system, installed carbon fiber wishbones on the new suspension uprights, and bolted on smaller, 18-inch wheels that will fit the same Michelin tires used on LMP1 cars. Beyond larger front and rear wings and new programming for the active aerodynamics, Adrian Newey's team tweaked every aero surface. Powering all that with a lustier, remapped 6.5-liter V12, Red Bull simulations show the Valkyrie AMR Pro capable of close to 250 miles per hour. Sustained cornering forces should hit 3.3g. Thanks to F1-style carbon brakes, deceleration force tops 3.5g. Here's more perspective: the Telegraph spoke to Red Bull F1 in 2010 about in-car g-forces, and wrote, "Breath control is crucial — you cannot breathe freely above 3g because to do so would expose you to the risk of passing out." Since those numbers hint at something like ground-based flying, Aston Martin has sensibly organized a ground-based flight school. Owners will get "an intensive and comprehensive driver development program" that takes advantage of the same facilities and simulator used by Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1. Fitness training comes with it. If you haven't signed the paperwork for a Valkyrie AMR Pro, you're too late. Twenty-five examples — one more than the Vulcan AMR Pro — will be produced, with expected delivery in 2020, and all are sold. Related Video:

Aston Martin's upcoming hypercar officially named Valkyrie

For all of the awesome design and impressive promised performance of the upcoming hypercar from Aston Martin and Red Bull, it has had until now a terrible name. AM-RB 001 never really rolled off the tongue, nor did it evoke power and beauty like past Aston Martin names, such as Vanquish. But Aston has fixed that with the car's new name, Valkyrie. It's a solid name, one that comes from Norse mythology. Not only that, but it continues Aston's use of names starting with "V" (Vantage, Virage, Vulcan, et al). It's also way easier to say than the serial number that was the old name. We're looking forward to getting the full official specs, too. So far, we know it will have a V12, and the company is aiming for a one horsepower to one kilogram power-to-weight ratio, similar to that of the Koenigsegg One:1. We've also heard that Aston will sell just 175 cars, with each running about $3 million. Related Video:

Aston Martin Vantage gets fresh new nose from Revenant Automotive

BMW's second-generation 4 Series has become the poster child of the shift towards oversized grilles, but Aston Martin jumped on this bandwagon before many when it revealed the current-generation Vantage in late 2017. Its wide, low grille continues to split opinions in 2020, and a British engineering firm thinks it has a better solution. Revenant Automotive redesigned the Vantage with a smaller, subtler grille. It's mounted higher on the front fascia than the original car's, it has black horizontal slats, and it's shaped like a grille Aston's designers could have drawn in-house. It doesn't look aftermarket, which is highly unusual in this corner of the industry. The twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine still needs air to stay cool, so stylists chiseled an air dam into the bottom part of the bumper and concealed it with black trim. The end result is a cleaner, more low-key look. Aston Martin integrated the Vantage's grille into its bumper, so installing Revenant's new-look part is relatively straight-forward. The transformation requires removing the original bumper, probably selling it on eBay for a hefty sum, and bolting on the new one. There is no cutting, sanding, welding, taping, gluing, or riveting required. Revenant's redesigned Vantage bumper is on sale now in the United Kingdom, and it can be shipped to the United States, though the company told Autoblog pricing depends on how it's configured. It's hand-made, and it's available in exposed carbon fiber at an extra cost. Looking ahead, the firm plans to expand its range of aftermarket Aston Martin parts by branching out into paint work and trim pieces, among other areas. It told us it's even planning on redesigning the car's rear end, though it's too early to tell what it will look like yet. Related Video: