Credits: IMAGO / Pro Shots
Ayrton Senna, one of F1’s greatest drivers ever helped Honda build one of the greatest sports cars of all time, the NSX. Now, Fernando Alonso is following in Senna’s footsteps as the Aston Martin sports car commissioned by the Spaniard is set for release. The Aston Martin Valiant, in some ways, is expected to be the pro version of the Aston Martin Valour.
The British company produced the limited-run Valour to celebrate its 110th anniversary. As a result, only 110 cars were produced. Alonso, however, wanted an even more extreme and track-focused version of the Valor. Hence, the idea for the Valiant came into place. The two-time World Champion had a huge say in the upgrades and changes made to the car,
The Valiant will be even more exclusive than the Valour. Only 38 versions of the same have been built, and most of them are already sold. Prices vary (depending on options) but the average cost is around $2.5 million, and Alonso will be one of the first to get his hands on the beast.
The Valiant will feature the same 5.2L Twin Turbocharged V12 as the Valour. However, it’s been upgraded and tuned to produce 743 horsepower compared to Valour’s 705 horsepower. The torque figure remains the same at 555 lb-ft. It’ll be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. At a time when everything is being electrified, Aston Martin keeps the monstrous V12 engine alive.
On the chassis side of things, the car will feature a carbon fiber body, a 3D-printed rear subframe, and a magnesium torque tube. It’ll also feature a half roll cage making the car stiffer and safer. All this is an effort to shed weight and make the car nimble. Magnesium wheels have been designed for cars that are 14 kilograms lighter than Valour and will reduce the unsprung mass.
Aerodynamic changes are plentiful with a larger front splitter and a massive fixed rear wing. These surface aerodynamic changes are complemented by a bigger diffuser that’ll help create more underside downforce. Multiple vents and louvers have been added throughout the car. The lighter wheels will feature an aero disc to smooth out the turbulent air created by its rotation.
Onto the comfort and handling side of things now. The car will have Recari podium bucket seats with four-point harnesses like all the track cars. The ride of the car will have a bigger dynamic range thanks to the upgraded Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers.
The delivery of the Valiant will start in the fourth quarter of 2024. However, the first example of a Valiant can be seen as the Goodwood Festival of Speed on the 11th of July.
