A ride in the ultimate track day confirms that this thing is bananas.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

When Adrian Newey promised that the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro would be as fast as an LMP1 car around a circuit, there was open skepticism from many with a deep understanding of race car physics. Aston hasn’t released telemetry to confirm this claim yet, or a video of the Pro flashing its headlights at a front-end Le Mans car in its way. But having experienced it from its vestigial passenger seat, which is actually just padding stuck to the carbon tub, I can confirm that it feels painfully fast.

Giving journalists passenger rides in hotly anticipated new products has been a part of automotive PR for so long that Karl Benz probably invited some tame hacks for a ‘pre-drive’ in the Patent Motor Wagen. When it comes to quick cars the deal is a simple one – an experienced pro driver gives thrills and we get what is basically a rollercoaster experience. Granted, sometimes it goes a little wrong, but even then we tend to think it’s part of the fun.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

Yet this is different. The AMR Pro’s stats are both as intimidating as they are unlikely. As with its street-legal sister, power comes from a 6.5-liter Cosworth-built V12 mounted directly to the back of the tub. Shorn of the road car’s hybrid system, this makes a claimed 1000hp at 11,000rpm and propels a car that, although we don’t have a formal weight figure, is under 2200lbs. We don’t have an official downforce figure either, but designer Adrian Newey promised that the Pro will be able to generate twice as much aerodynamic assistance as the regular car. Suggesting something in the region of a 6000lb peak.

Newey isn’t at the Homestead Miami Speedway as the AMR Pro is set to give journalists passenger laps for the first time. The long, long gestation of the Valkyrie project, and the fact Aston Martin has subsequently bought its own Formula 1 team, means that the erstwhile connection between Aston and Red Bull Racing which led to the Valkyrie’s creation has now become a slightly awkward non-topic. But Marek Reichmann, Aston’s creative director, is present – the man who made sure the finished car carries at least some of the brand’s visual DNA.

“The car was designed to keep the packaging as tight as possible around the constraints of a human being and an engine,” he says, “that’s it – there’s nothing else, we don’t have a millimeter of spare space. It’s almost exoskeletal in its design, the tub is the structure, there’s no cladding on it.”

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

Driving duties at Homestead are in the very safe hands of Andy Priaulx, former World Touring Car Champion and a works Ford WEC driver. He has been one of the AMR Pro development drivers since shortly after the program began, the work filling in as his professional motorsport career wound down. “To be honest I didn’t think I’d get the chance to drive anything as quick as this again,” he says. Apart from a couple of tests in what was a current Williams F1 car in 2005, he says this is the fastest thing he has driven.

With multiple journalists to get through, and the Florida sunshine getting hotter, Aston adopts a simple technique to ordering the turns: size descending. As one of the mechanics puts it, because it’s easier to tighten straps in the Valkyrie’s ultra-snug cockpit than it is to loosen them. It also means the car’s pace should increase as the quantity of human ballast being carried goes down. I’m third-up, so have the chance to watch from the pit wall as the AMR Pro heads out for its first two stints. It looks brutally fast as it streaks past on the start-finish straight – we’re on Homestead’s road course – but more striking is the howl from the naturally aspirated V12, this increasing well beyond the point my brain is expecting to hear it change up. All 11,000 revs are being used, even though I later discover the engine has been turned down on its selectable mode to only make 800hp. “More than plenty for here,” as Priaulx puts it.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

Then it’s my turn. First discovery: there is no elegant way to get into a Valkyrie. The best way is to step over the huge sill and onto the seat before sliding downwards, this leading to a position that feels more like sitting on a bed than in a chair, ankles at the same height as backside. Room is predictably limited in the cabin; it will rarely have more than one occupant. To give Priaulx the space he needs to work the yoke-style steering wheel I have to fold my left arm across my body.

The AMR Pro sets off quietly, rolling on the power of its 48V starter-generator in a gentle mode intended for pitlane starts and reduced mechanical stress. (An electro-mechanical clutch does give the potential for aggressive starts on V12 power.) The engine fires into life at around 10mph and immediately fills the cabin with buzzing vibration, but my chance to experience it at lower revs last no longer than the pit exit; from that point onwards it spends the whole stint in close proximity to its redline, its short gearing making for multiple upshifts even on Homestead’s shorter straights.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

There is less drama than I am expecting. I had a similar passenger ride in the road-legal Valkyrie at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year, with Aston’s then CEO Tobias Moers driving. That was on road tires and a damp surface, with non-working traction control: the engine and the rear axle seemed to be engaged in violent combat for most of the run. But at Homestead the combination of slicks, a hot surface and working TC means that – although the V-12 sounds savage even through a helmet – there is almost no sense of slip. During my stint Priaulx has a single, immediately corrected rear-end breakaway in one of the slower turns, just to show he’s trying, but that’s the only slide I detect.

