Shipments of Aston Martin’s long-awaited Valkyrie hypercar are not due to begin until later this year, but the company has already unveiled a hardcore variant that will rewrite the rulebook on the performance potential of road-vehicle-based track specials.
The car is the Valkyrie AMR Pro, which Aston Martin presented as a concept at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The production version presented late on Sunday is even more extreme. Aston Martin claims the car will lap the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe 24 Hours faster than a Le Mans hypercar race car and close to the times of an LMP1 prototype. We’re talking about 3:20.
Aston Martin Valkyrie
How is that possible? The car was developed using original designs for a Valkyrie Le Mans hypercar program that Aston Martin pulled the plug in 2020 after the decision was made to focus on Formula 1 rather than the World Endurance Championship. These original designs come from none other than Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s star aerodynamicist, who was responsible for most of the design work on the Valkyrie.
However, the Valkyrie AMR Pro is a very different beast from the Valkyrie street car. It is even more extreme than the planned Valkyrie LMH racing car, as it is exempt from any racing regulations. For example, it features a bespoke chassis that’s 14.96 inches longer in wheelbase and 3.78 inches wider at the front and 4.53 inches wider at the rear.
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro
Of course there is also the new body. All aerodynamic surfaces have been optimized with a view to significantly increased downforce, including the addition of significantly larger front and rear wing elements as well as revised active aerodynamic control strategies tailored to the requirements of racing.
Finally, the racing car also benefits from a weight-saving program. Creature comforts like the air conditioning and infotainment system maintain the trunk while replacing some necessary items with lightweight racing-style components. These include polycarbonate windows, carbon fiber suspension components, molded racing shells with no adjustment, and an exhaust with minimal soundproofing requirements.
Aston Martin Valkyrie’s 6.5-liter V-12
Another important weight-saving feature is the elimination of the hybrid elements of the Valkyrie road vehicle. The power in the racing car comes purely from the 6.5-liter V-12 developed by Cosworth, which has around 1,000 hp.
The tests are running, so Aston Martin is holding back detailed performance data, although the company points to cornering and braking forces of over 3 g in addition to the glowing lap time at Le Mans. The current Aston Martin F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll help with the tests.
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro
To ensure that future owners can get the most out of their cars, Aston Martin is planning a special program that will allow access to driving instructors at scheduled track events. Further details on the program will be announced at a later date.
Aston Martin will build 40 of the Valkyrie AMR Pros (plus two prototypes) from a previously announced series of 25 cars. Production of the Valkyrie road car will be limited to 175 cars. Delivery of the road car will begin shortly, while the first examples of the racing car should be in customer hands before 2021.
The post Le Mans hypercar-aping racing car unveiled first appeared on monter-une-startup.
