In one of the more niche tie-ups of recent times, high-end British carmaker Aston Martin and the French firm behind the modern Brough Superior range have finally delivered a road-legal motorcycle.
Previously, the two firms collaborated on the AMB 001 and AMB 001 Pro, track-only machines with outlandish turbocharged engines and wild designs. The new AMB 002 Roadster dials things back a little: the turbo is gone, and this version is set to be fully homologated for road use. Don’t expect to see many at Box Hill or the Ponderosa Café, though; it’s hand-built-to-order, with an (unconfirmed) price tag well north of £100k when it arrives late next year.
The AMB 002 features Brough Superior’s signature engine layout, a 1083cc water-cooled V-twin producing 130bhp and 110Nm of torque. Brough Superior builds the engine at its Toulouse facility, using CNC-machined billet engine cases. The engine sits in a unique, super-light backbone frame machined from solid titanium billet, weighing just 5kg. Weight-saving continues with carbon fibre bodywork and a carbon fibre fuel tank, resulting in a total weight of 190kg. Up front, the AMB 002 adopts a distinctive double-wishbone ‘Fior fork’ front suspension, adding to its unconventional look. The combination of advanced engineering and striking bodywork gives the bike a style that contrasts sharply with the classic, svelte lines typically associated with Aston Martin cars.