Race Of The Track Day Ultimates: Aston Martin Vulcan Vs McLaren P1 GTR

Two multimillion dollar British track legends go toe to toe on a slippery British track.

Yup, you’re completely and utterly right. Life is simply not fair. Chances are you’re reading this on some sort of screen, which means life isn’t too bad for you, but it’s most likely not as good as it is for the Drivetribe crew, which has decided to shoot a video on their favorite track cars. Being good Brits that they are, Jethro Bovingdon and Henry Catchpole know their way around the usual mix of Caterhams and Ariels, but why shoot for the mountains when you can aim for the stars?

It’s in no small part a fault of the high end British manufacturers and their push for extreme multimillion dollar hypercars that this action packed comparison comes to us because as of this writing, both Aston Martin and McLaren have some pretty hardcore track cars available for purchase if wallet size is of no issue.

More are in the works, but why worry about that when the $2.3 million 804 horsepower Aston Martin Vulcan and the $1.7 million 986 horsepower McLaren P1 GTR are available for a track battle right now? This, without a doubt, is the race we’ve all been wanting to see. Without a restrictive automaker like Ferrari pulling back the reins and making it so that its cars cannot race and risk humiliation, both the Vulcan and P1 GTR are able to be unleashed on the track for a full blown fight to the top. We won’t give away the winner of the race, but it’s safe to say that no one who buys either will be a loser.

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That One-Off Street-Legal Aston Martin Vulcan Is A V12 Masterpiece

And now you can see it in action.

No one initially asked for this to be done, but the RML Group went ahead and did so anyway – with Aston Martin’s permission of course. A few days ago we learned a lot about the first and, so far only, street-legal Aston Martin Vulcan. Just 24 examples were built of the track-going Vulcan, and now there’s one less. That is, 23 for solely for the track. Because the Vulcan was designed from the get-go as a track-only hypercar, RML Group had a lot of work to do over the course of 18 months.

A few examples include a new hood with smaller headlights, turn signals on the carbon fiber rear wing, and even a pair of reflectors on the rear fascia. The bodywork is clearly not as easy as these modifications make it sound.

Under that hood is the same naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V12 with 820 hp. RML claims there are no performance compromises. The work has clearly paid off, as this new video from Lovecars shows the first Vulcan test drive as well as an up close look thanks to an RML Group factory visit. So kick back and relax. Enjoy our first showing of the world’s only street-legal Aston Martin Vulcan in action.

For A Mere $3.8 Million, This Aston Martin Vulcan Track Toy Can Be Yours

It will fill the void until the Aston Martin Valkyrie arrives if you have $3.8 million to spare.

Aston Martin’s revolutionary Formula One-inspired Valkyrie hypercar is still a long way off with deliveries not scheduled to start until 2019. Until it arrives, the Vulcan will no doubt remain Aston Martin’s most extreme car, though unlike the Valkyrie it isn’t road legal and can only be tamed on the track which limits its appeal. But those chosen few who do get to experience the Vulcan on its natural race track habitat will have the pleasure of taming an absolute animal.

Sadly, not many will be able to get behind the wheel as only 24 models were produced – and they’ve all long been sold out. Fortunately, one has now been listed for sale, but be prepared to pay a small fortune for it. Currently available for sale via UK dealer Kaaimans, this Vulcan is number 14 out of the 24 cars that rolled out of Aston Martin’s Q Advanced Operations division, and is finished in an eye-popping pearlescent green paint job that’s the same shade of green as Lamborghini’s Special Verde Ithaca. Powering the vicious track toy made entirely from carbon fiber is a naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V12 engine that produces over 800-horsepower connected to a six-speed sequential transmission.

This allows the track-only hypercar to reach 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph. With a list price of $3.8 million, it’s probably safe to say this Aston Martin Vulcan is out of most buyer’s budgets, but it only has 200 miles on the clock so it’s barely been used which seems like a travesty. The Vulcan may lose some of its desirability when the Valkyrie is unleashed, but until then this is the next best thing if you’re looking for the most extreme Aston Martin track toy in existence.

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Aston Martin Vulcan Will Race At Le Mans This Year

But not at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

The ferocious Aston Martin Vulcan is an all-too rare sight. Only 24 examples of the hypercar were ever built, and none of them are street legal. Well, except for one. Luckily, if you’ve been wanting to marvel at the Vulcan in the metal, you’ll get to see the track-only hypercar in action at Le Mans this year – though it won’t be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Instead, for the first time ever the automaker will be pitting a pair of Vulcans in the Aston Martin Racing Festival support race on the same day as the 24 Hour endurance race on June 18.

The event will be held on the full circuit at La Sarthe. In total, Aston Martin will be entering 38 track cars in the 45-minute race, including Vantage GT2s, GT3s, GT4s, and GT1-spec DBR9s. This should be an awe-inspiring spectacle for Aston Martin fans. Thanks to its naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V12 delivering 800 horsepower, the Vulcan will be the most powerful car on the grid when it makes its racing debut. Among the drivers will be former Formula One driver Martin Brundle and Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, who will act as Brundle’s co-driver. Other GT4 celebrity drivers include Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, ‘Bake-Off’ television host Paul Hollywood, and Prodrive chairman David Richards.

“Having taken part in this event in 2015, I can say first-hand it will be a tremendous experience,” said Palmer. “Moreover, this is a wonderful celebration of all that Aston Martin Racing has achieved since we returned to the sport as a manufacturer. To be able to display so many different iconic Aston Martin racing cars, as well as the stunning Vulcan, in front of 250,000 fans is a testament to the durability of our brand.” Aston Martin may not be competing in the full 24 Hours of Le Mans race, but this could change in the future. Palmer has previously hinted the forthcoming Valkyrie hypercar could be made into a Le Mans racer to compete against Ferrari and McLaren.

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