It’s been close to 12 months to the day since we told you about an outrageous new hypercar produced in collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull.
The AM-RB 001 was jaw-dropping in so many ways. It looked amazing with quintessential hypercar lines and a power output of around 900bhp to justify its ballsy appearance.
Weighing little under a ton, it boasted a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, which means it goes like absolute lightning.
You can read more on the car as it broke in 2016 here, but Aston Martin has now revealed some of the design secrets that shaped the car that was eventually renamed Valkyrie.
Downforce plays a massive part in the Valkyrie’s awesomeness and its extraordinary levels of stick comes from the teardrop-shaped cockpit’s upper body surfaces and lower tub contours, which draw buckets upon buckets of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser.
Hypercars aren’t renowned for their spaciousness but interior space benefitted from the seats being mounted directly to the tub, with occupants adopting an F1-style ‘feet-up’ position to make the driver feel ‘at one’ with the car. Surprisingly, this seating position actually serves to improve safety too.
Wing mirrors create drag and on a hypercar that’s the last thing you want. Consequently, traditional door mirrors were ripped off and smashed on the design room floor, only to be replaced by discreetly mounted rear-facing cameras in each of the Valkyrie’s flanks.
Footage from these cameras is fed into two displays sat at the base of either A-pillar, mimicking the view provided by conventional door mirrors.
As well doing away with any unwanted aerodynamic disturbance, this unorthodox approach to door mirrors also avoided any stylistic clutter.
There’s no rearview mirror either, but that’s more down to the all-enveloping bodywork and roof-mounted engine air intake killing off any potential space for a rear window.
Aston Martin’s creative director of interiors Matt Hill said making the Valkyrie’s cockpit design work had been “a tremendous challenge”.
“We’ve embraced Red Bull Racing’s Formula One ethos and approached from a different angle than conventional road car design,” commented Mr Hill.
“In this instance, we’ve started from a position where you think something is impossible and work at it until you find a way to make it work. We’ve been fighting for millimetres everywhere, but the battle has been worth it, as it’s been fantastic seeing customers try the interior buck for size.
“They love the ritual of getting in and how it feels to be sat behind the wheel. They’re also genuinely surprised at how the car just seems to swallow them. You really do have to sit in it to believe there is genuine space for two large adults.”
The Valkyrie is due to go into production in 2018 ahead of going on sale the year after, with a price tag expected to be £2-3 million.
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