Skip to main content

Aston Martin Confirms Third Hypercar Code-Named the 003

The last half decade has seen Aston Martin reinvigorate the quintessential British marque. Gone is the malaise of Ford’s ownership. In its place, we find a healthy, powerful, badass selection of automobiles that have not only captured an audience but also brought back the idea of a poster car with the company’s upcoming Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro. Yet, Aston Martin wants to build more mid-engined hypercars which is why it’s just announced a third, as yet unnamed, hypercar to sit alongside its Norse-named brethren.

Not much information was given in Aston Martin’s press release other than the internal project name: the 003 (Valkyrie is 001 and the Valkyrie AMR Pro is 002). The 003 will have DNA rooted in the Valkyrie’s technology, concept, and ethos, but unlike the Valkyrie, which makes use of a naturally aspirated hybrid V12 built by Cosworth, the 003 will use a turbocharged hybrid engine.

Like its Valkyrie counterparts, the 003 will be a lightweight machine with active suspension and provide drivers with superior control and dynamics. That said, the 003 will be a more livable car versus the Valkyries. According to the company, it will offer more “practical concessions to road use, including space for luggage.”

Aston Martin 003 Hypercar Concept
Aston Martin

Also released was a very concept-like sketch that does little more than give us a general idea of the 003’s shape, which follows very similar design cues as the Valkyries.

“It was always the intention for the Aston Martin Valkyrie to be a once-in-a-lifetime project. However, it was also vital to us that Valkyrie would create a legacy: a direct descendant that would also set new standards within its own area of the hypercar market, creating a bloodline of highly specialized, limited production machines that can exist in parallel with Aston Martin’s series production models. I’m thrilled to announce that this car is the Project 003 and our next step into a dynamic and exacting arena,” said Dr. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin’s president and CEO and the driving force of Aston Martin’s rebirth.

Only 500 coupes will be built, but no price has been given. It will most likely be quite expensive, though not feature the same eye-watering $3.2 million price tag as the Valkyrie. We’d hazard to guess it will feature a $1 million or so price. The first cars will be delivered in 2021.

Editors' Recommendations

Jonathon Klein
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathon is a former contributor to The Manual. Please reach out to The Manual editorial staff with any questions or comments…
How much does a Formula 1 car weigh?
F1 cars will be smaller and lighter in 2026
Max Verstappen driving a Red Bull F1 race car.

F1 racing is bound by strict rules from the FIA that set a minimum limit on how much a Formula 1 car weighs. Before each racing season, three volumes of FIA F1 Regulations set the parameters for technical, sporting, and financial operations for F1 teams, including the drivers and cars.

The minimum weight for F1 cars will change starting with the 2026 season (more on that below in this article), but for the F1 2024 and 2025 schedules, the official minimum weight for an F1 car is 798 kilograms (1,759.29 pounds). Read on to learn why the regulations list a minimum weight, not a maximum.
Why F1 car weight matters

Read more
CEO says Hennessey has to solve this issue before Venom F5 can win speed record
Hennessey's Venom F5 needs a venue for its speed record attempt
Jon Hennessey standing in front of a Venom F5

John Hennessey is one of the automotive world’s true characters, up there with the likes of Peter Wheeler and Enzo Ferrari when it comes to crazy, ambitious ideas that somehow keep panning out. His latest endeavor involves breaking the production vehicle speed record again. This time, Hennessey would like to do it in a car his company has designed from the ground up.

That car is the Venom F5, and it’s designed to do more than go fast in a straight line. Hennessey sees it as the “decathlete of hypercars,” so you can expect to see it setting the standard in all manner of events. Recently, it set the production car lap record at COTA -- beating a time set by the Czinger C21 and rounding the circuit a whole seven seconds faster than the McLaren P1.

Read more
How do you become a Formula 1 driver?
To earn their reported $13.4 million average salary, F1 drivers start young
Lewis Hamilton driving a Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 race car.

With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for F1 teams each season, how do you become a Formula 1 driver? You have to be at least 18, according to the FIA F1 Rules and Regulations, but there is no upper age limit for F1 drivers. However, if it were easy, just showing up to apply for the job, F1 teams would be deluged with applications. But it's not easy at all. For an F1 team to invest in you and trust you with cars that have engines worth more than $10 million, there's much more to it. Let's take a look.
How does someone become an F1 driver?

Even before F1's recent popularity growth spurt in the U.S., F1 has long been considered the motorsports summit. Not every kid who buckles in to ride around a go-kart track is inspired to make it their life's work, but a surprisingly high number of F1 driver interviews start with stories of early prowess in organized kart racing. I've never heard of an F1 driver deciding in their late teens to start training for a seat in a Formula 1 race car.

Read more