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AMR-C01: Aston Martin unveils £57,500 luxury racing simulator
Could this be the ultimate addition to your home games room?
Driving simulator technology has accelerated at such a pace that gamers are now investing thousands of pounds to race around the world’s top circuits from the comfort of their own homes.
When the 2020 Formula 1 season was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic drivers such as Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc all spent time on their at-home sims to get some practice behind the wheel.
Videos of the young F1 drivers racing against each other in the digital world was a “phenomenon” that gripped motorsport during the coronavirus lockdown, The Breaker reports, and sparked a huge interest in racing sims.
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According to a study by ReportLinker the global driving simulator industry is expected to be worth $5.8bn (£4.49bn) by 2026 and the market’s compound annual growth rate is predicted to be 8.1% during the forecast period.
Futuristic hypercar feel
The growth of esports and the increased demand for driving simulators has seen many products come to market - and the newest has been revealed this week by Aston Martin.
The British marque has partnered with technology company Curv Racing Simulators to create the AMR-C01.
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Designed by Aston Martin and engineered by Curv, the AMR-C01 racing simulator will make a stylish addition to any games room and is described as the “ultimate in luxury esports experiences”.
It has a lightweight carbon fibre monocoque and utilises the latest technology to provide a fully immersive driving experience for the home user. The seating position mirrors that of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, adding a futuristic hypercar feel, and the front of the sim’s bodywork is also shaped to invoke the signature Aston Martin Racing grille.
What the companies say
Curv Racing Simulators is led by Aston Martin works driver, Darren Turner, who is a simulator specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in F1 simulation.
“The AMR-C01 is all about the love of racing,” Turner said. “We’ve created a home simulator with incredible immersion that offers users the opportunity to have a great time racing in the virtual world, from the comfort of their own home. Our goal was to create a simulator that provided as much enjoyment in virtual reality as real racing does.
“Racing cars is a lot of fun and it is great to see that with the growth of esports, more people are now getting involved. We modelled the driving position on the Aston Martin Valkyrie so users of AMR-C01 can get the full hypercar experience.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve, with design and engineering creating what I believe to be the most beautiful home simulator available.”
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, added: “This was a challenge for the design team as, although the simulator isn’t a car, it is inspired by our racing cars.
“It needed to exude the same elegance, boasting the same dynamic lines and balance of proportions as any Aston Martin with a racing lineage.
“I can picture the AMR-C01 in the most beautiful of residences as a sculptural work of art in its own right.”
Price and how to order
Limited to a production run of just 150, the AMR-C01 is available to order now. The simulator has a recommended retail price of £57,500 plus tax and first deliveries are on schedule to take place in Q4 2020.
Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.
