Aston Martin has officially confirmed a new mid-engined hypercar is in development, creating a new flagship model that will offer class-leading performance from a new hybridised powertrain. Currently under the working title of Project 003, the name refers to this being Aston Martin’s third mid-engined model after the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro, the car is expected to reach customers in late 2021.
Built on a new lightweight structure, the mid-engined model will combine kinetic aerodynamics and an ‘active’ suspension system developed from the Valkyrie programme, refined for use on both road and track. This will not be a mass-produced model though, with production limited to 500 units globally, but it will be available in right- and left-hand drive.
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The new car won’t be quite as compromised or as focused as the Valkyrie though, Aston Martin wants the Project 003 to be a usable road car integrating luggage space and a comfortable interior.
Commenting on the project, Aston Martin Lagonda President and CEO Andy Palmer noted: “It was always the intention for the Aston Martin Valkyrie to be a once-in-a lifetime project, however, it was also vital to us that Valkyrie would create a legacy: a direct descendent that would also set new standards within its own area of the hypercar market, creating a bloodline of highly specialised, limited production machines that can exist in parallel with Aston Martin’s series production models. I’m thrilled to announce that this car is the Project 003.”
It is still very early days yet, and we have a fair wait till we see the car, but with Ferrari recently laying out plans about its future products, it looks like the two historic marques will be neck and neck in offering ‘next generation’ hybridised mid-engined supercars, and that’s before considering what McLaren, Lamborghini and Porsche will have up their sleeves for the next few years. Hold onto your hats people, the supercar is far from dead.
