Aston Martin AMR2
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The Aston Martin AMR2 was a proposed Group C formula racing car intended to be used by Aston Martin and their Proteus Technologies Inc. (Protech) team in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season. The project was cancelled before it could be completed.
[edit] History
Following the debut of the Aston Martin AMR1 in the 1989 World Sportscar Championship season, Protech began plans to evolve the design of the bodywork of the AMR1 for the following year. One of the necessities of the project was to attempt to decrease the drag in order to improve the car's top speed. Design problems and a lack of engine horsepower on the AMR1 had greatly hindered the car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where top speed is key. Thus Max Bostrom, chief designer for Protech, set about developing a more streamlined design for AMR2 evolved from the AMR1 chassis.
With the engine also lacking horsepower, Callaway Cars Incorporated had continued their development of their 6.0L V8 for Aston Martin, producing a new 6.3L V8 that increased output from 600hp to 740hp. This engine was placed in an AMR1 for the final races of the 1989 season with great success. The engine would therefore be used for the AMR2.
With this combination, the AMR2 was projected as being capable of reaching 230mph, a vast improvement over the AMR1. With the design and engine finalized, work began on the new cars in preperation for their debut in April 1990. Unfortunately, the large cost of racing and development had caused Protech to go bankrupt in February 1990, forcing the team to stop all development of the AMR2 and end racing. No AMR2 chassis were ever completed, although wind tunnel models of the car still exist.
The Callaway designed 6.3L V8 would later find it's way into production vehicles, with Aston Martin Works Services offering the engine, detuned to 500hp, as an optional conversion for the Virage.
[edit] AMR3
During the development of the AMR2, Protech also began planning for their car for the 1991 season, known as AMR3. The FIA had recently announced rule changes for the World Sportscar Championship which would come into effect in the 1991 season. The most notable rule change was a maximum engine limit of 3500cc. At the time, Aston Martin did not produce a production engine that small, therefore Protech and Callaway would have to develop their own engine from scratch in order to continue to compete into 1991.
AMR3 was never built, let alone designed. The engine for it was never developed beyond the initial planning phase either.
[edit] References
| Aston Martin sportscar racers |
| 1951 - 1959: DB3 | DB3S | DBR1 | DBR2 | DBR3 1962 - 1964: DP212 | DP214 | DP215 1967: Lola T70 1977 - 1979: RHAM/1 1981 - 1984 (Nimrod Racing): NRA C1 | NRA C2 1983 - 1985 (EMKA Racing): C83 | C84 1989 - 1990: AMR1 | AMR2 2005 - Now: DBR9 | DBRS9 |
