Two years ago, Aston Martin announced the wild and crazy Vulcan, a specialty track toy of which only 24 were handcrafted into existence as instant legends. They were delivered to specially chosen customers throughout 2016, and since then, Aston Martin instructors?including three-time Le Mans winner Darren Turner?have been shaping the buyers into better drivers who can appreciate and properly use such a machine. But as people have been coming to grips with the car’s full potential, Aston Martin’s new performance brand, AMR, has been increasing it. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week, Aston Martin announced the Vulcan AMR Pro, a package that further enhances the car’s aerodynamics, responsiveness, and precision.
The improved performance capabilities have been achieved by redesigning aero elements, adding new ones, reducing weight, and altering gear ratios. Power from the 7.0-liter V-12 remains at 820 horsepower, although shorter gear ratios increase acceleration response.
The improvements literally span from the car’s nose to the tip of its tail. Aston Martin added extraction louvers above the front wheel arches to reduce air pressure and lift, and pairs of carbon-fiber dive planes create additional front-end downforce. A large carbon-fiber splitter has integrated “turning vanes” to increase steering precision, and the hood has been reworked to shed 11 pounds.
The Vulcan’s rear also has a new look, with a redesigned rear ...