The company built just 38 Valiants, a more aggressive version of the Valour, with only one destined for the Great White North
- Aston Martin’s Valiant features a 735 HP V12 engine and a 6-speed manual gearbox.
- Only 38 units of this supercar were produced, with Canada receiving just one.
- Base pricing for the Valiant started at around $3 million, excluding taxes and options.
Aston Martin seems to be on a roll, launching one impressive supercar (and, for the first time ever, an SUV) after another. Even though taste is, by definition, a subjective thing, to our eyes most models of the new Aston era look great, and some are truly a sight to behold. Moreover, the British brand currently has a wide range of models, starting with the entry-level (the term used very liberally here) Vantage and going all the way up to bespoke creations that cost millions.
The Valiant definitely belongs in the latter category. Intended to be a hardcore version of the Valour and initially commissioned by Aston’s Formula 1 driver, and two-time World Champion, Fernando Alonso, it was crafted by the brand’s Q by Aston Martin division and was produced in just 38 units.
More: Aston Martin’s First Mid-Engine Supercar Costs Half As Much As McLaren’s W1
Just one of them was allocated to Canada, and was recently delivered to its owner by Grand Touring Automobiles, which specializes in exotics from the likes of Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Lotus, Pininfarina, Rimac and Zagato, to name by a few.
Photos Nathaniel Cooper and Alphi Masivi / Grand Touring Automobiles
“Delivering Canada‘s only Aston Martin Valiant is a true honor,” Paul Cummings, Dealer Principal and CEO of Grand Touring Automobiles, said, as reported to Newswire. “This vehicle represents the highest expression of Aston Martin’s technical mastery and bespoke craftsmanship. It is also a testament to our unwavering commitment to offering our clients access to the most exceptional and rare vehicles in the world.”
Although it is based on the Valour, Aston Martin tuned its twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 to deliver 735 hp and 555 lb-ft (753 Nm), so while it has the same torque, it pumps out 30 hp more. Moreover, the only transmission available is a six-speed manual that sends all that power to the rear wheels – music to the ears of any driving enthusiast.
Tailored for Track, Perfected for the Street
Aston didn’t just fiddle with the engine, though; it did a whole lot more. Weight-saving features, such a 3D-printed rear subframe that cuts 3 kg (6.6 lbs) and a magnesium torque tube that saves 8.6 kg (18.9 lbs) and a lithium-ion battery that weighs 11.5 kg (25.3 lbs) less than the Valour’s result in the Valiant being lighter on its feet.
More: Aston Martin Valkyrie Smashes Top Gear Lap Record
A reduction in unsprung mass by 14 kg (31 lbs) thanks to 21-inch magnesium wheels, combined with Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers that adjust to one of 32 settings in less than six milliseconds and recalibrated Sport, Sport+, and Track driving modes ensure that it lives up to its description as a street-legal track-focused weapon. Finally, carbon ceramic discs measuring 410 mm (16.1-inch) up front and 360 mm (14.1-inch) at the rear provide the stopping power that’s necessary with all that power at hand.
The Valiant’s exterior design is also, fittingly, noticeably more aggressive than the Valour‘s. A slew of carbon fiber parts, including a new splitter and multi-layer planes near the front wheels, as well as a new full-width carbon fiber grille, new side fenders, Formula 1-inspired side skirts, a sizeable fixed rear wing, and a new carbon fiber diffuser definitely make it stand out. And in the unlikely case you don’t notice those changes, the bespoke Golden Saffron paint is a sure tell-tale of the British supercar’s identity.
The interior got a special treatment, too. Plenty of carbon fiber, a half-cage, Recaro Podium seats, four-point racing harnesses, and a three-spoke steering wheel with its rim covered in Alcantara adorn the Valiant’s cabin. Perhaps the nicest feature though is the cutaway in the carbon transmission tunnel that exposes the manual gearbox’s linkage, kinda like in a Pagani Huayra, only a bit more discreet.
How much did this, obviously wealthy, individual pay for the privilege of owning the sole Aston Martin Valiant in Canada? We have no idea, other than the fact that the factory price was rumored to start from around £2 million (about US$2.6 million) in the UK, before taxes and options. But as they say: if you have to ask…
Hat tip to John!
#Aston #Martins #Canada
