Formula 1 Red Bull Racing teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen race around the site of the Austrian Grand Prix with two 565bhp Aston Martin Vanquish Volantes…and, er, two stripped out caravans
| Engine | Power | Torque | 0-100kph | Top speed | Weight | Basic price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V12, 5935cc | 565bhp @ 6750rpm | 620Nm (457 lb ft) @ 5500rpm | 4.1sec | 295kph | 1844kg (306bhp/ton) | $323,000 |
Let’s cut to the chase: the above video features a ‘race’ around the Red Bull Ring – current home of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix – between Red Bull teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, both of whom are piloting the new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante and towing stripped out caravans. Hard-core Top Gear fans can probably see where this is going.
Indeed, it’s not too long before Red Bull’s resident Aussie is flashing those pearly whites at both caravans being knocking onto their sides, and, eventually, crumbling to pieces. Makes a change from the demonstration run of the 2017 F1 RB13 the team originally had planned for this stunt though, doesn’t it…
Which brings us to the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, a nod to the new Innovation Partnership between Red Bull Racing and the luxury British marque, a collaboration that also introduced the world to the new ‘Valkyrie’ hypercar. Powered by Aston’s naturally aspirated 6-litre V12, the Vanquish Volante kicks out a striking 565bhp and 620Nm (457 lb ft) of torque, enough to shift ‘the Ultimate Convertible Super GT’ – all 1844kg of it – to 100kph from standstill in 4.1 seconds en-route to a 295kph top speed. So, yeah, pretty bloody quick then, as we found out first-hand with a couple of years ago against the Ferrari California.
Interesting to wonder how far Aston will take the next generation of its performance halo – due to arrive in 2018 with, potentially, 700bhp up for grabs – when you consider that the new DB11 ‘grand tourer’ now produces 600bhp and 700Nm (516 lb ft) of torque from a 5.2-litre turbocharged V12, enough to get from 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds and up to 322kph at the top. One can only wonder how many caravans that will blow over on-track too…
- Full technical specifications available on page 2
