Aston Martin Valkyrie is one of the latest and most expensive supercars in the world, which is developed according to the latest technologies. This car has recently been given to a number of reliable car media journalists for testing and review. What you’re reading below is a recap of the Aston Martin Valkyrie driving experience from Motortrend Magazine.
In early March 2019, I was sitting inside a Valkyrie at the Aston Martin booth at the Geneva Motor Show. At that time, Motortrend’s biggest drag race was still famous and there was no corona. I asked Andy Palmer, the then CEO of Aston, if we could have an Aston Martin Valkyrie to test and review in 2021, as the Valkyrie then appeared to be only two years away from production. Rimac Bugatti CEO Matt Rimac replied that you could use one of our 1,887bhp electric models, which he claimed would beat the British supercar. Palmer replied: It doesn’t matter, Valkyrie will win anyway.
Three years and 11 months later, at Bahrain’s Formula 1 International Circuit, I’m staring longingly at the production version of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and I’m about to drive it. Two different CEOs of Aston Martin (Palmer, and the recently departed Tobias Morse) promised me that I could test drive the Valkyrie, and now those promises have come true.
Powerful team of designers
The car was designed by Formula 1 design legend Adrian Newey, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Aston CEO Andy Palmer and Aston’s then head of marketing and communications Simon Sproule. Newey had long wanted to develop “the best road car in the world” and Horner was desperate to keep him away from Ferrari and Red Bull. After some time, the four agreed to build the Valkyrie, with Newey actually having the final say on the design. The Aston Martin Valkyrie was very expensive, light weight, used the best of Navi’s tricks, and its naturally aspirated V-12 engine combined with an electric motor produced more than 1,000 horsepower. Also, the initial plan was to build only 15, then 24 and then 59 street versions.
Now, Aston Martin Valkyrie has been released with a price of 3000000 dollars and all 150 coupe versions, 40 track AMR versions and 85 spider versions have been sold. Stone claims a dry weight of 2,800 pounds, which with fluids and oils is slightly more than 3,000 pounds. The final engine speed of the Cosworth 6.5-liter V-12 engine reaches 11,100 rpm. It produces 1,001 horsepower (more than the original Bugatti Veyron) and 575 lb-ft of torque. The electric motor adds 141 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque to these values.
The maximum combined output of this engine is 1,139 horsepower at 10,600 rpm and 682 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm. The downforce of the Valkyrie ranges from 137 to 220 mph, which means the Valkyrie’s top speed is 2,425 pounds. That’s almost 1,000 pounds more than a Formula 1 car. Interestingly, the Valkyrie is capable of producing two tons of downforce, but standard tires explode at over 2,500 pounds of pressure.
Aston Martin Valkyrie increased the price of titanium!
Even if we call the Aston Martin Valkyrie an engineering marvel, we are doing Aston Martin justice. As the company says, “Valkyrie sets its own benchmark.” Seats weigh less than doors. Doors weigh less than wheels. Wheels weigh less than tires. Air holes are embedded in carbon fiber. The carbon fiber dashboard serves as a cover for the air vents. The windshield wiper is a torsion bar. Because it literally goes around the windshield; Its engineering has taken a whole year. It’s made by the same company that makes the space shuttle’s snow blower.
Valkyrie has the smallest central brake light in the world; The same applies to license plate lights. So much titanium was used in this car that the British Ministry of Defense contacted Aston to ask why. Because Valkyrie’s purchase orders had increased global prices. The last time this happened was when the CIA and the US Air Force built the SR-71 Blackbird.
I don’t know how it works with all that power turning only two wheels, but the experience of driving it on a straight is so engaging that I felt like the Valkyrie was all-wheel drive. Of course not, as the electric motor sits between the engine and the Ricardo’s seven-speed sequential gearbox.
Delivery problems
Of course, Aston has had problems in delivering Valkyrie to customers. Many reasons have plagued this complex project, and as one engineer explained, there are 15,817 adjustable parameters in Valkyrie. I’m not sure if the following is related to the above, but the car I drove had problems with heat and the heat from the asphalt was affecting its cooling. As a result, Aston Martin Valkyrie first increased the engine speed to 10,000 rpm and then to 9,000 rpm, which reduced its power.
The excessive aerodynamics of the Navi are activated at speeds above 100 km/h, and the Valkyrie sticks to the asphalt like hot gum at high speeds. But at lower speeds, Michelin Cup tires do not do anything special. Therefore, it is better to go for track tires that produce more downforce.
The main problem with Valkyrie is that it is not fun to drive. Potential customers are probably just looking for a car that they will keep in the garage and enjoy as part of their car collection.
