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If you remember the limited-run Aston Martin Valour, then this menacing face, with its wide grille and imposing circular headlights inspired by the V8-powered DBS of the 1970s, will look quite familiar. That's because this new Valiant, which has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, has been designed to package the delightful V12 manual combo introduced by the Valour into a beast that's ready for the track. If you want one of these wild supercars, you'll need at least $2.5 million on hand. But even if you do have all that extra cash in your pocket, there's no need to shell it out now, as all 38 units are already spoken for.
Interestingly, a track-focused followup to the Valour like this wasn't initially in the cards. This matte-gold monster wouldn't have been born if it weren't for Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, who took a look at the Valour and suggested that they "take out mass and make it more playful, more motorsport," according to Aston's head of vehicle dynamics, Simon Newton. The result is an even crazier version of the limited-run Valour, indirectly inspired by the widebody, slant-nosed "Muncher," which itself was a wild track-focused version of the DBS V8 from the 1970s.
Like we said before, the Valiant shares some of its most drool-worthy aspects with the Valour––most notably its twin-turbo 5.3 liter V12 engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and sends 734 hp en route to the wheels in this application. That's 29-pony advantage over the Valour, making it the highest-output vehicle to come out of Aston's limited-run, V12-manual series.
The Valiant also shares its lightweight carbon fiber body with the Valour, but it goes a step further by taking that car's crisp, handsome silhouette and adding some wild aggression to its retro-inspired styling. That includes the huge rear deck spoiler, which is smoothly integrated into the sharp-edged rear fenders, along with "fences" on the lower front splitter and in front of the rear wheels to guide air flow. The wheels are also clad with eye-catching graphic covers, and the solid rear window louver carries over its brutalist "armadillo" look from the Valour. All in all, these raw, iron-carved details make for an adventurous package that goes beyond the usual crop of graceful grand tourers that typically come out of Aston's design center.
It should be noted that this isn't the first time Aston has strayed away from its traditional figures, as the Valour and Valiant are both inspired by the "obtuse" design phase that took place from the 1970s to the 1980s. Most of the automaker's wealthiest clientele were raised when those sharp-angled vehicles broke cover, so it comes as no surprise that they are looking for some of that nostalgia to capture in their vast car collections.
While the design of the Valiant is quite a separation from traditional Astons, its performance is not. The supercar comes Multimatic adaptive spool-valve dampers to keep its tires in contact with the road, while also keeping the ride comfortable.
But to keep track performance in check––that is the point of this Valiant, after all––Aston Martin also had to consider some weight-saving measures. That includes a titanium exhaust system, a magnesium torque tube and wheels, a 3D-printed rear subframe, and a lithium-ion motorsport battery. Sound deadening for the cabin has also been reduced, though unfortunately Aston Martin also had to stick with its ancient Mercedes-based infotainment rather than its significantly-improved, in-house system. All of these things have allowed the Valiant to weight in at around 250 pounds lighter than the Valour.
The Valiant will get a public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month, where the event's famous hillclimb will be navigated by Alonso himself. He will also be among the first to receive his Valiant when deliveries begin at the end of this year.
Image Credits: Aston Martin
Revealed
Jul 5, 2024
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Aston Martin Valiant Takes The Valour's Delightful V12 Manual Combo To The Track
Only 38 cars will be made, and each will set buyers back a cool $2.5 million.
If you remember the limited-run Aston Martin Valour, then this menacing face, with its wide grille and imposing circular headlights inspired by the V8-powered DBS of the 1970s, will look quite familiar. That's because this new Valiant, which has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, has been designed to package the delightful V12 manual combo introduced by the Valour into a beast that's ready for the track. If you want one of these wild supercars, you'll need at least $2.5 million on hand. But even if you do have all that extra cash in your pocket, there's no need to shell it out now, as all 38 units are already spoken for.
Interestingly, a track-focused followup to the Valour like this wasn't initially in the cards. This matte-gold monster wouldn't have been born if it weren't for Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, who took a look at the Valour and suggested that they "take out mass and make it more playful, more motorsport," according to Aston's head of vehicle dynamics, Simon Newton. The result is an even crazier version of the limited-run Valour, indirectly inspired by the widebody, slant-nosed "Muncher," which itself was a wild track-focused version of the DBS V8 from the 1970s.
Like we said before, the Valiant shares some of its most drool-worthy aspects with the Valour––most notably its twin-turbo 5.3 liter V12 engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and sends 734 hp en route to the wheels in this application. That's 29-pony advantage over the Valour, making it the highest-output vehicle to come out of Aston's limited-run, V12-manual series.
The Valiant also shares its lightweight carbon fiber body with the Valour, but it goes a step further by taking that car's crisp, handsome silhouette and adding some wild aggression to its retro-inspired styling. That includes the huge rear deck spoiler, which is smoothly integrated into the sharp-edged rear fenders, along with "fences" on the lower front splitter and in front of the rear wheels to guide air flow. The wheels are also clad with eye-catching graphic covers, and the solid rear window louver carries over its brutalist "armadillo" look from the Valour. All in all, these raw, iron-carved details make for an adventurous package that goes beyond the usual crop of graceful grand tourers that typically come out of Aston's design center.
It should be noted that this isn't the first time Aston has strayed away from its traditional figures, as the Valour and Valiant are both inspired by the "obtuse" design phase that took place from the 1970s to the 1980s. Most of the automaker's wealthiest clientele were raised when those sharp-angled vehicles broke cover, so it comes as no surprise that they are looking for some of that nostalgia to capture in their vast car collections.
While the design of the Valiant is quite a separation from traditional Astons, its performance is not. The supercar comes Multimatic adaptive spool-valve dampers to keep its tires in contact with the road, while also keeping the ride comfortable.
But to keep track performance in check––that is the point of this Valiant, after all––Aston Martin also had to consider some weight-saving measures. That includes a titanium exhaust system, a magnesium torque tube and wheels, a 3D-printed rear subframe, and a lithium-ion motorsport battery. Sound deadening for the cabin has also been reduced, though unfortunately Aston Martin also had to stick with its ancient Mercedes-based infotainment rather than its significantly-improved, in-house system. All of these things have allowed the Valiant to weight in at around 250 pounds lighter than the Valour.
The Valiant will get a public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month, where the event's famous hillclimb will be navigated by Alonso himself. He will also be among the first to receive his Valiant when deliveries begin at the end of this year.
Image Credits: Aston Martin
