There's been a lot of talk in recent years about Aston Martin's financial troubles and whether or not the brand will manage to survive on its own. Reports suggested at some point that the Brits might receive financial backing from various companies., but while that scenario didn't come to fruition, Aston Martin buckled up and launched an all-new vehicle nevertheless. Dubbed Vulcan and described as "something very special," Aston Martin's new project turned out to be a track-focused supercar in the vein of the Ferrari FXX K and the McLaren P1 GTR. At the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Brits unleashed the Vulcan for the whole world to see, and, as it turns out, Gaydon's new baby is as special as it gets.

Skeptics that expected to see a beefed up, race-spec Vantage were in for quite a surprise, as the Vulcan was brand-new not only in design, but under the hood as well. What's more, it arrived with its own racing program and the kind of exclusivity only Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren were able to deliver until then. There's a lot of PR talk coming with all-new vehicles nowadays, but Aston Martin nailed it when it described the Vulcan as the "brand’s most intense and exhilarating creation to date." Keep reading to find out why.

Updated 08/22/2016: A very cool 2016 Vulcan failed to sell at a Mecum auction during the 2016 Monterey Car Week. Check the "Prices" section to see why and the "Pictures" tab for some shots taken at the event.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan.

2016 Aston Martin Vulcan

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan
  • Engine/Motor: V12
  • Horsepower: 800
Pros
Cons

Video Walkaround

Exterior

Note: standard Vulcan left, Vulcan AMR Pro right.

Not surprising, the Vulcan's exterior is a blend of Aston Martin's current design and other styling cues, most of them based on AM Racing's family of Vantage race cars. However, the Vulcan's nose is a rather significant departure from what we've come to expect from the brand, with both the headlamps and the grille relocated lower into the fascia. The grille is now part of a separated, bare carbon-fiber piece that also incorporates the splitter and side canards, while the LED headlamps are thin, and less noticeable in the big picture. As a result, the vented hood is wider than on any other cars in the brand's lineup.

The fenders have been reshaped as well, but retained the trademark Aston Martin vent, albeit the piece is now integrated into the wheel arches and extends rearward toward the doors.

Note: standard Vulcan left, Vulcan AMR Pro right.

The rear fascia's design is brand-new as well, but some details, such as the taillights, the side vents, and the massive wing, are reminiscent of the Vantage GT3 and GTE race cars. Everything else is unique to the Vulcan, from the design of the deck to the menacing rear diffuser.

When viewed from the side, the Vulcan has very little in common with Aston's current sports cars. The muscular rear haunches and the redesigned greenhouse give it an aggressive supercar stance, while the race-spec side mirrors and carbon-fiber side skirts, plus the side-exit exhaust, are indications that this Aston Martin was built for the race track.

Speaking of carbon-fiber, the entire body is made from the lightweight material, which likely makes the Vulcan the lightest Aston Martin to date. I say "likely" because the Brits have yet to reveal any specifics on this matter as of February 2015.

Note: standard Vulcan left, Vulcan AMR Pro right.0}

The interior of the Vulcan is downright radical when compared to the Vantage GT3's. Nearly every surface is made from carbon-fiber and everything from the dashboard and display cluster to the steering wheel and the seats were crafted with professional racing in mind. The bucket seats come wrapped in Alcantara, while the race-spec steering wheel is festooned with buttons and switches.

Vulcan AMR Pro interior.

Naturally, a full roll cage is in evidence. The black and carbon-fiber theme of the cockpit is only interrupted by the orange stripe and red buttons adorning the center console. The same orange inserts are present on the driver-side door panel.

The large instrument cluster provides all the vital information, including speed, lap time, tire pressure, and fuel consumption.

Drivetrain

This is where Aston Martin’s track-day special stands out even more. Not only the Brits went ahead and dropped a V-12 powerplant under the hood, the company’s racing division also increased displacement from the standard 5.9 to a massive 7.0 liters. The unit is also based around the architecture of the engine found in the compay's GT3 cars and was upgraded with a new block, pistons, liners, conrods, and crank -- all controlled by a Cosworth-designed ECU.

The engine is located completely behind the front axle for better weight distribution and dynamic performance and features three-position adjustable power outputs which allows the driver to unleash the car's performance potential as their track skills develop.

The transmission behind the engine is a six-speed transaxle developed by Xtrac and controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddles. It houses a straight-cut gearset with drop gears to the crown wheel and pinion and, at more than 200 mph, is geared for a higher top speed than Aston Martin's fast GT cars. Compared to a standard gearbox, the design for the Vulcan features a higher grade of steel for the gears as well as a unique set of gear ratios. The gearbox weighs only 70 kg (154 pounds) and features a lightweight aluminium casing.

The exhaust system is made from Inconel and Titanium for maximum weight saving, while the side exit exhaust design allows for the shortest exit from the car and ensures maximum rear downforce is generated by not altering the rear diffuser.

But what about output? Well, the Vulcan comes with a whopping 820 horsepower on tap. Specific performance data isn't available, but Aston Martin says that the Vulcan hits 60 mph in "less than three seconds," toward a top speed of "200+ mph." Needless to say, this supercar should deliver some pretty fast laps on just about any race track in the world.

Drivetrain Specifications

Type

7.0-litre V-12

Output

+800 HP

Torque

TBA

0 to 60 mph

TBA

Top Speed

TBA

Transmission

race-bred rear mid-mounted Xtrac six-speed sequential shift gearbox


Suspension and Brakes

The Vulcan rolls on a front suspension with a double-wishbone layout with anti-dive geometry operated with a pushrod mechanism. Around back, it has independent double wishbone with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, also pushrod operated. The front and rear anti-roll bars are adjustable. The dampers are of a four-way adjustable design featuring Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology. These state-of-the-art valves enable both high and low speed bump and rebound to be adjusted independently on each individual damper. The rear dampers are horizontally opposed whereas the front dampers are mounted front to rear to enable weight saving.

