by "Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
Published 03/26/2017 at 22:20
by "Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
Published 03/26/2017 at 22:20
Tags: Thoughts
STARS: 3
We know two cars out of the three cars so far. The first is the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the second is whatever the AMG Project ONE will be called. Both are extremely focused on being street legal F1 cars with pricing starting around the $2 Million to $3 Million range. These cars will introduce a new level of performance and exclusivity. I bet we will very likely see their values jump to $5 Million or $6Million soon after deliveries have been taken.
The Valkyrie is the divine love child of Aston Martin and Red Bull. It will have a 6.5L Cosworth NA V12 assisted by a Rimac-built KERS hybrid system mated to a 7-speed Ricardo dual-clutch transmission. The MonoCell is being done by Multimatic, Bosch is handling all the electronic magic, Michelin is tailoring the tires, all while Alcon and Surface Tensions work on the braking systems.
Pretty much every aspect of this car is utilizing the highest level of attention and dedication from the best names in the industry in regards to their particular specializations, respectively. This is like Nike going to Figarono Cordellini just for active-aerodynamic aglets on the shoelaces which were being developed by Alpine Lacing Innovation and Technology (ALIT). Except the difference is that all of Aston’s partnerships actually exist!
* Every US reader got really excited for Cordellini aglets because they are conditioned to believe insignificant things with Italian names in front of them are desireable. #Branding .
Then add in the fact that this road-smoker will probably end up weighing less than a US-spec Alfa Romeo 4C all while throwing down four or even five times as much power. But the craziest part is that this aero-slayer will produce around 4,000 lbs of downforce. The Viper ACR produces up to 1,700 lbs of downforce which is about 400 lbs more than what the McLaren P1 puts down.
Around 99-150 road cars will be built and only 25 cars will be the “track” edition. Whooo!
The AMG hypercar which they have designated “Project ONE” is very similar, completely different, and all the more vicious and comfort focused compared to the Valkyrie. The future is filled with aggressive and highly exaggerated paradoxes. While the AM-RB Valkyrie will hit our passion in the most raw and primal of ways by being the peak of tradition, this AMG will enter at the same apex of this mountain but stare straight forward to the other side in order to hit our techie/engineering geekdom. While Aston is making a Formula One car with a crazy road car powertrain, AMG is making a road car with a crazy Formula One powertrain.
We are talking about the 1.6L turbocharged V6 from the F1 W07 racecar. The engine will have its RPMs managed for a 1,280 rpm idle and a redline around a very protestant 11,000 rpm in order to “legalize it.” Of course you’ll need to get the engine refurbished or replaced every 31,000 miles. Hey, if you drive 3,000 miles a year then you got yourself a ten year life span. “See Honey, it’s even better than a Hyundai powertrain warranty and has AMG-branded Cupholders!”
* Note: “AMG-branded Cupholders” is the term used for passengers wearing the complimentary AMG beverage mittens that come with the “Convenience Package.”
Add in two electric motors moving the front, one assisting the rear, and that no energy is wasted on this beast and you have a hypercar that’s “efficient” in all the ways automakers hope you never notice they are wasteful in. Again, this is another vehicle that will be lighter than a US-spec 4C and be capable of unleashing around a kilo-horse of power. The icing on top is that it will utilize a single-clutch transmission in order to save weight. Just imagine 11,000 RPM apocalyptic shifts from an engine with cylinders half the volume of your neighbor kid’s GTI!
A total of 275 units will be produced so you know there are more forms coming, especially a super track special since that unit count is awfully high for a $2.5 Million car.
Here’s the tough part, all things automotively awesome come in sets of three it seems but I cant tell you where the third car is going to come from. The McLaren BP23 is sounding more like a Bugatti Chiron and Koenigsegg Regera style of exclusive, multimillion dollar hyper-touring vehicle (but not competing with them since that isn’t a thing at this level).
