When it was first announced in March last year, the AM-RB 001 was just a collection of promises made by a very excited Andy Palmer. A full styling reveal followed the detail-light announcement three months later, but technical details about the collaboration with Red Bull were still hard to come by. Finally, almost a year after being officially announced, we have concrete technical info about the nuts-and-bolts of the AM-RB 001.
OK, this isn't the full specification reveal we wanted, but it certainly paints a clearer picture of the car. To start with, power will come from a hybrid powertrain. At its core is a bespoke 6.5-liter Cosworth V12, hooked up to a lightweight battery system from Croatian manufacturer Rimac. No power output has been announced yet, but Aston Martin has promised a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1, which means the combined output should be around 1,000 hp (746 kW).
All this power will be put to the road (track, or polished garage floor) with a bespoke seven-speed paddleshift gearbox from Ricardo. According to Aston Martin the 'box has actually been designed by Red Bull Racing, and fits in with the lightweight ethos imbued in the rest of the car.
Just how Ricardo, which also manufactures the dual-clutch in the Bugatti Chiron, plans to make the seven-speeder strong, light and aerodynamic enough to fit in the Adrian Newey-designed underbody of the AM-RB 001 remains to be seen. The whole thing will be managed by a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) from Bosch.
Given the planned 1:1 power-to-weight ratio of the car, a serious set of stoppers is required. Alcon and Surface Transforms have been tasked with delivering the carbon-ceramic discs for the AM-RB 001, while Bosch will deliver the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and Electric Stability Programme (ESP) required to manage the big V12 and make sure owners don't go flying backwards into a hedge.
Just 150 examples of the AM-RB 001 will be built for the road, with an additional run of 25 track-only versions planned as well.
Source: Aston Martin