This wild machine promises to deliver Formula 1 pace for the road. But the first people to drive it say the car is seriously flawed.
Aston Martin shot for the moon with the Valkyrie.
Intended to serve as a full stop or exclamation point to conclude the automotive industry’s obsession with petrol-powered supercars, the Valkyrie promised to deliver F1-rivalling performance to anyone with a driver’s licence.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a wild machine.
And at least $5 million.
And a very close relationship with their local Aston Martin dealer.
The marque promised to deliver the world’s fastest car – not in terms of acceleration or top speed, but in how fast it could race around a circuit.
The car’s troubled development took years longer than planned, and resulted in significant upheaval at the brand’s UK headquarters.
Aston Martin developed the Valkyrie in partnership with Red Bull.
Originally championed by motorsport-mad chief executive Andy Palmer, the Valkyrie’s troubled development contributed to him parting ways with the company.
Likewise, the car was designed in part by Red Bull Racing guru Adrian Newey as part of a partnership between the racing team and car maker that no longer exists.
Red Bull’s relationship with Aston Martin is over. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Red Bull now plans to build a rival supercar.
Aston Martin promised to take the Valkyrie racing at Le Mans, then pulled the plug on its endurance racing efforts to focus on F1, under the direction of company chairman Lawrence Stroll.
Whose son, Lance, drives alongside Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin’s Grand Prix outfit.
Alonso finished on the podium in his first race for Aston Martin. Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images
We’ll never get the chance to drive the Valkyrie – and you’re unlikely to spot one in Australia, as it does not comply with local road rules.
But a handful of veteran motoring writers had a chance to experience the car.
Writing for Evo magazine, Richard Meaden said it was “impossible not to be starstruck” by the Valkyrie.
Aston Martin’s Valkyrie has a race-inspired cockpit.
The race-car like “feet-up” driving position makes entry difficult – many owners will need to remove the steering wheel to squeeze into the cockpit – and the F1-like steering wheel is complex.
Aston Martin’s Valkyrie is the wildest car to wear number plates.
But the star of the show is a naturally aspirated V12 engine that spins beyond 11,000rpm – 2000rpm more than highly-strung machines such as Porsche’s 911 GT3.
Rev it that hard, and the Aston delivers a staggering 836kW of power.
The Valkyrie is powered by a Cosworth-sourced V12.
“The speed the Valkyrie gains between corners is of another magnitude to any road car I’ve ever driven on track,” Meaden said.
“The combination of hybrid-assisted shove exiting corners and searing top-end rush as you push to 11,000rpm through the gears is insanely intense. “
Pistonheads’ Mike Duff said the “World’s fastest car” was “1,000 per cent faster and more exciting” than anything he had experienced before.
Track day warriors can choose the AMR Pro version.
And that the track-only AMR Pro version represents “a pinnacle of the combustion era”.
Top Gear presenter Chris Harris was “just in awe of what it can do”, and said “the world is definitely a better place because this exists”.
Like Duff, he preferred the AMR Pro model that replaced road-ready tyres with racing slicks, and active suspension with simpler shock absorbers. Wild aerodynamics on the track car replace legally compliant bodywork on the “far more compromised” road car.
Aston Martin’s Valkyrie is one of the most expensive cars on sale.
Even so, the Valkyrie represented “one of the most special motorcars I’ve had the pleasure of driving,” Harris said.
Hagerty presenter Henry Catchpole said the Valkyrie was “an incredible achievement”, and “a landmark” in the same spirit as the McLaren F1 and Bugatti Veyron.
But critics were united in pointing out a significant flaw in the car. The engine, which is similar to what F1 cars had before adopting hybrid power, is painfully loud.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is an odd sight on the road.
Duff said that driving the car without hearing protection “would quickly lead to the risk of hearing loss”.
Meaden said the “horrendous cockpit noise” was “a major problem”.
But Top Gear magazine writer Ollie Marriage was less bothered.
Aston Martin cancelled plans to race the Valkyrie at Le Mans.
“Luckily Aston Martin supplies the Valkyrie with a set of state of the art headsets with intercom,” he said.
“It’s fabulously single-minded and a marker in the sand to all that might want to follow …
“If you want perfection, buy a Toyota.”
Keyword: Aston Martin Valkyrie unleashed on track