Aston Martin has had an established habit of making limited production models that are track-ready but without losing the road legal status that make them rolling sculptures when cruising through town. The Valour was the last of these creations and the British sports car brand has followed up on it with the all-new limited-production Valiant.
Aston Martin makes bold statement with Valiant
The Valiant is heavily based on the Valour and as a result, the bulk of the core styling largely carries over from that car. However, this special edition gives the car numerous upgrades that put luxury on the back burner and place performance front and center. Aston says that the Valiant was created with input from Formula One driver Fernando Alonso who asked for a vehicle that reflected his preference for raw performance versus bespoke coddling.
The main changes here are the addition of aerodynamic-focused add-ons with the Valiant featuring a larger front splitter, a large fixed rear wing, and a massive rear diffuser that features a reworked exhaust system. The body is made entirely out of carbon fiber with the material allowing Aston engineers to craft vents and shapes that would otherwise not be possible on traditional sheet metal. The 21-inch wheels get specially designed aero discs with the covers hiding massive carbon ceramic brakes.
The interior gets the bulk of its amenities stripped out and comes ready for the track with an integrated half-cage system and Recaro Podium bucket seats with integrated four-point harnesses. Carbon fiber and aluminum trim are also splashed throughout the cabin while the shifter gets exposed linkages.
Performance gets upgraded
Performance for the Valiant comes from the Valour’s 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 but it has been upgraded to produce 735 hp which is 30 more than what you get from the aforementioned Valour. A six-speed manual is the lone transmission available which drives home the point of performance over comfort when it comes to the Valiant. The continued use of the V12 is also a nod to Aston’s recent comments that stated customers still want big engines in their new vehicle purchases.
In addition to the beefed-up engine, The Valiant also gets a 3D-printed rear sub-frame and the Valour’s suspension has been thrown out for a set of model-exclusive Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers (ASV) with the company saying that the bespoke system can adjust each individual damper to one of thirty-two different tunes in as little as six milliseconds.
Already spoken for
Aston Martin is building 38 Valiants for public consumption (we assume Alonso has one of them) and before you whip out the checkbook to order one, Aston Martin revealed that all 38 examples have been sold to prospective buyers. As a result, pricing wasn’t released but look for each one to have had a price tag of $2.5 million. Deliveries are expected to begin towards the end of the year but Aston Martin will have one make the hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.