Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVIII

2 9 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I n nature, wings are used to lift things and keep them aloft. Take the majestic condor, for example, which soars above the landscape, using its massive wingspan to glide between updrafts and air pockets as it surveys the earth for prey below. Back on the ground, however, the predatory Aston Martin Vulcan uses its colossal wingspan for an entirely different purpose. It uses its simply massive, orange-accented rear wing not to create lightness but rather to push its all-carbon fibre form down into the road, keeping it planted at every turn. Like the condor, this winged British beauty, too, will rarely be seen in the wild, as only 24 examples will ever be built. This means you’ll have to work very hard just to find yourself in the presence of one – even for just a moment. In creating the Vulcan, Aston Martin broke most of the carmaking rules. It’s not just a plastic-and-foam design experiment, created by an outside design firm, showing the way forward for the brand. Nor is it just a stripped-down race car, sold to a select few, masquerading as an ultra-rare supercar. Instead, it’s a motorsports-inspired, exclusive piece of AstonMartin history that will not only add immeasurable value to the car collections of the buyers fortunate enough to get their hands on one; it will improve their driving skills as well. Even that, however, is a gross over-simplification of the car. Let me explain. Force of nature Air pressure is not the only power that the Vulcan harnesses – it also employs the energy of petrol as well. Mounted in the front-mid of the car lies the formidable, naturally aspirated 7.0-litre V12, which produces over 800 tyre-rending brake horsepower. All that savage power is routed to the 19-inch rear wheels by way of a race-bred, rear mid-mounted Xtrac six-speed sequential shift gearbox mated to a limited-slip differential and magnesium torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft. It’s precisely that power that explains why the Vulcan needs such a mammoth rear wing. Without the extra force of the air keeping the rear tyres planted to the tarmac, the torques of that 7.0-litre V12 might prove too much for the rear rubber. Assisting the wing in keeping the tyres tucked into the road in the turns is a track-derived pushrod suspension with anti-dive geometry. Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers from Multimatic and anti-roll bars front and rear complement this stiff suspension. We all know, however, that going is only part of the motoring equation. Perhaps the most important part of any car is its braking abilities. Thankfully the Vulcan features Brembo racing callipers at all four corners acting on carbon ceramic racing disc brakes which measure 380mm in diameter at the front and 360mm at the rear.