Not content with embarrassing the opposition in Formula 1, Red Bull is set to launch an all-conquering hypercar that could best even the mighty AMG One.
The RB17 was announced back in 2022, but Red Bull Racing and Advanced Technologies CEO Christian Horner has just confirmed that the finished car will be revealed in 2024, with first customer deliveries beginning in 2025. In an interview with Sky Sports Horner said the car was “Adrian Newey unleashed.” That means it’s been designed without the constraints of any sporting or road regulations. As such the RB17 will be only useable on private track days.
Set to go even further than the Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie, the RB17 is tipped to be powered by a 1,250 bhp twin-turbo V8 hybrid setup, with recaptured energy delivering 150 of those horses. The engine will be provided by an external supplier but the rest of the RB17 will be built in-house.
Newey has been involved in every aspect of the RB17, not just its aerodynamics, and he’s used every trick in the book. The car will feature a blown diffuser, ground effect tunnels, flexible skirts and active suspension to glue it to the asphalt even on circuits that aren’t as billiard table-like as F1 tracks.
Only 50 RB17s will be built at the rate of 15 per year and an estimated price of £5 million and most, if not all, have already been sold. Horner hinted that it could be just the start for Red Bull’s expansion into road car manufacturing. “It’s the start of a journey. It’s an interesting starting point for us. You can never say ‘never’, but certainly this is a halo project for us,” he said.
