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27.2.15

The new Aston Martin Vulcan


 Introducing the Aston Martin Vulcan – a track-only supercar and the British luxury brand’s most intense and exhilarating creation to date.

Born out of extensive motorsport experience – and using the brand’s acknowledged flair for design and engineering ingenuity – the 800-plus bhp, all-carbon fibre Aston Martin Vulcan promises truly extreme performance.

Uniquely for Aston Martin the new supercar – limited to just 24 examples worldwide – will allow owners the opportunity to precisely tailor their track day experience through a graduating scale of detailed power and dynamic performance adjustments.



 CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: “Aston Martin Vulcan is, by its very nature, a rare and thrilling supercar. Designed and engineered to deliver a genuinely bespoke driving experience that draws on our rich heritage, this car tailors its power and handling to both the capabilities of the driver and the characteristics of the track.

“A sports car for true sports car lovers, I believe the Aston Martin Vulcan – and the unique ownership programme that sits behind it – sets a whole new standard in the ultra-high luxury supercar class.”

Motorsport-inspired
Styled entirely in-house by the Aston Martin design team led by Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, and with a design language hinting at the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars, this supercar is powered by the most potent iteration yet of the company’s naturally-aspirated, 7.0-litre V12 petrol engine.

With its 800-plus bhp powerplant developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, this front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car draws extensively on the brand’s rich GT motorsport experience.


Utilising the techniques of world-class motorsport engineering, the supercar sees its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of the GTE cars which compete in the FIA’s annual World Endurance Championship.

Comprising cutting edge engineering including that sourced from the brand’s successful GT racing campaign, the car features a carbon fibre monocoque and body constructed by Aston Martin’s long-term specialist body engineering and manufacturing partner Multimatic, integral limited-slip differential, magnesium torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft and Brembo racing calipers acting on carbon ceramic racing disc brakes which measure 380mm in diameter at the front and 360mm at the rear.

Drive is channelled to the 345/30 x19 rear wheels and Michelin race specification tyres through a race-bred rear mid-mounted Xtrac six-speed sequential shift gearbox.
Track-derived pushrod suspension with anti-dive geometry is complemented by Multimatic’s Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars front and rear, driver-adjustable anti-lock braking, and variable traction control.



The new track car will comply with all relevant FIA race safety requirements.
Aston Martin’s Director of Special Projects and Motorsport, David King, said: “Taking the extensive learning from our various successful racing programmes and applying it to this exceptional track car for customers has been an exciting and sometimes challenging task for the team here at Gaydon.

“Our deep and broad motorsport experience, allied to our renowned road car expertise, has allowed us to make the Aston Martin Vulcan the absolutely compelling proposition it is today.”

Fast-track training
Prior to taking delivery of their cars, owners will be offered the opportunity to take part in an extensive and detailed programme of intensive track driver training.
Experienced racers including Aston Martin Racing’s Le Mans-winning Darren Turner will support owners on their learning journey, offering them the chance to refine their track driving technique and increase their ability through a carefully-constructed series of practical and theoretical driver training events.



 Using a number of exciting high performance Aston Martins including the V12 Vantage S and One-77 road cars and the Vantage GT4 race car, customers will gradually build experience and develop their track technique, before beginning their thrilling personal journeys into the immense performance potential of their Aston Martin Vulcan.

David King said: “We will be running a series of exclusive track day events commencing in 2016 that will offer the opportunity for these customers to explore their driving capabilities, and the car’s performance potential, on some of the world’s most famous and glamorous race circuits.”


There will also be the option of time in the virtual race car world of Darren Turner’s Base Performance Simulators, where buyers will have ample opportunity to further refine their driving style in the safety of the digital race track.

No longer the exclusive preserve of Formula 1, it is widely acknowledged that using a simulator can help prepare a driver for any race; improving technique and consistency as well as, ultimately, lap times.

Almost infinitely flexible in terms of colour and trim options, the exclusive new sports car will be offered to buyers through Aston Martin’s VIP sales programme, using the expertise and luxury customer service that is now a hallmark of the brand’s ‘Q by Aston Martin’ bespoke personalisation service.

Dr Palmer added: “We have already received strong interest from the customers we have spoken to about Aston Martin Vulcan.

“The cars will blend our traditional Aston Martin values of Power, Beauty and Soul with an unrivalled ownership experience; a unique combination that will guarantee their place in the brand’s rich and charismatic history.”      

Performance data, together with further technical details about the ultra-exclusive track-only supercar, will be released closer to its track debut later this year. 

The Aston Martin Vulcan will make its world debut on the 85th Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday March 3. 


25.2.15

The New McLaren 675LT


The McLaren 675LT will make its world debut at the 85th Geneva Motor Show, with a clear focus on performance, light weight and ultimate levels of driver engagement – all key attributes of a McLaren ‘Longtail’. Offered as a Coupé only, the 675LT will be the most track-focused, yet road legal, model in the McLaren Super Series, with a power to weight ratio that eclipses established rivals. The sprint from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes just 2.9 seconds, with controlled torque delivery ensuring optimised traction off the line. Acceleration continues at relentless pace with the 200 km/h barrier broken in 7.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph).

