The Only Street-Legal Aston Martin Vulcan Will Be in the Gumball 3000 Rally

The Vulcan is a true marvel of British automotive engineering – a track only, genuine race car. Four years after it’s launch it’s still the fastest and most powerful Aston Martin out there – at least until the Valkyrie comes out.

Only 24 were made, each bearing a $2.3 million price tag. Out of those, there is just one road-legal one – this one.

And, it’s going to embark on a 3,000-mile journey across Europ in the Gumball 3000 Rally. Mr. JWW is the fortunate man to sit at the helm and as you’re reading this article, he’s already on his way.

The conversion was performed by RML Group and took 18 months to complete. There was a big huge of changes necessary to make the car not only legal on the public road, but also bearable.

Starting at the front, the Vulcan received a new downsized splitter to help deal with speed bumps and road irregularities. Above it – a proper set of headlights which are missing on the original car.

There are side mirrors from a DB11 integrated with turn signals, a windshield wiper, a wiper fluid reservoir.

The rear bumper was modified to accept a license plate, fog and reverse lights. They put a clear cover over the tail light blades.

The rear wing is pitched down to decrease downforce and drag. They probably won’t bomb corners at 120 mph on the street. So, with 3,000 miles to go, it helps a bunch to improve fuel economy. There are also turn signals on the vertical slats of the wing.

The Cosworth-developed, naturally aspirated V12 engine produces 820 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. It keeps its power levels, but some tuning has been done to meet emissions standards. Fortunately, there’s a nob that will turn the power down to a more manageable 675 hp and even lower to 500 hp for “normal road driving”.

The original car was designed to always go fast and sustain sufficient air flow to cool the engine. The road-going Vulcan gets upgrades in this regard to keep engine temperatures in check at a red light or in heavy traffic.

A new clutch and gearing ratios were added help the car pull away easier from a stop.

The suspension has been made softer and more compliant with the varying road conditions. Steering lock has been removed, so the car can navigate slow-speed, low radius turns.

You won’t see it, but RML claims there’s a lift on the car, as well. What you will is are the new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

The list goes on. There are probably a hundred modifications to this car – small, subtle, but necessary to transform the track-only monster into a compliant road-going vehicle.

Yeah, it’s still a ridiculous race car. But hopefully, with these extensive modifications, it will survive the Gumball 3000. And with Mr. JWW at the wheel, expect detailed coverage of the journey in the coming days.

View this post on Instagram

So here’s what my office will look like in the Aston Martin Vulcan during my stint on the Gumball 3000! It’s somewhat of a paradox this car because on the one hand the interior is beautifully crafted and refined for something that is essentially a track only car – however – the driving experience is anything but refined! It’s super hardcore, very loud, the clutch has a biting point like a light switch (it’s either on or off!) And for the benefit of my ear drums and my sanity we’ll be running an aviation grade intercom system to drown out the high pitch whine of the sequential gearbox and to allow me to talk with the passenger! … So it’s going to be fun ??? . #MrJWW #AstonMartin #Vulcan #Gumball3000

A post shared by James | MrJWW (@mrjww) on