Aston Martin has announced that it will produce an “extreme” street-legal version of its Valor sports car, called the Aston Martin Valiant, personally commissioned by F1 legend Fernando Alonso.
Alonso made an immediate impact at Aston Martin after joining the team ahead of the 2023 F1 season, claiming a total of eight podium positions during his first year at the Silverstone-based outfit.
Aston Martin Valiant: the brainchild of Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin announced earlier this year that the two-time world champion had signed a new multi-year contract with the team until the end of the 2026 F1 season – by which time he will be 45 – with Alonso describing the deal as a The “lifelong project” that will “keep me connected to Aston for many, many years to come.”
The Aston Martin Valiant is being produced by the company’s Q division, which allows owners to design the look of their cars.
In a statement, Alonso said: “Valour was a spectacular celebration of Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary and prompted me to create a more extreme, race-car-inspired version that was focused on the track while also offering a ride exciting in [the] road.
“The Valiant was born out of my passion for frontier driving and I’ve enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both design and technical specification and I believe we’ve created a masterpiece.”
What is the Aston Martin Valiant?
Aston Martin announced the birth of the Aston Martin Valiant on 26 June 2024, with the car originally commissioned by Alonso in collaboration with the manufacturer’s bespoke Q division.
Alonso challenged Aston Martin to create a lighter, more extreme, motorsport-inspired version of the special edition Valor produced to mark the brand’s 110th anniversary in 2023, which in turn was based on the DBS model.
It is the second supercar to be directly influenced by Alonso after the two-time World Champion’s former employers Alpine – with whom he won both of his F1 world championships in 2005/06 – announced production of the Alpine A110 R Fernando Alonso in October 2022.
Although it was only revealed after Alonso announced he was leaving for Aston Martin, Alpine went ahead with plans to produce 32 versions of the car, the number chosen to reflect the amount of grand prix wins achieved by Alonso.
What do we know about the technical specifications of the Aston Martin Valiant?
The Aston Martin Valiant is described as “the most extreme front-engined road car ever built by Aston Martin” with “everything it knows learned from the track”.
It’s equipped with a 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 engine with a six-speed manual transmission – producing a whopping 745 horsepower – fade-free carbon ceramic brakes and a titanium quad-pipe exhaust system.
Marco Mattiacci, Aston Martin’s global brand chief, who previously spent a brief spell as Alonso’s team principal at Ferrari in 2014, has said the car has been treated to an “obsessive weight reduction” program and is field of “motorsport – light grade” where Valiant shines.
Tricks to keep weight down include the use of a 3D-printed rear subframe, which is claimed to shave 3kg without any impact on stiffness, as well as a magnesium roll tube that removes 8.6kg from the center of the car.
With a lithium-ion battery that saves 11kg and 21-inch magnesium wheels that recover 14kg, the overall weight loss compared to the Valor is thought to be in the region of 100kg.
The Valiant’s body is sculpted in carbon fibre, styled to improve downforce while reducing drag, with the car’s wheel covers inspired by the Aston Martin ‘Muncher’ car that raced in the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours in 1979.
The car is also equipped with the latest Multimatic dampers, which can be adjusted to any of 32 settings in six milliseconds.
Inside, the two-seater prioritizes functionality over performance with large areas of exposed carbon fiber, an integrated steel half-cage and racing-style seats fitted with four-point harnesses.
A new circular steering wheel with a slimmer frame has been fitted and all the switches have been removed to improve the connection between the car and the driver.
The resistance track? A large cut in the transmission tunnel, exposing the gear linkage.
How many will be produced and how much will the Aston Martin Valiant cost?
Aston Martin has not disclosed how much the Valiant will cost, but it is thought to be worth around $2.56 million.
The manufacturer has confirmed that 38 Valiants will be sold, with high levels of customization expected.
When can I see the Aston Martin Valiant for real?
The Aston Martin Valiant will make its first public appearance at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed event on July 11-14.
Alonso himself will be behind the wheel, demonstrating the Valiant’s performance on Goodwood’s fan-favourite Hillclimb course.
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