The first images of the car demonstrate a more aggressive look for the McLaren brand than has been seen before. Styling cues run from the extended carbon fibre front splitter, through an extended door blade and additional cooling intake, to the circular twin titanium exhaust pipes, giving a hint to the performance available for the most powerful and lightest model in the McLaren Super Series. The active ‘Longtail’ Airbrake is 50 percent bigger than the one fitted to the 650S yet, due its carbon fibre structure, is actually lighter. This is just one of the enhancements that add up to a dry weight of just 1,230kg.

More than 50 percent of parts have been changed in the 3.8-litre V8 engine to deliver increased levels of power, torque and driveability. Upgrades include new, more efficient turbos, detail design changes to the cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and lightweight connecting rods, and a faster-flowing fuel pump and delivery system. These changes are so significant, that the engine unit receives a new, unique code – M838TL. The low weight, low inertia power unit produces, as the name suggests, a power output of 675PS and a power-to-weight ratio of 549PS per tonne.

The 675LT is as fully track-focused as it is road legal with around a third of parts modified to suit this purpose compared with the 650S Coupé and Spider that continue in production alongside it.  Yet, like its iconic predecessor, the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’, from which the LT name is derived, this is a car that is as exciting to look at as it is to drive. It also embodies the key attributes of the ‘Longtail’ ethos targeting light weight, optimised aerodynamics, increased power, track-focused dynamics and driver engagement.








THE KEY TO THE ‘LONGTAIL’ SUCCESS: LIGHT WEIGHT AND AERODYNAMIC
Despite the revised, longer bodywork, the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ was over 100kg lighter than its hugely successful predecessors. As it was nearly 20 years ago, weight reduction has been a key focus throughout the development programme for the 675LT and, in a subtle nod to its bigger brother, the result is a saving of over 100kgs over the other models in the Super Series. This savings have been achieved through the extensive use of carbon fibre for the body panels, along with lightweight engine, chassis and body structure parts. In the pursuit of minimal weight, and to suit its purposeful intent, even air conditioning has been removed, but can specified as a no cost option.

Below a newly designed front bumper sits a prominent carbon fibre front splitter, which works the air harder, complementing new front wing end plates to increase downforce levels over the front bodywork. The turbulent air from the front wheel arches is ‘cleaned’ as it flows towards the rear bodywork by sculpted carbon fibre side sills which run the full length of the lower bodywork. A subtle air intake is incorporated ahead of the leading edge of the rear wheel arch, below a more pronounced side intake behind the door, both of which feed clean cool air into the side-mounted radiators.

The aero balance is optimised by the active ‘Longtail’ Airbrake which, as with the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’, is larger – 50 percent larger than on other Super Series models. The reprofiled design flows into the lines of the new carbon fibre rear wings. Two circular exhaust pipes, forged from titanium, exit centrally through exposed bodywork below the rear wing. Despite a more complex design, the bespoke crossover system is designed to optimise performance and reduce weight, saving 1.1kg. The rear deck and sections flanking the exhaust pipes remain exposed; designed to evacuate hot air from the engine bay as efficiently as possible, while a lightweight polycarbonate rear screen features further louvres. A louvred carbon fibre rear bumper reduces air pressure over the rear wheels, while the rear design is completed with a dramatic integrated carbon fibre diffuser.

FIVE UNIQUE ‘BY McLAREN’ 675LT THEMES
The 675LT is offered in five ‘By McLaren’ hero specifications, which includes four bespoke colours never previously offered: Silica White, Delta Red, Napier Green and Chicane Grey are all newly formulated paint hues for the 675LT. The famous heritage McLaren Orange completes the themes unique to the model. Each of the five ‘By McLaren’ specifications is complemented within the stripped out interior with carefully selected materials and colours.
The purposeful driver-focused cabin of the 675LT gives even further indication of track potential. A pair of ultra lightweight carbon fibre-shelled bucket seats, upholstered in Alcantara® as standard and modelled on those in the McLaren P1™, provide comfort and support with no compromise on overall weight. A subtle 675LT logo features on the headrest of each seat, and is also present on the rev counter. In a change to the other models in the Super Series, the air conditioning controls are now incorporated within the intuitive touchscreen infotainment system.
The McLaren 675LT will make its global debut at the 85th Geneva Motor Show at 12.15 CET (11.15 GMT) on Tuesday 3 March 2015.






McLAREN 675LT TECHNICAL STATISTICS
PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)2.9 seconds
0-200 km/h (0-124 mph)7.9 seconds
Top speed330 km/h (205 mph)
Power-to-weight549PS per tonne
ENGINE & POWERTRAIN
Engine ConfigurationV8 Twin Turbo / 3799cc
Power675PS (666 bhp) @ 7,100 rpm
Torque700Nm (516 lb ft) @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
Transmission7 Speed SSG
CO2275g/km
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Dry weight1,230kg
Weight distribution42.5 / 57.5
Length4,546 mm
Width2,095 mm
Height1,188 mm