Luxury and high-performance vehicle manufacturers will often create limited-edition models. They are always something special and, quite often, jaw-droppingly spectacular.
The grand British marque Aston Martin recently revealed a model that seems to fit this description rather well. Called the Valiant, it is a doozy – a performance monster with some beautiful styling.
Originally conceived from a personal commission from Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team driver Fernando Alonso for a lightweight, more extreme, race car-inspired version of the Aston Martin Valour, the Valiant became a limited-edition special designed and crafted by the company’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin.
The result is a brute of a car – aimed at delivering thrills on the track and the road – powered by a 556kW/753Nm twin-turbo V12 mated to a six-speed manual transmission that features a number of unique engineering highlights to reduce weight and dial-in the chassis for serious track use.
Aston Martin says that a 3D-printed rear subframe saves 3kg with no reduction in stiffness, while a magnesium torque tube reduces mass at the centre point of the car by 8.6kg. Lightweight 21-inch magnesium wheels – with 275/35 front and 325/30 rear tyres – improve steering response and wheel control, reducing unsprung mass by 14kg. A motorsport-spec lithium-ion battery has been fitted to save a further 11.5kg.
Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers – capable of simultaneously adjusting each damper to one of thirty-two discreet damper curves in less than six milliseconds – provide plenty of scope for tuning ride and handling characteristics. Carbon Ceramic brakes measuring 410mm x 38mm front and 360mm x 32mm rear deliver stopping power.
The Valiant’s dramatic bodywork uses plenty of lightweight carbon fibre, with the design aimed at generating downforce and minimising drag. A deep front splitter helps pin the nose to the ground, while multi-layer end planes smooth airflow around the front wheels. Directly above the splitter there’s a full-width carbon fibre grille which increases the flow of cooling air to the engine.
Other functional features include heavily scalloped side fenders and carbon fibre aero discs fitted to the 21-inch wheels. Broad side sills and upswept vortex generators located ahead of the rear wheels smooth airflow along the flanks, reducing turbulence, drag and lift. At the back, a sharp Kamm tail and upswept deck lid are topped by a prominent fixed wing. There’s also a rear diffuser.
On the inside, the two-seat cockpit a touch of luxury sees the use of exposed satin-finish carbon fibre and finely-tailored, lightweight upholstery.
There’s a new steering wheel and a cutaway in the transmission tunnel exposes the gear linkage running to the six-speed transaxle – a nice touch.
With use on the track being a focus of the Valiant, it features a built-in half-cage and Recaro Podium seats. The half-cage provides the anchor point to allow 4-point race harnesses to be fitted.
Production of the Valiant is limited to just 38 cars globally with all fully allocated.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (August 2024)
4 September 2024