Forza Motorsport 7: Aston's Group C racer you never heard of

Another day, another racing machine we never heard of, and the August Spotlight Car of Forza Motorsport 7 I'm checking it now is the Aston Martin AMR1 from the late 1980s and there's something about Aston's forgotten Group C legend I want to know about.



Since mid-1987, Aston Martin planned the AMR1 Group C racing machine, which was funded by Peter Livanos and would be designed by Max Boxstrom of Dymag Wheels until Ecurie Ecosse would back it.

Made to compete with the likes of Jaguar, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, the AMR1 takes advantage of its current ground-effects technology with its massive aero tunnel running from midship to the rear for better tunnel effect while a large rear wing provided downforce. It has a carbon fiber and Kevlar chassis tub and powering the AMR1 is a 6.0L engine developed by Callaway, producing over 700HP of power at over 7,000rpm.

Brian Redman and David Leslie drove the AMR1 at Brands Hatch 480km in July 1989 and finished in 4th place overall. It ranked 8th at the Nurburgring the month later and 6th in Donington 480km. The car ranked 6th overall in the 1989 World Championship. Although Aston Martin is developing a replacement for the AMR1, tensions between the A.C.O. of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and the F.I.S.A. rattled the development and with that, the project have shelved in March 1990.



So, Callaway did work on the engine that powers the AMR1, right? Callaway was now famous for turning Corvettes to the highest degree so its motorsport involvement in the past makes it special in the development of the Aston Martin AMR1 but anyway, this is no time to get awed about Callaway's involvement because I am busy talking more about this machine. Although this machine didn't experience podium finishes in its time at the 1989 World Championship, this thing is quite a blast to drive for a forgotten Group C machine made by one of the world's most charismatic carmakers. Letting the Callaway-tweaked 6.0L engine roar through the racetracks, you can really reel it in to experience is hidden potential beneath Aston's flawed but pristine Group C machine that deserves better.



To understand more about Aston Martin's unsung hero, the producers invited people like me to drive the AMR1 around Suzuka as fast as we can and this is the perfect opportunity to see how much Aston Martin's forgotten Group C legend deserves if it was made for greatness. Roll VTR.



On one-lap magic, I managed to do a 2:01.696, and although not the quickest time I set, it's proven that this Aston Martin is a quick car full stop even though it didn't achieve anything but participating and finishing races like it was meant to be.



The AMR1 is the unsung hero that shows that it doesn't need all of the success stories, the medals, and the trophies to show how much of a racing machine this is. What matters the most is that Aston Martin tried their very best to show the world what they're capable of and men like us should give respect to this unsung hero it deserves. Feel free to check the AMR1 for a while on FM7 and see if this is your favorite Early Prototype Racer for a change.