McLaren Senna and Aston Martin Valkyrie among the leading contenders.
The latest hypercars promise to absolutely shatter our notions of what we thought the automobile could do – on road, and track. Now it looks like they're about to undergo their biggest test yet. At its most recent meeting, the FIA's World Motor Sport Council approved a radical new plan for the World Endurance Championship and its headline event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And while the details are still being worked out, the bottom line is that it will mean converting hypercars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and The firm's upcoming hypercar is about to get even more wild?
It’s no secret the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar is a work in progress. We expect it’ll debut in early 2019, likely at the Geneva Motor Show. Until then, new and interesting tidbits are coming out, such as this interesting piece of info courtesy of The Supercar Blog. According to its unnamed sources, Aston Martin is working on a Valkyrie variant that will slot between the road car and the track-onlyValkyrie AMR Pro.
It’s reportedly called the Track Pack and it can be best described as essentially being the standard Valkyrie only with more aggressive aero body components that’ll come straight from the AMR Pro. Although there are some rumors claiming the AMR Pro will have more power than the Valkyrie road car, it remains unknown whether the Track Pack will also inherit the horsepower bump.
Chances are it will but it may not be quite as much. What’s for certain is that the Track Pack will be fully road legal. In addition, the Track Pack may also include an even lighter carbon fiber tub compared to the one already set to be offered in the Valkyrie road car. Could it be part of the Track Pack? If so, that would mean the Track Pack will offer pretty much exactly what we’d expect: lighter weight, more aerodynamic, and additional power. Already Aston Martin claims the standard Valkyrie road car will have a dry weight of 2,200 pounds. How much will this Track Pack further shave off? We figure at least 100 pounds.
Lastly, it’s still a mystery as to whether Aston Martin has offered the Track Pack option (assuming it exists) to all 150 Valkyrie customers (total of 25 Valkyrie AMR Pros will be made). If not, will the Valkyrie Track Pack consist of a separate production run? How much will the Track Pack cost as a standalone option?
We’ll only learn those answers in due time. In any case, the Valkyrie road car will come powered by a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine good for 1,130 hp. A Rimac-built hybrid battery system will also be included along with a seven-speed gearbox built by Ricardo. Each of those road going Valkyries are expected to cost at least $3.2 million each. No word yet how much the AMR Pro will Track Pack will set owners back but we doubt they’ll even feel the difference in their bank accounts.
View the original article hereSenna to race spec.
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Set to come into effect in 2020, the new regulations call for “freedom of design for brands based on a 'Hypercar' concept.” Just which hypercars remains to be confirmed, but rumors have been circulating for some time that the Senna and Valkyrie could be among them. Both McLaren and Aston Martin have taken part in formulating the new rules, as have Ferrari and Ford (which currently field their 488 and GT supercars in the GTE class) and Toyota (the last manufacturer left in the hybrid LMP1 class). The current top class has been dying a slow death over the course of the past several years, with manufacturers like Porsche, Audi, Nissan, and Peugeot all shutting down their LMP1 programs.
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Apparently the costs have just been too high, but series organizers are out to cut costs drastically to “one quarter of current LMP1 budgets,” according to the FIA. If Toyota remains committed to the format, as it's reiterated, it could develop something new like the GR Super Sport concept it showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year. It wouldn't be hard to imagine the Ford GT brought up to spec, either. And Ferrari could similarly upgrade its 488 GTE or base its entry on something more exotic like the FXX-K/LaFerrari. Nor would it be hard to imagine, at that rate, other manufacturers like Lamborghini, Porsche, and Mercedes getting in on the action, too.
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View the original article here
The latest hypercars promise to absolutely shatter our notions of what we thought the automobile could do – on road, and track. Now it looks like they're about to undergo their biggest test yet. At its most recent meeting, the FIA's World Motor Sport Council approved a radical new plan for the World Endurance Championship and its headline event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And while the details are still being worked out, the bottom line is that it will mean converting hypercars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and The firm's upcoming hypercar is about to get even more wild?
It’s no secret the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar is a work in progress. We expect it’ll debut in early 2019, likely at the Geneva Motor Show. Until then, new and interesting tidbits are coming out, such as this interesting piece of info courtesy of The Supercar Blog. According to its unnamed sources, Aston Martin is working on a Valkyrie variant that will slot between the road car and the track-onlyValkyrie AMR Pro.
It’s reportedly called the Track Pack and it can be best described as essentially being the standard Valkyrie only with more aggressive aero body components that’ll come straight from the AMR Pro. Although there are some rumors claiming the AMR Pro will have more power than the Valkyrie road car, it remains unknown whether the Track Pack will also inherit the horsepower bump.
Chances are it will but it may not be quite as much. What’s for certain is that the Track Pack will be fully road legal. In addition, the Track Pack may also include an even lighter carbon fiber tub compared to the one already set to be offered in the Valkyrie road car. Could it be part of the Track Pack? If so, that would mean the Track Pack will offer pretty much exactly what we’d expect: lighter weight, more aerodynamic, and additional power. Already Aston Martin claims the standard Valkyrie road car will have a dry weight of 2,200 pounds. How much will this Track Pack further shave off? We figure at least 100 pounds.
Lastly, it’s still a mystery as to whether Aston Martin has offered the Track Pack option (assuming it exists) to all 150 Valkyrie customers (total of 25 Valkyrie AMR Pros will be made). If not, will the Valkyrie Track Pack consist of a separate production run? How much will the Track Pack cost as a standalone option?
We’ll only learn those answers in due time. In any case, the Valkyrie road car will come powered by a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine good for 1,130 hp. A Rimac-built hybrid battery system will also be included along with a seven-speed gearbox built by Ricardo. Each of those road going Valkyries are expected to cost at least $3.2 million each. No word yet how much the AMR Pro will Track Pack will set owners back but we doubt they’ll even feel the difference in their bank accounts.
View the original article hereSenna to race spec.
Set to come into effect in 2020, the new regulations call for “freedom of design for brands based on a 'Hypercar' concept.” Just which hypercars remains to be confirmed, but rumors have been circulating for some time that the Senna and Valkyrie could be among them. Both McLaren and Aston Martin have taken part in formulating the new rules, as have Ferrari and Ford (which currently field their 488 and GT supercars in the GTE class) and Toyota (the last manufacturer left in the hybrid LMP1 class). The current top class has been dying a slow death over the course of the past several years, with manufacturers like Porsche, Audi, Nissan, and Peugeot all shutting down their LMP1 programs.
Apparently the costs have just been too high, but series organizers are out to cut costs drastically to “one quarter of current LMP1 budgets,” according to the FIA. If Toyota remains committed to the format, as it's reiterated, it could develop something new like the GR Super Sport concept it showcased at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year. It wouldn't be hard to imagine the Ford GT brought up to spec, either. And Ferrari could similarly upgrade its 488 GTE or base its entry on something more exotic like the FXX-K/LaFerrari. Nor would it be hard to imagine, at that rate, other manufacturers like Lamborghini, Porsche, and Mercedes getting in on the action, too.
View the original article here
