The Valkyrie: Aston’s Most Jaw-Dropping Car The Valkyrie is nothing like what we’d expect from Aston Martin. This monster was the result of a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing and began its development back in 2016. For the next four years, the company would update and tease pictures of the car before finally releasing a production model in 2021. Unlike most Astons that were designed to cruise down motorways in great comfort and beauty, the Valkyrie was intended to dominate the world’s racetracks. It truly defines the word race car for the road even more so than the likes of the Ford GT, McLaren Senna, or Porsche 992 GT3 RS. It utilizes a carbon-fiber body, a monocoque chassis, aluminum suspension components, lightweight headlights, and a back-to-basics narrow Alcantara teardrop cockpit to make it light. The result being it weighs 1030kg, almost 700kg less than the Mercedes AMG ONE, its core rival. Yet powering it isn’t some lightweight, tiny, turbocharged four-cylinder unit. Instead, it utilizes a gigantic, rather old-school 6.5L Cosworth Developed KERS-Assisted V12. Not only does this beautiful unit scream at 11000rpm, but it develops a simply stratospheric 1140 horsepower and 682 lb-ft of torque. This immense power is sent to the rear wheels through a 7-speed single clutch gearbox and a lightweight body. The result is a power-to-weight ratio of 1106 horsepower per tonne, 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and a blistering 250mph top speed. And thanks to its bespoke carbon ceramic brakes, it reduces speed even quicker than it gains it. However, the Valkyrie's true strength lies in cornering. Its adjustable flaps, wide front splitter, enormous rear diffuser, teardrop cockpit, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and winglets all around, result in 1100kg of downforce and 3.3g when cornering. The result is absolute domination on the world’s race tracks. In fact, the Valkyrie recently broke the production car record at Silverstone with an astonishing time of 1:56.42. Less than half a second behind Max Verstappen’s 2020 Red Bull F1 car, 10 seconds faster than the next production road car (a GT2 RS MR) and the first production car to break the 2-minute barrier. Over its 3 year production, Aston has built 275 Valkyries, 150 of which are standard Valkyries, 85 of which are butterfly-doored Valkyrie Spiders and only 25 are track-only AMR Pro variants. And in that time, several famous motoring icons have owned their own Valkyrie. These include current F1 Stars Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen (who ironically currently race for Aston Martin and Red Bull respectively) and its chief designer Adrian Newey. The Valkyrie truly revolutionized Aston Martin, proving they could be as much a world-beater as Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche. What does the Future Hold for Aston’s Hypercar Aston only intended to build 275 Valkyries so it’s no surprise production has come to an end after just three years. One key reason for its end is its bespoke V12 masterpiece. Cosworth recently announced they had ended production of the Valkyrie’s V12, for good reason. With emissions becoming more stringent and regulations tighter, the use of a naturally aspirated V12 is clearly more for Enthusiasts than as a performance Benchmark. Not to mention, the amount of fuel it burns lacks the efficiency and power of a turbocharged unit. Most of Aston’s current range uses turbocharged engines, particularly the AMG 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 for this measure. As a result, most are the most powerful cars in their respective lineups. In fact, Aston’s next hypercar, the Valhalla will use this AMG unit combined with electric motors to produce nearly 1000 horsepower, almost exactly the same as the Valkyrie. Not to mention, with an AWD full hybrid setup, it will undoubtedly accelerate quicker, corner with more G-force, and be far more efficient when running. The Valhalla is generations ahead of the rather old-school Valkyrie. That being said, Aston isn’t completely ready to abandon their most radical car. They plan to compete in endurance racing with a variant of the Valkyrie AMR Pro called the Valkyrie AMR-LMH This bespoke car will make its debut in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship. Fielded by Aston Martin Thor, a collaboration with Heart of Racing, the AMR-LMH aims to dominate the motorsport field including the infamous 24 hours of Le Mans. Aston’s Celebration of Both the Past and Future The Valkyrie will probably go down in history as one of the most significant cars in Aston Martin’s history. Not only for being Aston’s first fully fledged mid-engine supercar but for how its overall approach blended the best of the past with the best of the future. On the one hand, its clever aerodynamics, shape, and KERS system make it a car that has revolutionized Aston as a future hypercar elite. Yet with its glorious and enormous 11000rpm, Cosworth developed V12, lightweight race car construction, single clutch gearbox, and being solely rear-wheel drive, it equally celebrates the past. It is a truly unique and wonderful car, not just for Aston Martin but for manufacturers everywhere. There will never be another car quite like the Valkyrie, nor will another manufacturer build such a machine anytime in the future. The Valhalla has its work cut out to surpass this 1140-horsepower F1-inspired masterpiece. F1rstMotors Facts and FiguresManufacturerAston Martin Lagonda plc (in collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing).ModelValkyrieYear of Release2021Engine6.5L KERS Assisted V12Horsepower1140hpTorque682 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)2.5 secondsTop Speed250mph (402 km/h)Weight1030kg (1.0 tonnes)Power to Weight1106 hp per tonneGearbox7-speed single clutch gearboxDriven WheelsRear Wheel DriveRivalsMercedes-AMG ONE Source: MotorAuthority
