Aston Martin Valour

The Aston Martin Valour is a sports car produced by the British luxury carmaker Aston Martin. It was first presented in July 2023. The production is limited to 110 examples, to celebrate the carmaker's 110th anniversary.[1][2]

Design

The Valour has a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine based on that of the 2018 DBS.[3] The Valour has the same philosophy and design as the Victor, which is also inspired by the 1977 V8 Vantage,[1] but they do not share a direct platform. The Valour rides on a platform developed from the 2018 Vantage and DBS, with an aluminium chassis and a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine producing 705 bhp and 753 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission made by Graziano. The Victor, on the other hand, is a one-off vehicle based on the One-77, with a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and the One-77’s 7.3-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine refined by Cosworth to produce 836 bhp and 822 Nm of torque, which is also paired with a 6-speed manual transmission made by the Italian company. So, while both have retro designs and are limited-run, the Victor is based on the One-77 and the track-only Vulcan, while the Valour is closer to the DBS and Vantage.

Aston Martin Valiant

Aston Martin introduced a road legal, track-focused version of the Valour named the Valiant at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car was originally conceived from a personal commission from Aston Martin Formula One driver Fernando Alonso, for a one-off, lightweight track-focused version of the Valour. However, Aston Martin decided to produce the limited edition sports car in 38 units.[4]

The Valiant is powered by the same 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, with output increased to 735 bhp, but with the same 753 Nm of torque. It also retained the 6-speed Graziano manual transmission. The bodywork is all-carbon fibre with more aggressive aerodynamic, increases the downforce to 383 kg. For further weight reduction, the Valiant was reengineered with the use of magnesium wheels, 1980 RHAM/1 '‘Muncher’'-inspired carbon fibre aero wheel covers, titanium quad exhaust and torque tube, lightweight lithium-ion battery, 3D printed rear subframe and stripped-back steering wheel. The handling is also reworked by the use of carbon ceramic disc brake, the adoption of roll cage and motorsport-level Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers.[4]

Reception

Writing for the magazine Top Gear, Ollie Kew described the Valour as a "worthy successor to the Vantage V600 of the 1990s" that is "impossible to make a sensible case for, but laudable all the same just for existing".[2]

See also

• List of Aston Martin vehicles