Watch The First Street Legal Aston Martin Vulcan Hit the Road
It’s a vision of sheer beauty to behold the only street legal Aston Martin Vulcan in action. It sounds like a beast that is capable of tearing up the road and anything that gets in the way. The super car was previously designed for track only performance. We’re privileged to get a close look at the high performance auto in all its glory and here is what we have to report.
Maintaining integrity amidst required modifications
Of course, creating a street legal version of a popular vehicle made specifically for the race track requires some modifications. Every effort was made by the design team and engineers at Aston Martin to maintain the integrity of the original track car, and keep the new version as close as legally possible.
Upon close inspection, the first thing that catches the eye is the blade design in the rear taillights. Holding true to the original track version, only minimal modifications were made to bring them up to radiance standards for road use. The appearance is remarkably similar. It is when we move to the front of the new Vulcan that we see the more drastic mods. There is no need for headlamps in track versions, but they were added to the street edition. We can thank the DB11 for donating a set of headlights to the new street legal Vulcan. The unique shape of the lamps is mimicked in the lower park light with an understated size and shape that nonetheless, exudes the signature of the automaker, yet in a form that doesn’t detract from the intent of the original track vehicle in aesthetic. It’s truly a marvelous addition. Another donation to the causes was made with the loan of side mirror caps from the Aston Grand Tourer.
Road warrior face
The front bumper and grille are unrelenting and do not allow you to forget that this car is inspired by its parent track warrior. The sleek and highly aerodynamic styling is a visual explanation of how the car cuts through the wind and dispels it to the sides to get the most bang for the buck in terms of air movement and lessening wind resistance. Sleek, sexy and powerful are the three words that describe the front and sides. A successful conversion from track to highway best describes the end result of Aston Martin’s efforts.
Built for speed
Beneath the huge re-molded clam shell, lies a 7.0 liter V-12 engine with a 6 speed sequential transmission. Smooth launches can be expected from the configuration, but there are a few more upgrades needed to raise the height of the vehicle, including a lift kit, and cooling system upgrades that temper the monster engine for stop and go driving that happens on domestic roads. The majority of under the skin mods were made to enhance the handling and safety of the car, making it legal for street use.
Limited edition
As of now, there are just 24 total Aston Martin Vulcans which have been built. There is only one of them that is legal to drive on the streets. This truly makes this car among the most unique and one of a kind vehicles in the world. There is a high level of difficulty associated with the conversion of a track car to a street vehicle. The trouble may increase, depending on the country that the car is being modified to operate in. The United States has more stringent requirements than does thee UK and other European countries. There are between 3 and 4 known Vulcan owners who are currently in negotiations to have their vehicles converted into street cars. There is also speculation that RML may also be called upon to perform similar services on the new Aston Martin Valkyrie track cars which are soon to roll off production lines.
Final thoughts
Although not an easy task, the conversion of the Aston Martin Vulcan has inspired race car owners to have their vehicles made into street legal versions. Some of the mods are intense, but RML has managed to keep the integrity and appearance of the original intent intact, at least with their first attempt. With just one such model in the history of the brand available for street use, the idea is catching on and we may soon share public streets with a few track warriors.