Aston Martin is on the brink of unleashing a truly special supercar dubbed the Valkyrie, — the world’s most extreme road-legal car. Known for the production of luxury sports cars and grand tourers, the English automotive company has never produced a hypercar. However, with the Valkyrie, an aesthetically pleasing speed demon with a design that is highly focused on aerodynamics, Aston Martin will be making its first foray into the hypercar market.
Also, with several similarities between the Valkyrie and the Aston Martin AMR F1 Racer, enthusiasts are keen to know “who borrows from whom?” Some of the similar components in both cars include the badge boards, vortex generators, as well as chassis with similar shape and structure, which are further pointers to the track readiness of the road going Valkyrie. Although it’ll soon be unleashed on our roads, enthusiasts can familiarize themselves with the amazing Valkyrie through these details.
10 Designers
The Aston Martin Valkyrie’s design is the brainchild of Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, and the world’s most successful F1 designer. He’s joined by Miles Nurnberger, Aston Martin Creative Director of Exterior Design, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer who helps ensure the project attains its predicted unprecedented synergy of form and function.
The car is being put together by David King (the VP and Chief Special Operations Officer) and his team at the Aston Martin Lagonda Headquarters located in Gaydon.
9 Name
When the Aston Martin Valkyrie was first designed, the initial codename was Nebula, an indicator of the collaboration behind the car. Nebula is an acronym formed from Newey, the legendary F1 designer who designed the Valkyrie, Red Bull, and Aston Martin.
However, the codename was later changed to AM-RB 001, reflecting the partnership between Aston Martin and Red Bull. The “AM” being the initials for Aston Martin, while the “RB” stands for Red Bull. The car was eventually named after a Norse mythological figure known as “Valkyrie.”
8 Partners
When Aston Martin began building the Valkyrie, they needed to partner with a brand that knew a lot about racing cars, and since Adrian Newey was already on board, it was only natural to involve Red Bull Racing.
While Aston Martin did the actual construction, Red Bull Racing and Newey contributed to a large part of the car's design. Other manufacturers have been involved in the process too. Some of them include Ricardo, Multimatic, Cosworth, Rimac Automobili, Wipac, Michelin, and Bosch.
7 Specifications
The Valkyrie has a 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-12 engine produced by Cosworth that generates about 1,000 hp, at 10,500 rpm with a limit of 11,100 rpm. This engine makes it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine on a street-legal car, while it’ll also be one of the highest revving cars around.
The car weighs an impressive 1,030 kg and can accelerate up to 60 mph from a static position in just 2.6 seconds. The Valkyrie’s body is made entirely of carbon.
6 Interior
The Valkyrie has space for just two seats and its cockpit is designed like a teardrop. The F1 design inspiration can be observed on the passenger’s seat which is positioned in a reclined set-up.
Also, in a bid to reduce distractions for the driver, the entire switchgear is incorporated into the steering wheel, and vital signs are displayed on a single OLED screen. For easy movement in and out of the vehicle, the makers chose a detachable steering wheel while the upholstery will come in different patterns, colors, and finishes.
5 Exterior
To get the best out of aerodynamics, the Valkyrie has deviated away from the tradition of exterior mirrors. Instead, the car will be adopting rear-facing cameras placed on both flanks of the car. On the car’s A-pillars, two cabin displays will receive images transmitted from the rear-facing cameras, giving the driver a view of the blind spots.
Also, the car ditched the rearview mirror, as there is no rear window. The lack of a rear window is a result of the roof-mounted engine air intake.
4 Valkyrie AMR Pro
Dubbed the AMR Pro, the track-only version of the Valkyrie was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2017. With only 25 models scheduled for production, the AMR Pro shares the same engine as the standard variant, the 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine.
However, the engine will be tweaked, giving this track version more horsepower than its street counterpart. Other changes include the replacement of the infotainment screen and air-conditioning system with racing versions. Also, the top speed is expected to be at least 250 mph.
3 Bespoke
Several features and components make the Valkyrie such an incredible hypercar. As though the “standard” isn’t sick enough, Aston Martin built the track-only AMR Pro to have even more robust features.
These include bigger front and rear wings, as well as a new and active aerodynamic package which will help the car maintain proper downforce even at extreme speed, while its smaller wheels will help it accommodate racing tires. Furthermore, Aston Martin claims the car will be built as a “bespoke machine from the tires up.”
2 Release Date
When the AM-RB 001 hit public roads in early 2020 for a test run, gearheads that had been closely monitoring the hypercar's development sent the internet into a frenzy. While it was initially expected to launch in mid-2020, the release date was pushed back to 2021 due to Covid-19's impact on its production.
Therefore, Valkyrie’s delivery is now expected to begin in mid-2021, two more years after its initial delivery date. In all, we believe it’ll be worth the wait.
1 Sold Out
Aston Martin's desire to build a car that would look at home on the streets or a racing track is impressive, but they even went one better, producing two variants of the hypercar. The standard variant satisfies all requirements of a streetcar, while the racing variant, the AMR Pro, is produced for the track alone.
The standard Valkyrie will be limited to only 150 models, while the Valkyrie AMR Pro will have just 25 models. Starting at $3,000,000.00, the cars are pretty expensive, but the prospective owners probably don't think so, as both variants of the car are already sold out.