Aston Martin Vulcan receives AMR Pro kit

ASTON MARTIN RACING has developed a go-faster kit for the already ballistic Vulcan hypercar with the aim of shaving its laptime courtesy of some aerodynamic enhancements and shorter gearing.

With just 24 Vulcans sold around the world (and only one in Australasia), the market for this AMR Pro upgrade is clearly limited, and a track pack for a track-only car might at first seem a bit of a headscratcher, but the Vulcan’s raison d’etre is a hot lap, so a hotter lap is an entirely reasonable aspiration.

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The company unveiled the previous AMR models in March. The Vantage AMR Pro got an uprated engine and, being a model in current build, Aston Martin could open the books to a full production run. Which it did, claiming it would build seven cars.

The four-door Rapide looked a slightly incongruous target for the AMR treatment, but it nevertheless got the full treatment, the engine upgrades making it the fastest four-door production car in the world at 338km/h, and the Gaydon firm promised to build 210 examples of the hopped-up Rapide.

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At the AMR launch event at the 2017 Geneva show, CEO Andy Palmer said “They are the start of something very exciting—a program that will eventually see an AMR version of every model in the Aston Martin range.”

Therefore, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised that the Vulcan has come in for some AMR scrutiny. To be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the AMR Pro version promises increased downforce, greater responsiveness and reduced lap times.

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The changes, including an extra rear wing and front canards will also help plug the gulf in performance between the $3m, 600kW Vulcan – itself no sluggard – and the forthcoming 843kW Valkyrie, which looks frankly mind-boggling. The eventual AMR Pro version of that one doesn’t bear thinking about.

For the time being at least, if you’re one of the 24 Vulcan owners and you’ve been embarrassed on track by a Civic Type R with the boost wound up, well, you know what to do.