Yet the forces are enormous. Initial acceleration doesn’t feel much keener than a launch control start in a supercar, or a Tesla Model 3 Performance, although the the surge doesn’t seem to diminish any as speed rises. Braking is brutal, the Pro’s first full commitment stop making my carefully ratcheted harnesses feel suddenly loose. Cornering loads are even more punishing, and by the end of the first flying lap my neck muscles are struggling to support my head.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

It feels like the world has had its playback speed turned up, even as Priaulx’s steering inputs remain calm and unhurried. All the stages of cornering seem to have been compressed: slowing, turning, accelerating out. The speeds feel subjectively impossible, even as the lack of drama proves that they are not. Well before returning to the pitlane, having sweated all the way through the Nomex suit in just four laps, I’ve reached the conclusion that Priaulx isn’t actually trying that hard.

“Yeah, about eight tenths maybe,” he confirms when I ask about his commitment level, “I’m doing this all day, remember. So is the car.”

Will any owners who have ponied up the $3.5m necessary to buy an AMR Pro be capable of driving it to any high percentage of its abilities? Will they even care?

It is a truly ludicrous car, it is also a glorious achievement.

the aston martin valkyrie amr pro is a ludicrous, glorious thing
Aston Martin

Keyword: The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Is a Ludicrous, Glorious Thing

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Saloon

Regarded by many as the ultimate embodiment of an authentic Aston Martin, the DB6 made its debut in 1965 as the successor to the DB5. Despite benefiting from royal patronage and a reputation boost, the DB6 faced a challenging market scenario with economic uncertainties at home and increasingly stringent regulations ...

View more: 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Saloon

Aston Martin DBX707 Brakes Glow During Lap Of Las Vegas F1 Track

The 697-horsepower Kermit Green SUV hit 173 mph on the straight.

View more: Aston Martin DBX707 Brakes Glow During Lap Of Las Vegas F1 Track

Private equity firm acquires stake in Aston Martin F1 valuing team at $1bn

Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin F1 Team AMR23. 04.11.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 21, Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sprint Day. Arctos Partners has acquired a minority shareholding in AMR Holdings GP Limited – the parent company of the Aston Martin F1 team – it has been ...

View more: Private equity firm acquires stake in Aston Martin F1 valuing team at $1bn

1963 Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide Sports Saloon

In 1961, Aston Martin brought back the renowned Lagonda name with a lavish four-door sports saloon, drawing inspiration from the esteemed Rapide model of the late 1930s. Spearheaded by David Brown, the Rapide was a personal project that embodied his vision for a car equally suitable for driving or being ...

View more: 1963 Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide Sports Saloon

Aston Martin F1 team gets investment from PE firm Arctos

Companies Arctos Partners, Lp Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC Renault SA Nov 16 (Reuters) – The Aston Martin Formula One team said on Thursday it had agreed on an investment by U.S. private equity firm Arctos Partners in exchange for a minority shareholding. Owner Lawrence Stroll has sold ...

View more: Aston Martin F1 team gets investment from PE firm Arctos

Special Edition McLaren 750S pays homage to brand's Triple Crown success

Special Edition McLaren 750S pays homage to brand’s Triple Crown success McLaren has revealed a striking new 750S special project that acts as an ode to its achievement of winning the fabled ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsports. Just six examples will be made altogether in both coupe and spider form, and each ...

View more: Special Edition McLaren 750S pays homage to brand's Triple Crown success

Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550: 10 quickfire stats as 550bhp brute turns 30

Only 239 were made It took 1,200 hours to build The Vantage originally had a £177,600 price tag Unsurprisingly, the Vantage V550 had… 550bhp as standard It had almost 220bhp more than the Virage It did 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds It had a top speed of 186mph It had ...

View more: Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550: 10 quickfire stats as 550bhp brute turns 30

Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550: 10 quickfire pub stats as 550bhp brute turns 30

Only 239 were made It took 1,200 hours to build The Vantage originally had a £177,600 price tag Unsurprisingly, the Vantage V550 had… 550bhp as standard It had almost 220bhp more than the Virage It did 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds It had a top speed of 186mph It had ...

View more: Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550: 10 quickfire pub stats as 550bhp brute turns 30

Are these the 23 ugliest cars ever made?

Ferrari Is The Reason The Aston Martin Valkyrie Exists

Aston Martin has banished its biggest concerns but one remains

2009 Aston Martin LUV Concept Is Affordable V12 Show Car For Sale

“We need it” - Why Sao Paulo GP qualifying gives Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin “hope”

Felipe Drugovich ruled out of possible Williams F1 seat after Aston Martin announcement

Aston Martin cuts volume target as new sports car hits production snag

Aston Martin to Farewell Vantage GTE in Bahrain After 11 WEC Titles, 52 Wins

Aston Martin .1R Bicycle Is A Hypercar On Two Wheels

Lando Norris fires Aston Martin dig: ‘They’ve made the car slower with every upgrade…’

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Sports Saloon

Replacement rumoured for Lance Stroll if $800m Aston Martin sale becomes reality

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel