The legendary British marque Aston Martin is certainly well-versed in special editions. From historic anniversaries, like the DBS 59 — which commemorated 60 years since Aston Martins’s historic one-two finish at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans — to special editions surrounding the James Bond films, this manufacturer is keen on a limited release. It’s a trend that’s far from slowing down for Aston Martin, recent years have seen the unveiling of the V12 Speedster, Valkyrie, Valhalla, Valour and now, the Valiant.
Inspired directly by last year’s show-stopping Valour, which combined 70s rock and roll looks with state-of-the-art innards, this year’s Valiant began its journey as a personal commission from perhaps Aston Martin’s second most famous user, behind Bond, of course. Formula One world champion and current Aston Martin Aramco driver Fernando Alonso was looking for ‘a lightweight, more extreme, race car-inspired version’ of the Valour.
The team at the British marque’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, set to work. The result was an ultra-exclusive track-focused but road-legal special edition, with production limited to just 38 units. If you have started pulling out your credit card, tough luck, all 38 are already allocated. Unsurprising given all 110 units of the original Valour sold out in less than two weeks.
A pure racing thoroughbred, Aston Martin’s maestros have packed in a 745 hp, 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 engine and a bespoke 6-speed manual transmission, it’s a track munching behemoth worthy of a Formula One world champion.
“Valour was a spectacular celebration of Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary, and stirred me to create a more extreme, race car inspired version that was track-focused, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road,” said Fernando Alonso. “Valiant is born from my passion for driving at the limit and I have enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both the design and technical specification and believe we have created a masterpiece.”
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Under the skin
Inspired by Alonso’s 23-year Formula One career, Valiant follows in the footsteps of many Aston Martins that have combined breathtaking track performance with impressive road capabilities. While the design is inspired by some of the British marque’s historic models (we’re looking at you, 1977 V8 Vantage), behind the paint and carbon fiber bodywork, the Aston Martin Valiant is ultra-modern to the core.
The return of the V12 engine is sure to delight enthusiasts, as its thought to be in its twilight years. But Aston Martin remains committed to the magic of 12 cylinders. Its engineers have also been hard at work in the weight department, making several pound-shaving alterations to Valient. By using a 3D-printed rear subframe, 6.6 lbs have been saved without reducing stiffness, there has also been the addition of a magnesium torque tube dropping almost 19 lbs from the vehicle’s weight.
Motorsport-grade technology is also trickling down to Valiant. Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers can adjust each damper to one of 32 settings in under six milliseconds resulting in a complete change in ride and handling characteristics.
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To get the most out of this new capability, the Valiant’s pre-set driver modes — Sport, Sport+ and Track — have been adjusted to instill the driver with the confidence to push the car to its limits.
“With Valiant we’ve shifted the emphasis towards much-increased track capability while retaining enough useability to remain enjoyable on the road,” said Aston Martin’s director of vehicle performance, Simon Newton. “We’ve moved the dial in every key area to extract greater performance and deliver more excitement.”
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Exterior excitement
Shelled in enough 70s styling to tickle Led Zeppelin’s fancy, Valiant is certainly a looker. Its lines, which bear a mixture of sharp air-slicing edges and subtle curves give the vehicle a truly muscular feel, setting both the tone and intent of Valiant.
This all-carbon bodywork is handling far more than just the visual excitement and weight reduction. Its shape generates stability, enhances downforce and minimizes drag. A deep front splitter pins its nose to the ground, while heavily scalloped side fenders help to smooth airflow and reduce turbulence.
The 21” magnesium wheels feature aero covers designed to greatly reduce drag and six exquisitely positioned air inlets draw cooling air onto the searing carbon ceramic breaks when they are being pushed to the max.
The action is not all towards the front though, far from it, the Aston Martin Valiant’s Kamm tail and upswept deck lip are crowned with a dramatic fixed wing.
The interior, a two-seat cockpit that’s been paired down considerably, is not quite spartan, but it’s getting there. Door handles were replaced by straps in true racing fashion. The steering wheel, perfectly round and devoid of distracting buttons and dials. As a bespoke vehicle from Q by Aston Martin, Valiant owners will be given extensive customization options to ensure their vehicle meets their desires.
The first Aston Martin Valiants are expected to begin pulling onto driveways in Q4 2024, while the public is set to catch its first glimpse at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Rumor has it that Fernando Alonso is planning on taking it up the famous Hill Climb course.
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