Every Angle of the Aston Martin AM-RB 003

Somewhat improbably, the AM-RB 003 isn't the only future mid-engined product that Aston is revealing at Geneva; the company is also planning to build a cheaper model with a lesser version of the same powertrain, the forthcoming Vanquish.

The difference between them, as explained by an Aston insider, is that we should see the AM-RB 003 as a rival to cars like the McLaren Senna, while the Vanquish is the company's answer to the 720S and the forthcoming Ferrari F8 Tributo.

While developed from many of the lessons learned from Valkyrie, the production version of the AM-RB 003 will be almost entirely different, with the car being built around a larger carbon-fiber tub. The big change is the use of the different powertrain, with Aston confirming—as we suspected when it teased the car—that it will use a turbocharged V-6 engine working in collaboration with a hybrid assistance system, with the new motor developed entirely in-house.

The electrical side of the powertrain will lend a hand, but we're told that the 003 won't be a plug-in; Aston boss Andy Palmer dislikes the weight and complexity of so much e-assistance. We don't have an official power output or any performance figures, but when we suggested to an Aston spokesman that the car would need to produce at least as much as the 789-hp McLaren Senna to be regarded as a worthy opponent, he agreed that was a fair assessment.

We predict the car will use a blended system similar in principle to that of the Valkyrie, with an electrical motor working between the internal-combustion engine and a conventional transmission with all drive sent through the rear wheels. The twin top-exit exhaust pipes at the trailing edge of the engine cover are reminiscent of those on the McLaren 600LT.

Compared to the Valkyrie—although possibly nothing else—we're told the 003's carbon-fiber structure will be more accommodating. Don't expect luxury, but the endurance-racer-style doors will hinge forward and take a chunk of roof with them to improve access.

The cabin architecture is minimalist with two display screens, one fixed to the steering column, and another digital readout incorporated into the surface of the (markedly unround) steering wheel itself. Parts of the cabin, including the skeletal center console, have been 3D printed to save weight.

Aston confirms that no more than 500 of the AM-RB 003 will be produced, although it's worth noting that McLaren has proved adept at increasing the limits of its limited editions with a second run of roadster versions, and that might be possible here as well. We're told that pricing will be around $1.3 million at current exchange rates and a substantial premium over even the $900,000 McLaren Senna.