Aston Martin and Red Bull unite forces

When Dr. Andy Palmer, chief executive officer of Aston Martin, spoke last May to the Manufacturing Forum at Cranfield University, outlining his next century plan, he had a good idea of what was to come.

He told Auto Industry Newsletter: “We aim to spread our wings. We aim to take the luxury brand into other spaces.” At this point he stops, anxious not to declare precisely what those spaces will be – or indeed what the products might be.

Now Aston Martin forms yet another partnership. It and Formula One team Red Bull Racing have launched a partnership which sees Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey and Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, collaborate to produce a ground-breaking Aston Martin hypercar.

Codenamed Project ‘AM-RB 001’, the new hypercar will represent the ultimate blend of cutting edge F1TM technology with Aston Martin’s signature sports car design. (A few  sketchy outlines below, however, combining the best in smoke and mirrors, give no hint of what is to come.)

The combined talents of Newey, widely noted as the most successful Formula One designer of all time, and Reichman, Aston Martin’s design chief since 2005, are being seen as "set to produce the ultimate hypercar".

Combining the strongest elements of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Aston Martin, this new Innovation Partnership is described as uniting "the world’s best aerodynamicists, composite experts and manufacturing masters". Hmmm.

All the parties see themselves as offering “different elite capabilities” and the combination of all of those skills, ensuring that Project ‘AM-RB 001’ promises to be an exciting prospect for customers and enthusiasts around the world.

Palmer said: “Formula One offers the ultimate global stage to build wider awareness of the Aston Martin brand. However, this partnership will deliver even more than that when the hypercar that Aston Martin and Adrian Newey are in the process of developing hits the road.”

“Aston Martin, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and project partner AF Racing AG are going to create a car that will excite and stir the imaginations of the car designers of the future and a global audience of sports car enthusiasts,” he added. “These are exciting times for Aston Martin and arriving hot on the heels of our DB11 launch earlier this month, this new partnership underlines that our brand really is racing again.”

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said of the new partnership: “This is a very exciting project for everyone at Red Bull Racing. Through this Innovation Partnership the iconic Aston Martin logo will return to grand prix racing for the first time since 1960, and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, led by Adrian, will be harnessing our Formula One DNA to produce the ultimate of all road cars. It’s an incredible project which also realises a dream and vision long held by Adrian to design a road car. We are very much looking forward to what I’m certain will be a successful partnership.”

As the designer of cars such as the Aston Martin DB11 - which was revealed earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show - the Aston Martin Vulcan and the One-77, Aston Martin declared that Marek Reichman “holds the key to the unmistakeable design language of the modern era of Aston Martins”.

“We are in the process of developing a hypercar that combines the latest in aerodynamics from F1TM and the stunning design language of an Aston Martin sports car,” said Reichman. “The opportunity to collaborate with Adrian (Newey) and Red Bull Advanced Technologies will be a fascinating experience for everyone involved. Unconstrained by F1TM regulations, we have a unique chance to create a car in its most efficient form that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology.”

Having an illustrious Formula One career spanning nearly 30 years, and as the designer of ten World Championship winning Formula One cars, the partnership represents a new challenge for Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey.

“From the age of six I have had two goals in life – to be involved in the design of racing cars, and to be involved in the design of a super car.” Newey commented. “Whilst the former ambition went on to form my career to date, the latter has always bubbled away, resulting in countless sketches and doodles over the years.

“The opportunity to now develop and realise those ideas whilst working with Marek and his colleagues from Aston Martin is tremendously exciting.  It allows us to translate the technology we have developed in F1TM into a new arena,” he concluded.

Red Bull Racing’s facilities Milton Keynes have seen many changes. They were once the home of the Jaguar Formula 1 racing team when Ford Motor Company was in the driving seat.