Aston Martin is celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2023 with an end of era ‘old-school brute’ muscle car that carries a price tag of up to £1.5million.
Looking like Batman’s off-duty runaround, the new limited edition Valour mixes 21st century brawn with sharply-chiseled retro styling of classic Aston Martin V8 Vantages of the 1970s and ’80s.
Powered by an epic 715 horsepower 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, there is one very special feature… for the first time ever, the 12-cylinder engine is linked to a manual six-speed gearbox.
Valour is expected to accelerate from rest to 60mph in around three seconds up to a top speed exceeding 200mph. And only 110 – one for each of the brand’s year of existence – will be made for the global market.
Old school brute: This is the limited edition Aston Martin Valour – a £1.5million supercar unveiled to celebrate the British car company’s 110th year
Valour is set to make its global debut this week at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed in West Sussex ahead of production starting in the autumn and first deliveries to customers by Christmas.
Aston Martin said Valour was both ‘a glorious throwback and contemporary masterpiece’ and marked ‘the last of an era’.
It was built to honour the marque’s long tradition of ‘superlative front-engined sports cars’ and was aimed squarely at drivers who ‘crave undiluted and visceral driving experiences’, noting: ‘The only front-engined V12 sports car available with a manual transmission, its purist approach is unique in 2023 and a thrilling tribute to a golden era of driving.’
Using cutting edge materials and technology, it also promises maximum driver engagement, timeless classic appeal and ‘a precious collector’s piece that demands to be driven’.
The company said Valour was inspired by the original V8 Vantage, the Vantage-based RHAM/1 ‘Muncher’ Le Mans racer from 1980, and the 1990s twin supercharged V600 Vantage which, for a time, was the world’s most powerful production car.
For the first time ever, Aston Martin has linked its 12-cylinder engine a manual six-speed gearbox. The gear lever can be specced in a choice of machined aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre or walnut for the gear-knob, and an exposed shift mechanism to emphasise the mechanical connection
Looking like Batman’s off-duty runaround, the new limited edition Valour mixes 21st century brawn with sharply-chiseled retro styling of classic Aston Martin V8 Vantages of the 1970s and ’80s. Pictured: An original V8 Vantage
Valour is expected to accelerate from rest to 60mph in around three seconds up to a top speed exceeding 200mph. And only 110 – one for each of the brand’s year of existence – will be made for the global market
It added: ‘Immaculate design and flawless execution echoes that of the exquisite One-77 supercar, while its intense driver-centric character connects Valour to the one-off Victor.’
Aston Martin said: ‘In celebration of its 110th anniversary Aston Martin is proud to reveal Valour – a spectacular, ultra-exclusive V12-engined, manual transmission special edition built to honour the marque’s long tradition of superlative front-engined sports cars and delight purists who crave undiluted and visceral driving experiences.’
Its ‘mouth-watering end-of-an-era specification’ and performance would secure Valour a place ‘in the pantheon of all-time great driver’s cars’, the company predicted.
Aston Martin bosses went on: ‘A road car first and foremost, this means successfully striking a sporting balance of taut, precise vertical body control and resolute resistance to roll, while offering the compliance to shine on great driving roads.’
The trio of driving modes – Sport, Sport+ and Track – have been tuned to boost throttle response, torque management and sound character.
There is also bespoke suspension, with adaptive dampers, springs and anti-roll bars honed specifically to the car to enhance ride and handling qualities.
With production limited to just 110 cars globally, Valour’s rarity ‘ensures it will be amongst the most collectable of all Aston Martins’, the brand says.
Bold looks for Aston Martin’s new limited edition ‘old school brute’
Style-wise, Valour has a broad stance and highly developed physique.
The bodywork is made entirely from carbon fibre and marries Aston Martin’s contemporary design with recognisable cues from the iconic 1970s V8 Vantage.
The clamshell bonnet features a large horse shoe-shaped vent and twin ducts to provide ventilation for the vast twin-turbocharged V12 beneath.
The Aston Martin grille has aluminium strakes, while large carbon fibre intakes on either side feed the engine and brakes with cool air.
They also frame the round LED headlights , unique to Valour, and are designed to sit beneath rakish eyebrow-like grille with ‘menacing effect’. Aerodynamics styling and vents help improve airflow.
The rear-end features a dramatic tail-light graphic, with clusters of LED light blades -six on each side – echoing the ground-breaking Valkyrie hypercar.
A full-width aluminium accent – milled from a solid piece – delineates the rear-end, separating the upper and lower sections to dramatic effect.
A triple tailpipe exhaust system fabricated from lightweight stainless steel emits a gloriously heavyweight soundtrack.
The bodywork is made entirely from carbon fibre and marries Aston Martin’s contemporary design with recognisable cues from the iconic 1970s V8 Vantage
The rear-end features a dramatic tail-light graphic, with clusters of LED light blades -six on each side- echoing the ground-breaking Valkyrie hypercar. A solid piece of milled aluminium stretches from brake light to brake light
Inside, a simple, timeless two-seater cockpit houses the manual transmission gear lever which comes with a choice of machined aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre or walnut for the gear-knob, and an exposed shift mechanism to emphasise the mechanical connection.
Traditional woollen tweed – inspired by the seat coverings of Aston Martin’s 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1 – provide a contrast against the high-tech weave of carbon fibre used to form the shells of Valour’s lightweight performance seats, bespoke door cards, fascia air vents, upper centre console and transmission tunnel.
Separating Valour’s body into four areas – front, bonnet, sides and rear – clients may choose from an extensive array of hand-painted stripes and graphics designs, which can be applied in any one of 21 paint colours.
Customers who want to go beyond the standard palette can engage the services of the bespoke ‘Q by Aston Martin’ division to create a truly personlised specification.
This includes a one-off livery, fully exposed 2×2 twill carbon fibre bodywork with a choice of red, blue or green tint, painted wheels, Mokume carbon fibre interior detailing or a choice of Johnsons of Elgin tweed and cashmere fabrics for the seats and headlining.
Valour’s custom body structure features front and rear shear panels, a rear suspension tower strut brace and fuel tank bracing.
It rides on lightweight forged 21-inch alloy honeycomb wheels fitted with the latest bespoke Aston Martin specific Michelin pilot Sport 5 tyres.
A new steering system gives the driver an even greater sense of detailed feel, connection and immediacy.
Carbon ceramic brakes fitted as standard give Valour ample stopping power with front discs gripped by six-piston calipers and those at the rear by 4-piston calipers.
Rear visibility isn’t going to be great with this carbon fibre gilled panel that will, not that you need to see what’s coming behind you when you drive a car with a top speed in excess of 200mph
It rides on lightweight forged 21-inch alloy honeycomb wheels fitted with the latest bespoke Aston Martin specific Michelin pilot Sport 5 tyres
Aston Martin’s design director Miles Nurnberger said: ‘Valour is gloriously unapologetic; an old-school brute refined and reimagined through the lens of 2023.
‘The raw physicality of the shape should tell you all you need to know about the ferocious performance and analogue thrills of taming a 715PS manual transmission sports car. Yet the clear use of the latest technology points to a car with modern manners and exceptional dynamic capabilities’.
Unveiling the car, Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said: ‘Valour is a celebration of Aston Martin’s passion for driving and extraordinary heritage, but it is also emblematic of today’s vibrant and revitalised brand.’
It was also a showcase for the firm’s world-class design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, he said: ‘Valour is further proof of Aston Martin’s position as the driver’s champion and maker of the world’s most exciting, exclusive and desirable ultra-luxury high-performance cars’.
