Hang onto your hats. Aston Martin has taken the top off its Valkyrie hypercar to launch its fastest ever open-topped model to give owners an experience that is as close to being an F1 driver you can get.
The new Valkyrie Spider has been unveiled on Thursday evening among the super-rich at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California.
Powered by the same 1,155 horsepower petrol electric hybrid 6.5-litre V12 combination in the hard-top version, it accelerates from rest to 62mph in under three seconds up to a top speed of 217mph with the roof on, and 205mph with the roof off.
But it also blows the roof off the prices, too. Lucky buyers will pay a £1million premium for the privilege, with the Spider costing £3.5million compared to the £2.5million asking price for the hard-top version.
Going 205mp with the roof off: Aston Martin has revealed an open-top version of its Valkyrie hypercar – and the Spider will cost £1million more than its hard-top sibling
There is a limited run of 85 cars worldwide with deliveries of both left-hand and right-hand drive models scheduled to begin in the second half of next year.
However, you can put your money away now as Aston Martin says they have already been sold and are over-subscribed following ‘unprecedented demand’ for the supremely-fast open-top hypercar.
Aston Martin says the new Valkyrie Spider is the ‘fastest, most extreme open top Aston Martin to date’ and provides ‘a thrilling next step in the progression of the Aston Martin Valkyrie bloodline’.
It says the combination of F1-inspired aerodynamics and performance with open roof driving ‘epitomises true Formula One car experience, on the road’.
The removable roof panel offers the ‘ultimate sensory immersion for driver and passenger’ and an ‘exhilarating Formula 1 experience on the road’.
Unveiling the car, the British maker – with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire – told VIP guests in California: ‘This a thrilling next-step in the progression of the Aston Martin Valkyrie bloodline.
Powered by the same 1,155 horsepower petrol electric hybrid 6.5-litre V12 combination in the hard-top version, it accelerates from rest to 62mph in under three seconds up to a top speed of 217mph with the roof on, and 205mph with the roof off. Listen to the incredible sound it makes in the video below
‘It promises an even more intense experience.
‘One shaped by the unbeatable sensory stimulus that comes with roof-off driving in one of the world’s most extreme hypercars.
‘One that delivers the most comparable experience to that of an F1 car, not limited to the track.’
It said the the Valkyire Spider has benefitted from unique engineering solutions born from the combined talents of Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT).
The firm said: ‘While the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s unique 1,155PS hybrid V12 powertrain remains unchanged, the Valkyrie Spider has received revisions to its carbon fibre structure, plus precise recalibration of both the active aerodynamic and active chassis systems.
There is a limited run of 85 Spiders (right) worldwide. However, you can put your money away now as Aston Martin says they have already been sold and are over-subscribed following ‘unprecedented demand’
‘This is all with an eye to maintaining optimal Valkyrie performance when driven in a roof-off condition’.
It said the key to the Valkyrie Spider’s performance is the ultra-lightweight construction and high downforce aerodynamics package.
It explained: ‘The upper body surfaces of the teardrop-shaped cockpit and lower tub contours follow the envelope of space available between the huge full-length Venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit floor.
‘Drawing huge quantities of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser, these tunnels are the key to generating Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider’s extraordinary levels of downforce, while keeping the upper body surfaces free from additional aerodynamic devices that would spoil the purity of the open-top styling.’
And it boasted bluntly: ‘It’s the fastest and most extreme open-top, road-legal Aston Martin ever built and is ‘simulated to set impressive lap times, not normally achievable in a road-going car’.
Inside the driver has a near-central seating positioning, strapped down by a six-point safety harness to keep the occupants safely locked in place.
The stunning automotive specimen has been unveiled on Thursday evening among the super-rich at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California
A centre rear-view camera system and front- and rear-parking sensors aid the driver at both high and low speeds, with displays sitting just above the instrument panel.
The bespoke, removable lightweight roof comprises of a carbon fibre central panel, latching onto the tub at the rear and to the windscreen surround at the front. It also has a pair of polycarbonate roof windows, hinged on either side.
Aston Martin said: ‘On opening the doors, the roof can simply be lifted off and stowed away. Modifications to the carbon fibre tub have been made to support the removable roof panels and the luxury open-top layout, as well as new doors. ‘
Front-hinged dihedral doors, unique to Valkyrie Spider (right), have been redesigned to tilt forwards and have a more butterfly-like look to them. We’d argue the vertical lifting doors on the hard-top model (left) are more dramatic
Front-hinged dihedral doors, unique to Valkyrie Spider, have been redesigned to tilt forwards.
Speaking at the unveiling, Aston Martin chief executive officer Tobias Moers said: ‘The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the product of incredible innovation and technology, but above all it has always been about emotion. With the Valkyrie Spider we are taking that passion and emotion to the next level.
‘The driving experience promises to be truly sensational. The sound of that 6.5-litre V12 engine revving to over 11,000rpm with the roof removed is something I cannot wait to hear.’
Red Bull Racing’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey added: ‘Right from the very beginning of the Aston Martin Valkyrie project we were driven by exacting targets that went way beyond any previous road car and the Valkyrie Spider brings that same ethos to the open cockpit hypercar category.
‘What you see is a simple removable roof panel, but the challenge of remaining true to the Valkyrie concept was anything but. Maintaining aerodynamic performance with the roof removed was of paramount importance, likewise keeping any unavoidable weight gains to an absolute minimum whilst maximising enjoyment for the driver.’
