Aston Martin’->ke13s planned hypercar with Red Bull Racing is getting significant attention from deep-pocketed buyers, a lot of whom, it seems, are more than ready to drop £2.5 million ($3.66 million) for the machine. Apparently, Aston Martin held a super exclusive meet-and-greet with a trove of wealthy would-be customers at a secret location in Monaco so they could meet the AM-RB 001 in the metal. As expected, the hypecar->ke177 generated incredible attention to the point that demand for it has already surpassed the initial plans of 100 units.

That’s saying a lot considering that the AM-RB 001’ s £2.5 million price tag is a little short of the combined price of the One-77 (£1.2 million/$1.75 million) and the Vulcan (£1.5 million/$2.18 million). On top of that, Aston Martin appears to have set a condition for owning the car as owners of either the One-77->ke3246 or the Vulcan->ke5079 will get preference over those who have neither. Those who do make the cut will also have to pay a booking fee of £250,000 ($364,000) as Aston Martin begins the process of confirming reservations. In other words, if you own either a One-77 and/or a Vulcan, you still need to pay an amount that’s more than what you need to buy the Aston Martin DB11. Oh, and you won’t get to see the car until late 2018, the scheduled start of the delivery for the hypercar.

If it feels like Aston Martin is asking too much for the AM-RB 001, it’s because the British automaker believes that it has the car that could break the mold in its segment. Having Red Bull Advanced Technologies in the fold adds to the allure of the said model, and if it does live up to the incredible hype and expectations that Aston Martin and Red Bull has set for the car, then there’s no telling what it could do to boost the British automaker’s profile.

Judging by the massive demand for the AM-RB 001, Aston Martin’s making all the right moves in generating attention for the car. Now it’s on the company to back up the hype and deliver the goods.

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Why it Matters

You have to give Aston Martin a lot of credit for embarking on this project, as the company itself isn’t in an ideal financial position to be making bold moves like this. This is a company that last reported profits in 2010, yet it’s also the same company that’s embarking on an ambitious strategy of expanding its lineup to become a more viable threat to the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLarens of the world.

I can’t blame the British automaker for trying to become more appealing to affluent buyers and supercar collectors. If that’s the market the company wants to play in, then by all means, it should dive into it without hesitation. But, there is that feeling that the company might be biting off more than it could chew. Can Aston Martin really pull off its entire strategy? I honestly don’t have an answer to that. I do know that having Red Bull in the fold will help a great deal from a design and technology standpoint. There aren’t a lot of people I’d trust more in designing a car than Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey, so having him on board in this project should yield positive results for Aston Martin.

It’s just that Aston Martin appears to be putting too many things on its plate to the point that it’s overflowing with plans and promises. I want the company to succeed because this is Aston Martin we’re talking about -- It’s one of the most illustrious auto brands in the world and it deserves to have its turn in the spotlight. The AM-RB 001 will definitely do that and then some. I just hope that the company doesn’t burn itself out too much by focusing on a potentially game-changing hypercar because, even if it succeeds in that front, there’s no telling how much it’ll have left for the rest of its lineup.