Aston Martin let some air out of the hype bubble formed around their new Valkyrie project they’re developing in collaboration with the Red Bull F1 team, and we have to admit it’s shaping up to be one of the most unique cars ever to be made.
Even when contrasted against every car that has ever earned the hypercar label (and they’re all quite recent), including the ones that have yet to be released or indeed shown - we’re looking at you Mercedes-AMG and your Project 1 - the Valkyrie stands apart.
The British sports car company has shown us this car before, at least in its earlier form while still known under its initial RB-001 codename. That initial reveal, however, was focused exclusively on the exterior and shed little useful light on the more defining aerodynamic attributes of its body. This changes now, though. Aston says that the car is nearing its finished production state - about 95 percent - and as we can see, there are now actual working head and tail lights.
The F1 and open wheel motorsport influence is very evident by the vast full length Venturi tunnels formed by the underbody and that cocoon the compact teardrop-shaped central cell. Speaking of which, the Valkyrie does allow for two occupants, but it could still be a squeeze for most folks as the gullwing doors reveal a small aperture requiring some Le Mans LMP-style driver acrobatics to climb into.
The driver and passenger get situated in a near horizontal, reclined, feet-up position that definitely mimics a open-wheel racing such as Formula 1 and are secured with the standard four-point harnesses (six-point optional). This is to maintain the car’s aerodynamic profile and the efficiency of those underbody Venturi effect wizardry which are responsible for the ‘vast’ amounts of downforce generated at speed, negating the need for an over-body spoiler entirely.
The designers have crafted the glasshouse in a way to ensure ideal and uninterrupted forward and peripheral vision, and the side mirrors have also been replaced by discreet rear-facing cameras in each of the Valkyrie’s flanks, feeding into a dedicated screen on either side of the cabin that mimics the view provided by conventional door mirrors.
Matt Hill, Aston Martin Creative Director of Interiors said of the car’s cockpit design: “It’s been a tremendous challenge to make the interior packaging work. We’ve embraced Red Bull Racing’s Formula One ethos and approached from a different angle than conventional road car design. In this instance, we’ve started from a position where you think something is impossible and work at it until you find a way to make it work.”
“We’ve been fighting for millimetres everywhere, but the battle has been worth it, as it’s been fantastic seeing customers try the interior buck for size. They love the ritual of getting in and how it feels to be sat behind the wheel. They’re also genuinely surprised at how the car just seems to swallow them. You really do have to sit in it to believe there is genuine space for two large adults.”
Behind those custom moulded backrests is the engine bay which houses a a mighty naturally aspirated V12 engine that is engineered to rev well higher than the usual 6,000rpm we’re used to seeing from the marque. It’s purported to displace 6.5-litres and built by Cosworth. Aston Martin will release power and performance figures closer to launch, but have said that it will boast numbers that would rival a present-day Le Mans LMP racer, even using the same kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), so expect 750kW.
That’s quite a lot of engine to have packaged in a relatively compact space, and all the more impressive when factoring all the inboard suspension, transmission, and drivetrain components that occupy that same cavity.
Unsurprisingly it uses motorsport-grade pushrod dampers on all four corners, and no expense has been spared to ensure the most cutting edge solutions are applied to the Valkyrie’s unique challenges as a road going race car.
The body itself is almost entirely carbon fibre, and the weight saving measures lavished on the Valkyrie border on an unhealthy obsession to near its target of 1,000kg. As an example, the illumination elements and reflective material used in the tail lights were revised many times to meet a weight goal, even deeming the enamel badges too heavy and stickers too crude. Instead, they chose to have them laser engraved.
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