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Insane Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is a Le Mans race car turned up to 11

Aston's now-dead Valkyrie LMDh program spawned the AMR Pro, a track-only hypercar with LMP1-matching performance.

Daniel Golson Former social media editor
3 min read
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The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is a Le Mans race car you can buy.

Aston Martin

Deliveries of the absurd Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar are finally about to commence after a long gestation period, but that doesn't mean the company is taking a breather. On Sunday, Aston Martin released the first images and details of the Valkyrie's track-only version called the AMR Pro. If the AMR Pro's name and styling sound familiar, that's because an AMR Pro prototype was originally shown at the 2018 Geneva Auto Show, but this is the finalized model that will reach customer hands at the end of 2021.

Aston Martin was originally going to field a racing version of the Valkyrie in the new LMDh hypercar Le Mans class, which started development in 2019 at the hands of Adrian Newey, Multimatic and Red Bull, but that project was scrapped in 2020. Not wanting the race car's development to go to waste, the never-revealed LMDh car was the starting point for the AMR Pro's final version. In fact the AMR Pro is even more absurd than the race car would have been, because it doesn't have to adhere to regulations and other constraints -- Aston says the AMR Pro's capabilities exceed those of the race car, and it'll have on-track performance close to a Formula One car.

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The AMR Pro looks way crazier than the regular Valkyrie.

Aston Martin

Compared to a standard Valkyrie the AMR Pro is nearly 11 inches longer and has a 15-inch-longer wheelbase, and the front and rear tracks are wider. While it looks immediately recognizable as a Valkyrie, the AMR Pro has some major design changes: A larger, more complex front splitter reminiscent of an F1 car's, and the front fenders are taller and feature larger inboard cutouts for the wheels. It uses real wing mirrors instead of the road car's cameras, and the trailing edge of the front fenders have crazy vented panels that the road car lacks.

The biggest changes are at the rear. The AMR Pro has an LMP1-like tail fin that extends off the roof scoop, and the rear deck has additional vents. But the main event is the absolutely massive rear wing that gives the AMR Pro a longtail look; it encircles the entire rear end and acts as the end plates for the reshaped diffuser. The exhaust has been moved down to a lower spot on the rear end, with the AMR Pro getting two huge pipes. Aston says the AMR Pro produces twice the downforce of the road, has better aerodynamic efficiency than the upcoming LMDh-class race cars, and it will pull over 3 Gs in lateral acceleration.

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Check out that huge wing!

Aston Martin

The AMR Pro uses the Valkyrie's same naturally aspirated Cosworth-built V12 engine, but it ditches the road car's hybrid system to save weight. Don't worry, though, the engine will still make around 1,000 horsepower, only a little bit less than the road car. Other weight-saving measures include a Perspex windshield and windows, carbon-fiber bodywork and suspension wishbones. While full specs and details won't be announced until later this year, Aston says the AMR Pro will lap the Le Mans circuit in 3 minutes and 20 seconds, putting it only a few seconds off from the all-time lap record achieved by a Toyota LMP1 race car.

Only 40 AMR Pro versions of the Valkyrie will be produced along with two prototypes, and all will be left-hand drive. Aston originally planned on making just 25, so the company must have found more willing buyers -- and that's in addition to the 150 road cars. Customers will get access to special track day experiences at FIA racetracks around the world, including track and pit-lane access, Valkyrie development team support and a number of fancy on-road experiences.

As for the price? Well, with the regular Valkyrie already costing around $3 million to start, the AMR Pro should command a price tag a few million dollars higher. Aston says real-world development of the AMR Pro is imminent -- up until now, everything has been done on simulators -- and the first deliveries will be made to owners by the end of 2021.

Track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro is the craziest Aston Martin ever

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