What's all this about?
These two Lime-Green-accented behemoths are the fruition of a new performance brand for Aston Martin. It's called AMR, it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show and, before long, there will be an AMR version of every Aston in the range. Yes, it might seem odd for a company that only makes high-performance machines anyway to launch a high-performance sub-section, but when you end up with the chance to own something like the Vantage AMR Pro, you kind of forget about the semantics and just revel in the glory of it.
What, you can buy that wild-looking Vantage?
You sure can, although you're going to have to move fast - only seven will be built in total. It is, in essence, a World Endurance Championship-winning car for private use. It has the same bonnet and rear wing as the GT4 Vantage racer, which competes in the WEC with Aston Martin Racing, and a 507hp development of the competition engine in said track machine. Oh, and race-spec adjustable suspension and transmission mounts. With centre-lock 19-inch wheels that are fat enough at the front but a gigantic 11 inches wide on the back axle, and all of them clad in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Inside is a custom roll cage, Dark Knight Alcantara upholstery with more lurid green details and lashings of carbon fibre. It's a bloody awesome bit of kit.
So what's the Rapide; a new super-touring car, or something?
No, if AMR Pro is the more extreme end of the new sub-brand, then this is what the mildly fettled AMR road cars will look like. It, too, has a Stirling Green with Lime Green accents paintjob, a new quad exhaust system for the 6.0-litre V12 and a load of special bodywork - such as a full-height AMR grille, front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and boot lid 'aero flip'. Check out the carbon fibre bucket seats inside, too; simply stunning.
So these are actual, purchasable products?
Well, as we said earlier, this is the launch of AMR as a brand and Aston's CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, confirmed both cars will go into production (there will only be 210 Rapide AMRs constructed), before more AMR models follow on. AMR road-going cars will fall under the control of Aston Martin's central vehicle engineering teams, while Q by Aston Martin Advanced Operations - which has already delivered the Vantage GT12, Vantage GT8 and Vulcan hypercar - will make the AMR Pro machines. We can't wait to see how this one develops in the coming months and years.
Matt Robinson - 7 Mar 2017