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Valkyrie-inspired Aston Martin AMB 001 Pro is a 225-horsepower superbike

Aston Martin is digging its boots a little deeper into the motorcycle segment. The company teamed with Brough Superior to develop the AMB 001 Pro, a limited-edition, 225-horsepower follow-up to the AMB 001 released in 2019 that was developed exclusively for track use. Both companies explain that the Aston Martin Valkyrie provided inspiration from the AMB 001 Pro. Power comes from a water-cooled, 1.0-liter V-twin engine that develops 225 horsepower, which represents a 25% increase compared to the AMB 001. If that doesn't sound terribly impressive, look at it this way: With a dry weight of 385 pounds, the Pro offers a power-to-weight ratio that's nearly on par with a Formula One car. Massive power requires massive brakes, and the AMB 001 Pro thankfully ticks that box as well. Up front, there are two stainless-steel discs gripped by a pair of four-piston calipers. Out back, there's a similar setup with smaller discs and two-piston calipers. The 17-inch 10-spoke front wheel and disc-style rear wheel are both made with carbon fiber to reduce unsprung weight, and the suspension system is adjustable. Beyond the impressive specifications, the AMB 001 Pro stands out with several cool features. One is a crankcase machined from solid billet aluminum. The body kit (which includes a front spoiler, a tunnel-effect air blade that directs air over the rider, side wings, and a rear stabilizer fin) increases downforce, and the livery is a tribute to Aston Martin's race cars. We hope you like green: it's the only color available. Hand-built in Toulouse, France, the Aston Martin AMB 001 Pro is on sale now. Pricing hasn't been released yet, but the company stressed that its second motorcycle is a limited-edition model, though there's no word yet on how many will be built. We've reached out to the company and we'll update this story if we learn more. For context, the original AMB 001 carried a base price of around 108,000 euros. Related video: 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 walkaround

Aston Martin-Red Bull 001 details: 175 units, $3M, 0-200-0 in 15 seconds

The Aston Martin AM-RB 001 is starting to sound like it will be the most extreme hypercar ever made. We're basing that on a series of new comments made by Red Bull Racing's resident aerodynamic genius and chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Dan Neil. Newey shared many interesting nuggets, so we'll try to provide a simple summary of how frighteningly potent the AM-RB 001 is. The new hypercar should hit 200 miles per hour in around 10 seconds, while a massive set of brakes will cut that speed to zero in half the time – in other words, zero to 200 to zero in just 15 seconds. That kind of stopping power sounds physically painful. Certain versions of the 001 will make up to 4,400 pounds of downforce, and if that's not enough to keep the car pasted to the pavement through 4G bends, Newey hinted that the active suspension will rely on the ground effect more than any other car. "I studied aero at the University of Southampton," Newey told Neil. "My final-year project in 1979 and '80 was on ground-effects aerodynamics applied to road cars and sports cars." Beyond the performance stats, Newey verified some of the broader questions about the 001's availability. For one, Aston Martin and Red Bull will build 175 examples of the potentially record-breaking hypercar, with 150 designated for road use and another 25 limited to the track – they're the ones that will enjoy the 4,400 pounds of downforce and full-on 4G cornering ability – so the chances you'll ever encounter a 001 in the wild are almost nil. And buying one? Plan on spending at least $3 million. Newey, along with Aston Martin Chief Designer Marek Reichman and Project Engineer David King, reveal more about the 001 in the piece, including some of the philosophical and design principles behind a $3M hypercar. It's very much worth a read, if you can get around the WSJ's pay wall. Related Video:

Aston Martin boss says DBX is about securing the future

The Aston Martin DBX was a revelation when it debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Not only did the concept evolve the British brand's traditional shape into a high-riding crossover coupe, there were electric motors to power each wheel. Just a few weeks ago, we learned that the company secured $306 million in funding to actually bring the DBX to production. Now, CEO Andy Palmer is talking about just how important the model is for the future. With the DBX moving into such a radically different segment than the rest of the lineup, the model gives Aston Martin the opportunity to go after a new group of customers. "You can't create enough working capital with just 7,000 cars a year whichever way you look at it. You've got to extend the portfolio somewhere, and I'd rather do this than sell caps and t-shirts," Palmer said to Auto Express, taking a slight dig at Ferrari. While Aston calls the DBX a crossover, its coupe-like lines don't look like any other vehicle in the segment, especially other high-style CUV attempts like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe. Apparently, that differentiation is entirely on purpose. "We think there is a different space to the traditional SUV. Why? Because we make beautiful cars, and it's hard to make a beautiful SUV. It's hard to make a box beautiful," Palmer said to Auto Express. The production DBX will gain two more doors for the start of production in 2019, according to Auto Express. The high-performance electric powertrain will remain, though, and Aston will aim for a range of over 300 miles. Earlier reports also suggested that the CUV could be produced at a new factory in the US. Aston Martin isn't abandoning its performance legacy entirely, though. The DBX is just one part of Palmer's Second Century plan, and the other major pillar is replacing every model in the brand's lineup by the end of the decade. One of them has already been spotted testing. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.