THE ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE GOES ROAD TESTING
It's the next phase of development for the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar, as the mid-engined V12 flagship goes into testing on the UK's public roads.
It's early days of on-road testing for the Aston Martin Valkyrie, with chief test driver Chris Goodwin putting it through its paces on the roads around the Aston's Gaydon headquarters and the UK's Silverstone circuit. This is also where the hypercar has been doing its dynamic track assessment, with Aston releasing a series of videos to social media of the car lapping the track.
Aston Martin has released an in-depth specifications list of the McLaren Senna rival, which confirms a V12 hybrid powertrain with an eye-watering 1,160bhp and 900Nm of torque, and a Formula 1-inspired KERS system. That's a Kinetic Energy Recovery System for those who don't know, it generates electricity to power the batteries when the brakes are applied.
Cosworth and Red Bull Racing developed the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12, which pumps out 1,000bhp and 740Nm of torque. The electric motor, which is developed together with Integral Powertrain Ltd, is mounted in the gearbox of the Valkyrie and delivers 160bhp and 280Nm. Power to the electric motor comes from Rimac supplied battery packs, which are connected to the KERS system.
The large motor is a structural component of the Valkyrie and attaches the front to the rear, the rear wheels and suspension components are supported by the engine. When it's removed, there is no physical connection between the two; basically, it's cut in half.
The camshafts, crankshaft and pistons are milled from solid material for reliability, and the Titanium conrods help shed a few kilograms.
The braking system is courtesy of Alcon and Surface Transforms, and Bosch supplied the Traction Control System, Electronic Stability Programme and the Engine Control Unit. Red Bull Racing and Newby designed an all-new gearbox for the hypercar with input from their F1 developers.
The Valkyrie will ride on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber and will wrap the magnesium alloy wheels with race-spec centre lock nuts in 265/30 ZR20 in the front and 325/30 ZR21 at the rear.
The Valkyrie has been developed to be as close to a road-legal F1 car as possible. Which means that its design is directly influenced by the flow of air over, under and through the body. It sits low, with a front splitter that divides airflow between two vents. The air that travels over the bonnet is funnelled through two Venturi tunnels, one on each side of the cockpit.
The rear plays host to possibly the most liberal splitter ever bolted to a road car, and an active rear wing adjusts to speed and braking inputs as required. When married together, all of this aerodynamic fuss provides considerable downforce, as much as 1,000kg in track-only spec.
Clamber inside the mostly carbon fibre body, and you're greeted with a masterclass in minimalism. On either side of the carbon fibre dash sits two monitors that act as your wing mirrors, while a touch-screen sits in the centre. Almost all other functionality, from the indicator buttons, windscreen wipers and start button, to the mode switches and gear selector sits on the steering wheel. This Le-Mans inspired, removable rectangle also hosts a central screen that displays information usually reserved for dashboard-mounted gauges like the speedometer and rev counter.
In true F1 fashion, the two seats are mounted directly to the carbo-fibre tub, and the occupants will adopt a 'feet-up' position. There are four- and six-point harness systems on offer to keep them secured.
According to Andy Palmer, Aston Martin's CEO, "This is a no-excuses halo car – the most luxurious car in its class, but also the quickest and the fastest. This car will be able to lap the Silverstone circuit as quick as or quicker than an F1 or LMP1 car.”
All 150 of the road-going examples of the Valkyrie have already been allotted at a staggering 2- to 3-million pounds. Fret not, though, as there will be a limited run of 25 track-only AMR Pro models thereafter for those who want to experience the closest thing to an actual F1 car.
Check out the video below with Red Bull Racing drivers, Max Verstappen and Anton Albon, as they take the Aston Martin Valkyrie around the Silverstone racetrack.