What is the Aston Martin Vulcan? It’s a track-only supercar packing motorsport-derived technology and a powerful 7.0-liter V-12 engine, and it’s racing to Switzerland for a debut at next week’s 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The Vulcan is designed to go up against other track specials such as Ferrari’s XX cars and theMcLaren P1 GTR, and like its rivals it also comes with a driver development program to ensure any potential owners will be able to get the most out of their purchase.
Virtually every element on the Vulcan is bespoke, with Aston Martin also offering power and dynamic performance adjustments for owners depending on their level of skill behind the wheel. At its heart is a naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter V-12 engine that’s tuned to develop more than 800 horsepower. The engine was developed together with Aston Martin Racing and sits in a front mid-ship position.
Utilizing the techniques of world-class motorsport engineering, the Vulcan sees its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of Aston’s own GTE cars which compete in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship. Almost everything is carbon fiber, with the monocoque and body sourced from Canada’s Multimatic, the same company that helped Aston Martin build the previous One-77 supercar.
Drive is channeled to the rear wheels via an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox and limited-slip differential. Other components of the drivetrain include a magnesium torque tube with carbon fiber propeller shaft. The wheels measure 19 inches across and within these sit massive Brembo calipers and carbon ceramic discs (15-inch at the front and 14.1-inch at the rear).
To aid the handling, the engineers added track-derived pushrod suspension with anti-dive geometry. This is complemented by Multimatic’s Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars front and rear, in addition to driver-adjustable anti-lock braking and traction control systems.
While the Vulcan does comply with all relevant FIA race safety requirements, the car doesn’t meet the overall requirements for any sanctioned sport so don’t expect to see it go racing. Instead, the cars, of which just 24 examples are planned, will form the basis of a driver development program where owners will get training from professional racing drivers including the likes of Aston Martin works driver Darren Turner, a Le Mans winner.
Using a number of exciting high performance Aston Martins including the V12 Vantage S and One-77 road cars and the Vantage GT4 race car, owners will gradually build experience and develop their track technique before being put behind the wheel of the Vulcan, Aston Martin’s most extreme car to date. The program will consist of a series of practical and theoretical driver training events starting in 2016 and taking place at some of the world’s top race tracks.
Of more interest to buyers of road-going Astons, the new Vulcan features a design language that hints at the next generation of Aston Martins. It was penned under the guidance of chief designer Marek Reichman and features a look inspired by the previous Design Prototype 100 (DP-100) developed for the Gran Turismo Vision challenge.
Further details on the Aston Martin Vulcan, including pricing and performance specs, will be released closer to the car’s track debut later this year. In the meantime, see what else is debuting at next week’s Geneva Motor Show by visiting our dedicated show hub.