Hurrah! The Aston Martin AMB 001 is now moving

By topgear, 25 June 2020

Aston Martin has made a bike. You might remember seeing the AMB 001 back in 2019 (such innocent days), when it was first unveiled. Well now, it’s actually moved, putting in some development miles around Pau-Arnos circuit in France.

That’s quite important, as this will be a track-only bike. You might have already spotted its lack of concern for such dull details as ‘proper lights’, ‘a number plate’ or ‘absolutely any semblance of an aero screen’. This is a hardcore thing.

A tie-up with 100-year-old bike manufacturer Brough Superior, the AMB 001 is described as “a unique, modern, lightweight and powerful sports bike concept” and it twins a 180bhp turbocharged V-twin engine with a lightweight body that gives the 001 a 1000bhp/tonne ratio, just like a Koenigsegg.

It’s Brough’s test rider who’s been fine-tuning the chassis around Pau - Aston Martin’s four-wheeled development team haven’t had to suddenly buy leathers and learn a new skill - though Aston’s camouflage design is covering up the carbon.

Which is a shame, really, as some pictures of the 001 wearing ‘Inferno’ red carbon weave have been released too. Whether you like vehicles that fall over without support or not, you surely have to admit the details are flipping gorgeous.

And gorgeous is what you’d hope for when dropping 108,000 euros on something you can’t ride on the road. Which is close to £100,000 - or about 530,810 in RM. Much money for a bike, but cheaper than any other Aston currently costs new…