Aston Martin Valiant: A Hardcore Track Star With a Manual

Aston Martin has unleashed a new road-legal track car upon the world. Meet the Valiant, an aero-heavy supercar based on the company's already magnificent Valour coupe. Staying true to Aston's edict that big engines are what people want, it uses a twin-turbo V-12 making over 730 horsepower. And it's paired to a six-speed manual transmission.

Think of the Valiant as Aston Martin's version of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It's a hotted-up, sportier variant of the Valour designed for performance over comfort. According to the company, the idea came from none other than Aston Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, who asked for a vehicle like this as a personal commission. 

As such, the Valiant has been equipped with a boatload of aerodynamic add-ons, including a reworked front end with a big splitter, a fixed wing out back, and a seriously large diffuser. The bodywork, reshaped to improve airflow, is made entirely of carbon fiber. The 21-inch magnesium wheels are covered in a set of aero discs to improve aerodynamics around the car, inspired by Aston's RHAM/1 that raced at Le Mans in the late 1970s. They shroud a set of carbon-ceramic brakes measuring 16.1 inches in diameter up front and 14.1 inches in the rear.

There are even more changes under the skin. The Valiant uses a 3D-printed rear subframe, a titanium torque tube, and a lightweight lithium-ion battery, together cutting 51 pounds. The Valour's suspension has been thrown out in favor of a set of Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers, super-fancy equipment that Aston says is "capable of simultaneously adjusting each damper to one of thirty-two discreet damper curves in less than six milliseconds." It's the type of super-fancy stuff you'll find on the Ford Mustang GTD, the Ferrari Purosangue, and modern IndyCars. 

The 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 inside the Valiant makes 735 horsepower, 30 more horses than the Valour. Torque is unchanged at 555 pound-feet, a result of torque limits for the gearbox, according to an Aston spokesperson. The six-speed is a transaxle mounted out back for better weight distribution. Like in the Valour, the limited-slip differential is a purely mechanical unit.

The Valiant's cabin has been decked out in race-ready equipment that includes a half-cage, a set of Recaro Podium bucket seats, and four-point harnesses. Inside you'll also find carbon fiber and Alcantara trim, as well as an exposed linkage for the shifter. Aston says it's worked to improve the shift feel and effort with a new weighted knob specific to the Valiant.

Aston Martin will make just 38 Valiants, and each has already been spoken for. Pricing for each unit will vary depending on options, though the average transaction price will be around £2 million (around $2.5 million at current exchange rates). Deliveries are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, with Alonso expected to receive the first example.

The car will make its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.