The next of Aston Martin’s limited editions is a high performance sports car called the Aston Martin Valiant. That’s bound to bring back memories of the two-door Valiant Charger produced by Chrysler of Australia in the 1970s. Or not.
Designed to perform on road and track, as suggested by Fernando Alonso, this is loosely based on Aston’s 2023 Valour. However, it comes with added power and downforce, and reduced weight. Items like a 3D-printed rear subframe, a magnesium torque tube and wheels, carbon fibre for most of the bodywork and a lithium-ion battery culled around 100kg.
Production of the 38 units (doubtless a reference to the R/T E38) will commence later this year. First deliveries start before year end. Price is unclear at present but think a big number, then double it and you should be close. A guestimate of the UK price translates to around $NZ4m.
Similar in a styling sense to the Valour limited run that’s currently in production, the Valiant looks more track-honed with an aggressive aero package.
Up front the new nose features grille slats while there’s an F1-like groundworks package (front splitter, rear diffuser and sills that feature air detachers like on Aston’s F1 racer). Some of the bodywork is shared with the Valour. At the rear is a new fixed rear wing that’s integrated into a clamshell. This sits above a ‘Kamm’ tail while four exhaust tips emerge from the end of a titanium system.
The 21-inch wheels are made of magnesium, and reduce total weight compared to the Valour’s aluminium spinners by 14kg. They also feature an F1-style aero wheel cover that permits lots of cooling for the big carbon ceramic braking package.
For suspension, Aston is using Multimatic adaptive spool valve dampers that evidently imbue the Valiant with a wide ride and handling spectrum. Driver modes are also recalibrated to reflect this.
Powering the supercar is Aston’s twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Peak power and torque figures of 547kW and 753Nm are kept in check because the manual transmission can only handle this much torque. Performance figures are not yet available.
Inside is GT-like with semi-aniline leather, Alcantara and milled aluminium. An exposed gear linkage mimics that of the Valour, and Valiant comes with a unique milled aluminium gear knob. A circular steering wheel with a thin frame has no switches and is said to impart a more intuitive feel. Full-carbon Recaro Podium race seats are shared with other high-end Aston Martin vehicles and four-point race harnesses are optional. A steel half-cage rounds out the track focus.
Valiant will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
