More details about the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin hypercar have emerged, including the suppliers of the engine, gearbox and brakes.
Red Bull's F1 design guru is working in collaboration with Aston Martin to design the car -- codenamed the AM-RB 001 -- and the first concept was unveiled at Aston Martin's factory in Gaydon last year. At the time, Newey gave some insight into the performance of the hypercar, including his aim of achieving a power-to-weight ratio of 1bhp per kilo and an overall package capable of lapping Silverstone faster than an F1 car.
With the AM-RB 001's kerbweight set to tip the scales at under 1000kg, it means the car's power unit will have to produce somewhere in the region of 900-1000bhp. Former F1 engine manufacturer Cosworth has been tasked with meeting that target by producing a bespoke, high-revving, 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine that will power the car alongside a hybrid battery system produced by Rimac. The engine will be mated to a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission that will be manufactured by Ricardo to Red Bull's specification.
Newey's design for the carbon-fibre chassis will be constructed by Multimatic, which worked with Aston Martin on the One-77 and Vulcan supercars. The high-performance brakes will be supplied by Alcon and Surface Transforms and, unsurprisingly, will feature carbon discs.
"Much like Formula One, designing, engineering and building a car like the AM-RB 001 is a massive team effort," Newey said. "To achieve great things you need to surround yourself with the best people. Experience, creativity, energy, diligence and perfectionism are absolute must-have qualities in every area of the project.
"Having great technical partners such as those working with us is both reassuring and motivating. Together we aim to produce an innovative piece of engineering art."
David King, Aston Martin's VP and chief special operations officer, added: "Making the AM-RB 001 presents huge challenges. It's a real test of everyone involved, but that's as it should be, for we're genuinely raising the bar with this car. That's what makes the project so special, and why having the right technical partners is so critical.
"Some of those names we're working with are long-standing suppliers of Aston Martin, but there are some new names in there, too. Whether forging fresh partnerships or building on existing relationships, the AM-RB 001 project is a shared engineering adventure we're all relishing."
Aston Martin will produce 150 road-going AM-RB 001s, with an additional 25 track-focussed versions aimed at achieving those lofty claims of F1-level performance. The hypercar will cost between £2 million and £3 million depending on options, and even before its unveiling last year Aston Martin already had over 370 interested buyers. The first test drives on public roads are expected towards the end of this year, with deliveries to customers due to start in 2019.