Aston Martin Valour is a 705hp V12 engine super send-off with a manual gearbox
It’s limited to 110 units as the Valour is Aston Martin’s 110th-anniversary gift to self
As electrification announces its impending arrival, carmakers are making full use of this opportunity to bid farewell to their combustion engines in the most extravagant manner. The latest to do so is the British luxury marque Aston Martin with the launch of its ultra-exclusive V12-engined Valour supercar.
As per Aston Martin, the Valour is a 110th-anniversary celebratory special edition gift to self, hence the 110-unit limited production that is ‘built to honour the marque’s long tradition of superlative front-engined sports cars and delight purists who crave undiluted and visceral driving experiences’. The sports car specialist firm claims to have achieved the latter by offering a manual transmission with the Valour, making it the only front-engined V12 sports car currently available with a manual gearbox.
The Valour is said to combine the best of Aston Martin’s past and present. The former gets addressed with Valour’s exterior design inspired by the original ‘77 V8 Vantage and the Vantage-based RHAM/1 ‘Muncher’ Le Mans racer from the 1980s. The keen-eyed individuals would also notice design elements lifted off the One-77 supercar and significantly more from the one-off Aston Martin Victor. The rear features a dramatic tail-light graphic with individual LED lights that echo the Valkyrie hypercar’s design. A Kamm tail design harking back to the race car designs of the 60s and 70s coupled with a triple tailpipe exhaust system fabricated from lightweight stainless steel only adds to the drama.
Aston Martin’s present has also been maxed out, with the brand’s revered twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine getting tweaked in an end-of-an-era 705hp specification. And for the first time, and probably the last as well, this engine gets mated to a bespoke six-speed manual transmission in a bid to secure the most driver-engaging car title in the current era. A mechanical limited-slip differential further enhances the sense of direct analogue connection between the car and the driver.
Upon unwrapping the Valour’s beautiful bespoke bodywork made entirely from carbon fibre, one would find even more bespoke components, such as a bespoke suspension that boasts adaptive dampers, springs and anti-roll bars explicitly honed to the car. Even the steering system is new to provide the driver with a greater sense of feel and connection. While on the subject of connection, the 21” lightweight forged alloy ‘Honeycomb’ wheels get fitted to the latest Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres made specifically for Aston Martin. The Brit brand says the Valour is, first and foremost, a road car, entailing the brand has put in the work to achieve precise vertical body control and resolute resistance to roll to offer the perfect balance on great driving roads.
The Valour is a strict two-seater, and the cockpit design has the manual transmission gear level as its central element. Aston Martin has presented it as a piece of jewellery by exhibiting the exposed shift mechanism and allowing the customer to choose between machined aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre or walnut for the gear knob.
Customers can choose to create their unique specifications for the interiors and exteriors. For exteriors, Aston Martin separates Valour’s body into four areas – front, bonnet, sides and rear for which clients can choose from an array of stripes and graphic designs that can be applied to any of 21 paint colours. Going beyond the standard colour palette may is where Aston Martin’s bespoke Q division steps in to offer extended personalisation including the interior upholstery.
Valour production is due to commence at Aston Martin’s Gaydon Headquarters in Q3 of 2023, with first deliveries scheduled to begin during Q4 2023.
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