This is Fernando Alonso’s vision of a perfect road car – and Aston Martin has built it.
In fact, the British sports car brand will build 38 examples of the new Valiant, a car that was the “personal commission” from Alonso and has been designed as “an ultra-exclusive track-focused, road-legal” special edition.
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Based on the equally special Valour and built by the Q by Aston Martin bespoke division, the Valiant is both an extension of the brand’s 110th anniversary celebrations but also the first collaboration between it and its Formula 1 star.
“Valour was a spectacular celebration of Aston Martin’s 110th anniversary, and stirred me to create a more extreme, race car inspired version that was track focussed, while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road,” Alonso said. “Valiant is born from my passion for driving at the limit and I have enjoyed working closely with the Q by Aston Martin team on both the design and technical specification and believe we have created a masterpiece.”
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Powered by a 555kW 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine and paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, the Valiant is designed as the ultimate driver’s car. In keeping with this ethos, and the clear motorsport connection, weight reduction has been a focus of the Q by Aston Martin team.
A 3D-printed rear subframe helps save 3kg, a magnesium torque tube saves another 8.6kg, a new racing-grade lithium-ion battery sheds 11.5kg and the 21-inch magnesium wheels reduce unsprung mass by 14kg.
The suspension uses Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve dampers; this is the same company behind the Ford Mustang GTD and GT3 racing programs as well as builders of the chassis for the Porsche 963 LMDh prototype.
Stopping power is provided by carbon ceramic brakes, which measure a massive 410mm at the front and 360mm at the rear.
The Valiant will make its public debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, with the car’s first customer, Alonso, taking it up the famous hill climb course.
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