Aston Martin has pitched its Le Mans Series-winning LMP1 race car against a tank in a Help for Heroes charity event on Salisbury plain.
The event was organised by Prodrive and the army and it raised £6000 for the charity. Soldiers were taken for rides in a Subaru Impreza world rally car, while in return Prodrive were shown what the Challenger II tank could do off road.
Prodrive chief engineer, Steve Barwick, said: ““The Challenger II has amazing off-road capability. “But, despite having 1200 horsepower at its disposal, its 62 tonnes means it’s never going to win any rallies and the tracks wouldn’t give much grip on a race circuit.
“However, it was interesting to see how similar the challenges in designing a military vehicle are to those of a rally car, where ultimate off-road speed and stability are paramount.”
Aston Martin LMP1/Challenger II comparison:
Top speed: more then 200mph/37mph
Weight: 900kg/62,500kg
Engine: Aston Martin 6.0-litre V12 petrol/Perkins CV-12 diesel
Power: 690bhp/1184bhp
Transmission: Xtrac six speed/David Brown TN54 epicyclical transmission
Suspension: Double wishbone with coil over springs/Hydropneumatic
Price: £1million/£4.2million
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