Skip to main content

Vulcan meets Vulcan: Watch an Aston Martin supercar play with a jet fighter on the track

Vulcan Meets Vulcan
Despite what Star Trek fans may have originally thought, the Aston Martin Vulcan was not named after the U.S.S. Enterprise’s pointy-eared science officer. While Mr. Spock was primarily an agent of logical thinking and diplomacy, the inspiration for this particular supercar came from something altogether explosive and violent.

The Avro Vulcan was a strategic bomber used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Known for its advanced technology and powerful engines, the Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdom’s airborne nuclear deterrent force during the Cold War, often carrying devastating explosives such as the Blue Steel standoff missile. The Vulcan also used Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ as an RAF base in the past.

Related Videos

The aircraft was retired from active service long ago, and there only happens to be one airworthy example left. That very plane, a Vulcan XH558,  is preparing for its final flight later this month, and Aston put together an amazing “Vulcan meets Vulcan” rendezvous to celebrate. Set at lvington Airfield in Yorkshire, England, the high-powered play date was a can’t-miss attraction, and you can see the evidence in the photos below.

The last remaining Vulcan XH558 is currently in the hands of a charitable trust called Vulcan To The Sky, the very same organization that will hold the jet’s final flight in the coming weeks. After it touches down for the final time, the plane will become the centerpiece of the educational Vulcan Aviation Academy & Heritage Center at England’s Robin Hood Airport.

As for the car itself, the track-only vehicle is nearly as potent as its air-going cousin, as it features a massive 7.0-liter V12 with more than 800 horsepower. All 24 planned models were built at a secret facility in the West Midlands, with each costing in the neighborhood of $2.3 million.

Editors' Recommendations

Watch NASA putting its VIPER lunar rover through its paces
A prototype of NASA's VIPER lunar rover.

NASA has released a video showing off the latest prototype of its VIPER moon rover.

Short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, VIPER will search for ice and other resources when it reaches the moon’s south pole in November 2023.

Read more
CES is hosting a high-speed autonomous car race today. Watch it here
autonomous race car

Over the past few years, CES has slowly become more and more of a car show, but here in 2022, things are kicking up a notch. In addition to the usual slate of automotive tech exhibitors, this year's CES is set to feature a fully autonomous car race.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), as it's called, is today, January 7, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and will feature competing university teams from all around the world. Much like Formula E was meant to boost the development of electric car technologies, the IAC is designed to advance autonomous vehicle tech and usher in a world where autonomous vehicles are both ubiquitous and safe.

Read more
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV is an electric pickup built for work and play
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST.

Chevrolet hopes to bring electrification to the masses by pelting the Silverado, one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States, into EV territory. Unveiled on the sidelines of CES 2022, the 2024 Silverado EV offers impressive specifications and a ton of technology.

While the Silverado nameplate has been around for decades, the electric model shares more with the GMC Hummer EV than with the truck that's currently in showrooms. It's built around the Ultium Platform that General Motors developed to underpin a wide range of electric models, meaning it offers through-the-road all-wheel-drive thanks to a pair of electric motors. Their output depends on the trim level.

Read more