Aston Martin Valiant Keeps The Manual V12 Sports Car Dream Alive

Key Takeaways

• m Aston Martin Valiant is a track-focused, manually-equipped V12 sports car limited to 38 units.
• Valiant features 734 hp from a twin-turbo V12, carbon fiber bodywork, and enhanced aerodynamics.
• The race-bred interior includes Recaro seats, unique steering wheel, and intricate carbon fiber details.

After Fernando Alonso commissioned his own ultra-focused, lightweight version of the Aston Martin Valour, the British carmaker was inspired to create this sublime special edition to continue the manual-equipped, V12-powered sports car legacy. Meet Valiant, a limited edition Aston of which only 38 will be built, with less weight and more track focus than anything this side of the Valkyrie.

Visually, its relation to the Valour is clear, but its bespoke carbon fiber bodywork reduces weight and enhances downforce with a series of motorsport-inspired revisions from some of Aston Martin’s greatest on-track hits. According to Fernando Alonso, “[Valour] stirred me to create a more extreme, race-car inspired version that was track focused, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road.”

“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.”

The Beating V12 Heart Of The Beast

Under the carbon fiber hood, Aston Martin has massaged even more power from its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, now making 734 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque. Sent to the rear axle via a bespoke six-speed transaxle manual gearbox, this is one of the wildest V12 Aston Martins to date. In keeping with its focus of going around a race track at the limit, the automaker doesn’t divulge such trivial things as 0-60 mph and top speed. Instead, it focuses on what upgrades have been made to improve its handling:

• Standard carbon ceramic brakes measuring 410 mm up front and 360 mm at the rear are housed within 21-inch magnesium wheels with specially designed cooling inlets that reduce unsprung mass by 30.8 lbs.
• A 3D-printed rear subframe and magnesium torque tube reduce mass by 25.6 lbs with no compromise on stiffness.
• Motorsport-spec lithium-ion battery is 35 lbs lighter than standard batteries.
• Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers can adjust as many as 32 damper curves in less than six milliseconds. This is the same technology employed on the Ford Mustang GTD.
• Revised programming of the Sport, Sport+, and Track driving modes.

Aston Martin won’t say how much weight has been shed, or how much is left behind for the V12 to propel, but every effort has been made to center the weight and control it in such a fashion that drivers can extract maximum pleasure at the limit on a race track.

Designed By Speed

The carbon fiber bodywork is not just light but designed to enhance the Valiant’s aerodynamics, too. A deep front splitter helps pin the front wheels to the tarmac, while the full-width grille (also made from carbon fiber) ensures optimal cooling for the V12 engine. The fenders feature a heavily scalloped design channeling air past the carbon fiber aero discs on those 21-inch magnesium wheels, while vortex generators ahead of the rear wheels reduce turbulence and lift.

The wheels are inspired by a famous Aston Martin Le Mans racer from 1980, the RHAM/1 ‘Muncher’ – a heavily modified DBS V8 race car that also set an odd record for the fastest car towing a caravan, reaching an average speed of 124.91 mph towing an Alpha 14 caravan.

The rear of the Valiant is special, too, with a Kamm tail design and a rather large fixed wing atop the trunk lid that balances out downforce on the rear axle against the benefits of the front splitter. A prominent diffuser reduces drag and lift while housing a quartet of titanium tail pipes tuned for maximum aural delight. The rear end also features a single-piece clamshell with a screen panel that lifts to reveal a storage area for your helmet and race suits.

A true thoroughbred aimed at being enjoyed to the full on a racetrack, yet still useable on the road, it takes clear inspiration from motorsport, expressing its character through dramatic, muscular form and a plethora of beautiful, functional details.

– Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer

A Race-Bred Interior

Strictly a two-seater, there’s more carbon fiber everywhere you look, including on the center console, which features an exposed mechanism for the manual shifter – a bespoke item created for the Valiant. The seats themselves are Recaro Podium items that feature minimal padding (trimmed in either leather or Alcantara) and make allowance for four-point racing harnesses that attach to the half roll cage mounted behind the occupants.

Even the steering wheel is unique to Valiant, tossing out the flat-bottomed idea for a perfectly round tiller with a small diameter and slim rim and spokes with zero switchgear; just maximum focus here.

When Can You Get Yours?

If this is the first time you’ve laid eyes on the Valiant and you’re thinking, “I want one,” then you’re too late. All 38 are already pre-sold for an undisclosed figure. But we mere mortals can still see the Aston Martin Valiant up close, as it will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 11-14 July, including runs up the hill to showcase that almighty V12. The driver? None other than two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso.