First Impression: Aston Martin Vulcan

The Aston Martin Vulcan is the British-based carmaker’s track-legal hypercar that will compete with the Ferrari FXX K and the McLaren P1 GTR. During GTspirit’s recent visit to the Nurburgring test center, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at the Vulcan.
It showcases Aston Martin’s design and engineering capabilities and the Vulcan was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015. The production of the vehicle is limited to 24 units and all of them aere sold, each carrying a price-tag of at least US$ 2.3 million.

The car has been designed by Aston Martin’s design chief Marek Reichman, who took inspiration from the DB9 and Vantage to come up with the blueprint for the Vulcan. It features a carbon-fiber chassis with the raw tub weighing just 180 kg. It took nine men from Multimac and four days to produce one carbon-fiber tub for the Vulcan. A carbon-fiber chassis means that although the foundation of the car remains lightweight, it is still very stiff and robust.

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The engine of the Vulcan is derived from Aston Martin’s GT3 car and has been built in conjuction with Aston Martin Racing. It is a 7.0-litre, naturally aspirated V12 motor that is capable of producing in excess of 800 hp (600 kW). The engine of the Vulcan is located behind the front axle. This improves the weight distribution and handling. The engine will also sport a 3-position adjustable power output. This means that the drivers will be able to unleash the true potential of the car as and when their track skills reach the optimum level.
The exhaust system of the Vulcan is made from Inconel and titanium for the maximum amount of weight reduction. Moreover, the torque tube is 30 per cent lighter owing to the use of magnesium for the outer casing. Inside the torque tube is an uprated carbon-fibre propeller shaft that helps to cope with the high torque output and to deliver the power to the vehicle with minimal loss.

The engine is matted to a 6-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shifters and the power is transmitted to the rear wheels of the car. The company claims that the gearbox has been tuned is such a manner that at speeds exceeding 320 km/h, the Vulcan can accelerate faster than Aston Martin’s GT3 cars. Not to forget, the gearbox only weighs 70 kg. In fact, the curb weight of the Vulcan is just 1350 kg, giving the car a stunning power-to-weight ratio. The front and rear anti-roll bars are adjustable, while the suspension of the Vulcan has been heavily altered by Aston.
The car comes equipped with 10-spoke Satin Black wheels and 19-inch Michelin tyres, which will be available in both slick and wet compounds to the owners. Meanwhile, the braking system is acquired from Brembo. The Vulcan has been fitted with a set of ceramic brake discs and lightweight calipers from the Italian company. Aston Martin writes that the aerodynamics have been set up to ensure “minimal change in sensitivity and balance either forward or backward under braking or accelerating.”

Moving on inside the Vulcan, there’s a FIA-compliant roll-cage and carbon fibre bucket seats. The dashboard is supplied by Cosworth Omega and features Cosworth aliveDRIVE system, which comes with a car camera and USB download option. The owners will get a plethora of customisation options on the Vulcan. Apart from the exterior and interior colour options, they will be able to commission their own race suits and crash helmets.
Some others features of the Vulcan include LED headlights, ‘Light Blade’ taillamps first seen on the DP-100 Digital Concept Work and a FIA-spec fire extinguisher in the cabin.

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Following its moving debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Vulcan will also be presented at the Monterey Car Week 2015 in California. Although previously there have been rumours of a road-legal Vulcan, its unlikely Aston Martin will build one.
The car is meant for the tracks and just like Ferrari’s XX program, Aston Martin will provide the Vulcan owners the chance to take their toys to the circuit, thanks to a three-year owners’ program. The first track day will be held at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, while events have also been planned for the Silverstone (UK), Spa (Belgium) and Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi). Customers will also be offered a training session on a race simulator at Darren Turner’s facility.