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F1 team Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin announce new "hypercar" venture

Xinhua, March 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin have announced a joint venture which will result in a road car faster than a Formula 1 car being sold to the public.

The two seat "hypercar", named the AM-RB 001, will be available for order immediately, and heads of both companies told buyers to get in quick, as "less than 100" would be built.

The two-company hybrid hypercar will use the Aston Martin V12 engine coupled with a kinetic engine recovery system (KERS) used in Red Bull's F1 cars, and it is expected to cost interested buyers around 3.8 million U.S dollars.

Australian Reb Bull Racing Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and Russian teammate Daniil Kvyat have both signed on to play a role in testing and developing the cars, which will be designed by F1 legend Adrian Newey.

Newey, who has designed 10 F1 championship-winning cars, told the press he had "always wanted" to make a road car and combining his passion for Formula 1 with the Aston Martin concept was "very exciting".

"To now be in a position where we I think have this very good match between our company skillsets... I'm very excited," Newey said at the product launch in Melbourne.

Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer said while the car "doesn't follow the same proportions as a classic Aston Martin" the F1 hybrid hypercar will still embody and represent the band with distinction.

"You always need a halo for the brand, something to look up to," Palmer said at the product launch.

"Elegance is still part of us and, in fact, even on this car, they'll still be an element of the craftsmanship and the refinement and all the rest of it but it'll also be a no excuses, kick-arse car."

He said while the car does not have an official "top speed" at this stage of development, he said it would be able to outperform the professional cars on the F1 circuit.

"It will lap Silverstone (race track) faster than an F1 car," he said.

Both Red Bull racing drivers are expected to give input on the production, design and performance of the cars, and Daniel Ricciardo said he was looking forward to pushing it to the limit.

"I'll probably need a few days with it, to be sure," the F1 driver said in jest. Endit