Aston Martin Valkyrie: What We Know So Far
Not much is kown as of yet about the Aston Martin Valkyrie; even the name was a mystery up until now. But here's what we do know...
The other day I published a blog about what will inevitably become the next big hypercar battle between the Aston Martin Valkryie and the Mercedes-AMG Project One. Even though very little is known about either car, we know quite a bit more about the Aston than we do the Mercedes. So, I thought I'd dedicate a blog to going into those details...
The internal code name for the Valkyrie is the "AM-RB001" - which references that the car is the joint project of Aston Martin and Red Bull. That name however rolls off the tongue like a square wheeled bike rolls down a hill. Some rumoured the name to be "Nebula" - but since Aston wanted to stick with their tradition of naming their cars with something beginning with "V", this rumour was unlikely to be true. But now, we know it's called the "Valkyrie". Excellent!
The first time you see the Valkyrie, there’s only one word that comes to mind that doesn’t begin with “fu” and end with “ckinghell”: aero. When car’s wear aerodynamic aids, they can look as though they’ve had all their aero accoutrements stuck onto them in an aftermarket effort to make them look like they belong to the Halfords Racing Team - but the Aston is different. Every little bit of it looks as though it’s been sculpted specifically to provide the maximum amount of aero-grip the laws of physics will allow. It may not have the beauty the usual array of Aston’s provide - but that’s because the shape of this car wasn’t so much sketched as calculated through endless equations.
The particularly extraordinary aero lies underneath. As you crouch down to drink in the details, you find yourself staring through a cavernous void that turns the huge quantity of air that flows through it into grip beyond the capabilities of most racing cars. It’s from looking at the underside that the bottom of the cockpit is visible, raising a question about how large the cabin will be. Apparently, it’ll accommodate 2 (and probably 2 hitchhikers in the underlying chasm, as well) - but due to the fact that it was necessary to compromise on interior space for the sake of aerodynamic grip, it’ll most probably be a tight squeeze for even the scrawniest billionaire!
As is the way with these sort of things, there are no official performance figures at the moment, and to be honest, it’d be prudent not to expect to hear any for a good while. That’s because the car we see in the pictures is only a rolling model to show people what it’ll look like, as most of the integral engineering is yet to be completed. The little information given by the main brains behind this car - Aston Martin’s Marek Reichman and Red Bull F1 designer Adrian Newey - is that the target is a 1000BHP-per-tonne power-to-weight ratio. Even though the kerb weight is still unknown, their aim is to get it below 1 tonne - which if achieved, given the power-to-weight ratio - should mean around 1,000BHP.
One of the things still under development is the gearbox - but one thing’s for certain: it won’t be a DSG. Newey is adamant that the weight and bulk of a Double-Clutch will hinder the performance. Whilst the exact gearbox technology is still being engineered, Newey has stated: "We’re homing in on a solution - but it’s going to be tricky.”
Another thing yet to be designed is the overall powertrain. We know for certain it’ll have a Cosworth 6.5L naturally aspirated V12, and that it'll rev high enough to send a hypersonic scream into deep space - but we don’t yet know if the engine will be augmented by hybrid technology. Whether the Valkyrie will be electrified entirely depends on whether the pros of hybridity outweigh the cons for this particular project. As seen in the holy trinity, motors add performance and economy - but they also add weight and complexity. Not to mention that their performance isn’t consistent, as when the batteries run out of juice, the power you gain from the motors is lost, yet the engine still is trusted with the task of dragging their lard around until they're charged again. If they can solve these problems - or at least assuage them - it’ll be a hybrid; if not, it’ll be entirely mechanical.
The suspension system is also still under development. Whilst Reichman and Newey are adamant that this car must possess otherworldly performance, they’re also certain that it must be easy, and enjoyable to drive. In order to cope with the on track performance demands however, the suspension would have to be hard enough to churn human bone to gravel on the road, and I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t define that as “enjoyable”. Therefore, an adaptive suspension system is required - but trying to engineer a lightweight system that can transform itself from the comfort needed to make it liveable in Britain to the harshness needed to make it an on-track monster is easier said than done.
When Aston first told the world about their Hypercar, they made the outlandish claim that, on track, it’d be able to set a lap time on par with that of an LMP1 Car. As my level-head predicted, that promise wasn't entirely accurate. Whilst the road car won’t be able to achieve that sort of on-track performance, they’ll also be making 25 track-only, race versions. They are what will possess LMP1-matching speed.
Given the list of rather important elements yet to be finished, you’d be forgiven for thinking this car’s never getting here. But Aston Martin are aiming for an official release towards the end of 2018. A long way away, yes - but considering the sheer amount of extremely complex development involved in producing this thing, it’s a wonder it’ll be complete before the decade’s out.
The reason the Valkyrie’s development is particularly lengthy is because, unlike most hypercar’s, the design process began with a completely blank piece of paper. Starting from scratch may sound like a given for any performance car - but so many borrow most of their vitals from other, lesser machines. Take McLaren’s P1 for example. As wonderful as it is, most of the things on it - including the carbon tub and the engine - are taken from the inferior 12C, and extensively modified. That’s where the Aston is different. Every last nut and bolt is truly unique and won’t be found elsewhere.
Seeing the Aston Martin badge bestow the front of this car is a rather surreal sight. The Valkyrie is about the most un-Aston Aston ever made - even more than the Cygnet - and that’s all down to Red Bull’s divine intervention. This car is pitching itself in the next performance category above the holy trinity - a place where very few tread, not to mention territory that’s remained completely unexplored by Aston Martin until now. Aston are unsure whether they’ll produce 99 or 150 Valkyries - but even before the covers had come off the car, 370 people had written to them to express their interest. Whoever ends up with one on their drive can expect their offshore bank account to be lighter to the tune of £2-£3MILLION!! To be honest though, the price is irrelevant, as this car is aimed at clientele who can justified paying almost anything for a car: people who want a car that can lap a circuit in a time fast enough to barely give the stopwatch chance to count, even if they’ll never be capable of extracting its performance. All I know is, the very fact it’s on the way is a huge reason to celebrate.
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Written by: Angelo Uccello
Twitter: @AngeloUccello
Tribe: Speed Machines
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Comments (2)
It's certainly not as pretty as your 'everyday' aston. But flowing, and more importantly: impressive nonetheless
What really surprises me is it is not super or turbocharged!