Aston Martin’s Valkyrie successor to usher in new turbocharged engine

Following the beautiful and brutal 1160-horsepower Valkyrie and its racing sibling, the Valkyrie AMR Pro, Aston Martin has revealed its third mid-engine hypercar: the appropriately named AM-RB 003. It promises to bring F1 technology to bear in a more street-friendly package than its predecessors and will be the first application of an all-new, turbocharged V-6 engine. It does not, sadly, have any relation to the Beef ‘N Cheddar sandwich. The RB is a reference to Red Bull, Aston Martin’s partner in Formula One racing.

The AM-RB 003’s styling and aerodynamics pick up where Valkyrie’s left off, giving the new car’s carbon fiber structure and bodywork a familiar shape. Perhaps the most striking difference is the addition of a Flexfoil morphing airfoil across the rear wing, the first-ever automotive application of the technology. It allows for the wing’s downforce to be altered to respond to changing needs while reducing drag and wind noise, compared to current technology that relies on simply changing the angle of the wing.

Making the AM-RB 003 more suitable for grand touring is a larger cockpit with room for luggage and a wider center console that’s been 3D printed for reduced mass. The LMP1-style doors also make it easier to get in and out of the cabin by taking some of the roof with them. Think Ford GT or McLaren 720S–the cutout allows you to step down into the car instead of ducking under the car’s low profile.

While it’s obviously not a car for the masses, Aston Martin tells us that the AM-RB 003 will be produced in larger numbers than the Valkyrie that inspired it and offer a bit more of a bias towards street driving. Miles Nurnberger, Aston Martin’s director of design, describes the AM-RB 003 as “a distillation of Aston Martin Valkyrie and not a dilution.”

Unlike the Valkyrie, which uses a Cosworth-sourced, naturally aspirated V-12, the AM-RB 003 will use an all-new, turbocharged Aston-Martin-designed V-6 engine. It will also use the Nexcel sealed oil system, first seen on the Vulcan, which will allow for 90-second oil changes. Performance figures aren’t out yet; we imagine Aston Martin will tease us with horsepower and acceleration figures between now and late 2021 when the AM-RB 003 enters production.