Stopping power comes from carbon-ceramic, race-spec braking discs measuring 15 inches in the front and 14.2 inches in the rear and Brembo Competition calipers with six pistons at the front and four pistons to the rear. The 19-inch wheels supplied by motorsport specialists APP-Tech are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

Prices

Pricing for the Vulcan starts from around $2.3 million, which isn't surprising given the exclusivity and the production run limited at only 24 units. The sticker also includes an intensive track driving program with Le Mans-winner Darren Turner as an instructor. During training, Vulcan owners gradually built experience and developed their track skills driving Aston Martins such as the V12 Vantage S, the Vantage GT4, and even the ultra-rare One-77. With the latter built in only 77 units, this training program is likely the only way to experience the supercar without owning one.

One of the 24 cars (build number 11) showed up to be auctioned by Mecum at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegace. Despite being one of the main attractions, the track-only supercar failed to sell. Mecum estimated that it would change owners for anything between $2.3 and $3.3 million.

Competition

Ferrari FXX K

The FXX K is one of the most sought-after and exclusive track-only supercar on the market as of 2017, but the trouble with it is that all 40 units are sold ever since it was unveiled. Based on the stunning LaFerrari, Maranello's track beast is not only more powerful than its street-legal sibling, but also more aerodynamic, lighter and quicker. Its hybrid drivetrain consisting of a 6.3-liter V-12 engine and an electric motor was tweaked to generate 1,038 horsepower -- 86-horses more than the standard LaFerrari -- and 663 pound-feet of torque. Its carbon-fiber shell has also been redesigned to accommodate a twin-profile front spoiler, a larger splitter, lateral dive planes, a redesigned hood, a new diffuser, and an unconventional wing consisting of two vertical fins on each side with small, horizontal wings extending on the inside. The whole aerodynamic package delivers a 50 percent improvement in downforce in the low-drag configuration, and a 30 percent improvement in the more-aggressive downforce configuration. This means a massive 1,190 pounds of downforce at 124 mph! The cockpit is mostly made of carbon-fiber and features bolstered seats, a race-spec center console and steering wheel, as well as an updated instrument panel. Pricing was reportedly set at more than $3 million before options.

Read our full review of the Ferrari FXX K.

McLaren P1 GTR

Also based on a road-legal hybrid supercar, the P1 GTR comes in a similar package: an aerodynamically enhanced body with a host race-spec add-ons, plus a massive wing atop its rear. The track-focused interior boasts acres of carbon-fiber, a spartan center console holding buttons and switches, and a steering wheel based on the unit used by the McLaren MP4-23 Formula One car. The P1 GTR is motivated by the same hybrid drivetrain found in the road-legal P1, but the combo now includes a motorsport-optimized, 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-8 and a lighter electric motor. The drivetrain sends 986 horsepower, 83 ponies more than the standard P1, to the rear wheels, which translates into a 2.4-second 0-to-60 mph sprint, a 0.2-second improvement over the street-legal P1. Pricing for the P1 was set at more than $3 million, a sticker that also included private consultations with the McLaren driver-fitness team and company design director Frank Stephenson, as well as access to one of McLaren’s dedicated racing simulators. Customers also benefit from at least six drive events to be held on certain Formula One tracks per year. Production was limited to 58 examples.

Read our full story on the McLaren P1 GTR.

Conclusion

Gorgeous to look at and incredibly powerful, the Vulcan means many things for both Aston Martin and racing enthusiasts. It's not often that we see a completely new product come from Gaydon and the Vulcan exceeds all expectations thanks to its track-restricted configuration and limited-run production cycle. What's more, it is rather astonishing that the British brand came out of the box when everyone is basically talking about its financial limitations. The Vulcan opens a new chapter for Aston Martin, one I always knew the Brits could handle given AM Racing's successful career on the track. Hopefully, this new race car and the program it comes with will bring the much-needed cash into the company’s coffers and enable Aston Martin to remain independent.

Updated history

Updated 07/07/2016: Aston Martin dropped a new video showing its new Vulcan supercar in action at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Hit "play" to watch the new video.

Updated 01/28/2016: Youtube user Saabkyle04 made a pretty cool review for the new Vulcan supercar. Hit "play" to watch it!

Updated 12/04/2015: Aston Martin dropped a new promo video for its latest Vulcan supercar. Hit "play" to watch the car being tested to the limits.

Updated 10/02/2015: Aston Martin dropped a new very cool video in which its latest supercar meets the iconic 1950s British V bomber: Vulcan XH558. While pretty much nothing spectacular happens in the video, it is always cool to see two Vulcan one next to each other: the supercar and the bomber that provided name inspiration for it.

Updated 08/06/2015: Aston Martin announced that its latest supercar - the Vulcan - will be making an appearance at the Pebble Beach->ke2839 Automotive Week that starts on August 13. For the occasion, the company dropped a series of new images of the Vulcan. Enjoy!

Updated 03/03/2015: Aston Martin unveiled the new Vulcan supercar at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Check the "Pictures" tab for some new images taken at the show.

Updated 02/25/2015: Aston Martin unveiled the official details on the new Vulcan - a track-only supercar limited to only 24 units.

Updated 02/20/2015: Aston Martin dropped a new teaser video for its upcoming Vulcan supercar - and we have to admit we are very intrigued by what we can see in there. What do you think?

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