Aston Martin Valiant is Fernando Alonso's personal V12 chariot
Aston Martin Valiant is a track-focused and lightweight V12 beast
Aston Martin made it clear a few months ago that they will keep making engines until they ban them. With the company redirecting its efforts to hybrid electrics (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), the internal combustion engine (ICE) will continue to be a key part of Aston Martin's identity moving forward. But that doesn't mean the brand is done making pure combustion models powered by either a V8 or V12 under the hood.
Just recently, Aston Martin released a track-focused, road-legal beast of a machine called the Valiant. It's the latest in a long line of exclusive & extraordinary projects that are handled by the brand's in-house bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin. And in case you missed the headline, the Valiant was originally conceived from a personal commission by none other than Aston Martin Formula 1 Driver Fernando Alonso.
That's right, the two-time Formula 1 champion wanted a “lightweight, more extreme, racecar-inspired version of the Aston Martin Valour. After taking the commission and taking inspiration from Alonso's 23-year career in Formula 1, the Valiant was born as a strictly limited edition special. Just how limited? There will only be 38 units made and all are spoken for already – including Alonso's.
It's powered by a powerful 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 that pushes out 745 PS and 753 Nm of torque. This gives the Valiant an extra 30 PS than the Valour while the torque output remains the same. And like the Valour, the limited edition Valiant is paired with a proper 6-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels.
Besides giving it a more powerful V12, the Valiant is lighter thanks to numerous weight-saving measures. For starters, the rear subframe was 3D-printed which cuts the weight by 3kg. It also has a magnesium torque tube that is 8.6 kg lighter than a regular tube. It also has 21-inch magnesium wheels that further reduce its weight by 31 kg. Last but not least, it has a lithium-ion battery which further drops its weight by 11.5 kg.
All units of the Valiant are equipped with Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers that can easily adjust themselves in as little as 6 milliseconds. Aston Martin also says the unique dampers offer motorsport-level damping and are designed to maximize the agility of high-performance vehicles. The brand also recalibrated the Sport, Sport+, and Track drive modes to take advantage of the Valiant's performance capabilities fully. Providing the vehicle with better stopping power comes in the form of huge disc brakes that measure 16.1 inches at the front and 14.1 inches in the rear.
Style-wise, the Valiant looks more aggressive than the Valour with its generous use of carbon fiber panels. It also gets a new splitter and specially designed-fenders near the front wheels. A full-width carbon fiber grille gives the Valiant a meaner look, Formula 1-inspired side skirts, a fixed rear wing, and a new carbon fiber diffuser.
The interior of the Valiant also closely resembles that of the Valour. However, Aston Martin wanted to showcase the 6-speed manual gearbox in all its glory by showcasing the shift linkage via a cutaway design. The result is an intricate-looking center console that highlights the mechanical aspect of the vehicle. Beyond that, the Valiant also gets Recaro Podium seats, carbon fiber interior components, and a four-point racing harness.
“Valour was a spectacular celebration of Aston Martin's 110th anniversary, and stirred me to create a more extreme, racecar-inspired version that was track focussed, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road. Valiant is born from my passion for driving at the limit and I have enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both the design and technical specification and believe we have created a masterpiece,” said Alonso.
First deliveries of the Aston Martin Valiant will begin in Q4 of this year and will officially make its public debut at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.
