Aston Martin plots even wilder Valkyrie
Leaked screenshot suggests we haven't seen all of Aston's hypercar range just yet
They say good things come to those who wait, so by that logic the Aston Martin Valkyrie might be one of the greatest cars in the history of the automobile. Next month will mark five years since a full-scale model was first shown at Gaydon and, as this latest image shows, Aston isn't quite done fiddling with its 1,176hp V12 hypercar yet.
Having first emerged on Jalopnik, the screenshot shows a Valkyrie unlike any other that we've seen before. Which, given how long the project has been running for, is surprising - by now it was assumed that just final issues were being ironed out, rather than entirely new models being conceived.
So, what is it? With nothing official from Aston Martin yet, we can only speculate. But even by the standards of the Valkyrie, this is extreme. It's barely recognisable against the standard car, and there are some significant changes even when compared to the AMR Pro. Almost everything is different, from front to back, with new wings, spoilers, wheels, intakes, lights - the lot.
The fact that this leaked pic shows a car with a wiper, headlights and mirrors is likely quite important, moreover, as the AMR Pro Valkyrie was a track-only variant, with just 25 proposed. Might this be an AMR Pro converted for road use, like the Lanzante McLarens? Perhaps the motorsport programme is back on, and this is a rival for the Toyota GR Super Sport? That this is a screenshot from a customer website surely implies this is going ahead in some form or another.
This latest Valkyrie tease (remember when it ran at the British GP - that was two years ago) comes amid fresh turmoil around the issue of selling them. Apparently Aston Martin plans to sue a Swiss car dealer for withholding Valkyrie deposits. A deal with Nebula Project AG was signed back in 2016, which involved collaboration on the mid-engined cars, but also commission-based royalty payments linked to Valkyrie production. Aston claims that cars were sold in breach of the agreement, a decision which is likely to wipe £15m off this year's profit, and has terminated the agreement with Nebula.
So having sat dormant for so long, the Aston Martin Valkyrie project is back to hogging the headlines again. Though no more details were announced, Aston Martin has quietly told PH that the exact status of the leaked car will be coming later this month. Let's all hope the Valkyrie is worth the wait - this new picture suggests it very well might be.
I'm not sure I fancy trying to park this at Tesco's with the size of that splitter hanging out at the front end, but I don't suppose that's a problem I'm going to have any time soon...
Great looking and yes I'd love one, but I'm struggling with 'road car'. It's not really a 'road car' is it, it's an engine and two seats in a shrink-wrap package. No point going to Tesco in it as it doesn't even look like there's room for a toothbrush. I want one!!! (the car, not a toothbrush).
Either way they're clearly not pursuing every ounce of efficient downforce with that wing design, otherwise it'd be a swan-neck and endplated version. Newey or not, some things are known well enough by now.
"Ah yes, good point, a complex financial deal with some mysterious Swiss money men falling through and losing us millions doesn't exactly project strong, competent leadership"
"I guess saying the deal was cooked up by the previous guys doesn't help?"
"Nah, finger-pointing doesn't go down well in the court of public opinion. We need a distraction"
"Ok, maybe something highly visual and Valkyrie related, no journo can resist a good image"
"Right... I'll ask around in Styling, sure one of those crayon types will have wasted an afternoon drawing out something ridiculous that we'd never build"
"Good idea, it just needs to look cool and be tied to the Valkyrie. Then at least the news pages will lead with the car, and bury our lost millions in a footnote."
"Ah yes, good point, a complex financial deal with some mysterious Swiss money men falling through and losing us millions doesn't exactly project strong, competent leadership"
"I guess saying the deal was cooked up by the previous guys doesn't help?"
"Nah, finger-pointing doesn't go down well in the court of public opinion. We need a distraction"
"Ok, maybe something highly visual and Valkyrie related, no journo can resist a good image"
"Right... I'll ask around in Styling, sure one of those crayon types will have wasted an afternoon drawing out something ridiculous that we'd never build"
"Good idea, it just needs to look cool and be tied to the Valkyrie. Then at least the news pages will lead with the car, and bury our lost millions in a footnote."
I know, I know....here I am commnenting on an article about something I claim not to care about, but god zero-taste gazillion-pound hypercars are getting boring and special editions of zero taste gazillion pound hypercars are just ridiculous. I'm one small voice that doens't matter, but I'm sure I'm not alone in basing my affection for Aston Martin on the 'gentlemans express' classy yet understated take on GT cars they've personified for so long. Making ugly c*ck-waving cars to compete with Ferrari and Mclaren just makes them seem rather gauche.
I'm sure sure I fancy trying to park this at Tesco's with the size of that splitter hanging out at the front end, but I don't suppose that's a problem I'm going to have any time soon...
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