The issue with cars this far removed from regular old wealth is that the level of discernment is extremely sensitive while being subjective and the vehicles are so exclusive that they sit in their own worlds. However, you cant stop plebeian internet comparisons and I still believe there is another car coming that will be in the group alongside the Valkyrie and AMG PONE. I think both of those cars will end up running Nurburgring lap times between 6:29 and 6:46 depending on their specifications. Now, I’d love to include the variants of the Scuderia Glickenhaus SCG 003 because I love the thing but I think there will be something else from a “mainstream” player arriving around 2020.
Sadly I don’t have any answers on where the third hypercar in the Formula Trio will come from, but it’s most likely going to be all electric like the NIO EP9 while beating that 7:05 ‘Ring time by 15 seconds. My money is on BMW and/or Jaguar.
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I’m going to keep saying it, from here until 2024 we will get the greatest performance vehicles in all of automotive history from EVERY BRAND in EVERY SEGMENT. Performance is going to make such huge leaps forward all over the market that rather than accepting the lunacy we, the enthusiasts, are going to become filled with outraged that cars have, “too much performance!” And if you aren’t already feeling overwhelmed with hypercar name dropping in this post then let me say that there’s at least eight other hypercars coming between 2018 and 2024 from Autotrader-listed brands, then add in startups and independent manufacturers and we’ll have an end to all the labels because we won’t be able to keep up anymorr!
The hype-train is starting here on Oppo. Don’t let Car Throttle, Motor Trend, or Drive Tribe say they started it!
"marshknute" (marshknute)
03/26/2017 at 22:36, STARS: 0
If you told me a year ago that the next Holy Trinity would contain an Aston and a Mercedes, I honestly wouldn’t have believed you.
I’m kinda hoping a third oddball rounds out the trio (Lotus, Honda, Renault, etc)
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
03/26/2017 at 22:36, STARS: 1
It’d HAVE to be Ferrari. Ferrari is starting to dull, at least to me. Between the substandard F1 seasons, confusing ownership carousel and other top end cars being every bit as good as them(if not, better) Ferrari needs to take this chance to leap ahead and re-establish itself as THE premier sports car manufacturer.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
03/26/2017 at 22:41, STARS: 1
Im really hoping BMW or Jaguar to go along with their Formula E entries. But I think Audi is doing something big with Quattro Sport so we may end up with an all-electric hypercar trinity at the end of the decade as well as this one with Aston, AMG, and ???.
"Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy)
03/26/2017 at 22:42, STARS: 0
Right now I think it’s just a duel between Aston-Red Bull and Mercedes. Good. We got two of the most famous GT drivers around on TopGear. Stephane Ratel is just one phone call away. Spa is available; so does Suzuka; so does The Glen; so does Interlagos.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
03/26/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 1
Ferrari will have something big, but that will be after Sergio retires (next year, I think) from FCA major and does solely Ferrari full-time. That should get really nuts around 2020. All kinds of cool stuff is setup right now across the entire industry!
"Scouting For Zen" (scouting-for-zen)
03/27/2017 at 00:16, STARS: 0
While the thought of a Formula E inspired hypercar is intriguing, and will probably happen someday, I think for right now the only contender would be Koenigsegg. Yes, yes, I know their whole business plan is basically hypercars, and they don’t race, but hear me out.
Honda’s engines are crapping out, and you talked about why McLaren’s not going to be a part of this. Lambo has no F1 history—in fact, I’d say all of VW is out because of Dieselgate, unless they pull the mother of all rabbits out of their corporate hat and bring out an electric hypercar. Ferrari just did a hypercar, I don’t think they’ll have enough time in between making more special editions of stuff they’re making now. Pagani won’t care, as he’s obsessed with doing his own thing (which is, admittedly, breath-taking). Bugatti doesn’t race, and neither does anything American. And unless God Himself wills it, I don’t see a hypercar coming out of Toyota or Nissan in the near future.