Exclusive Aston Martin Valiant unveiled

Available to purchase for a very small number of customers, the limited-run Aston Martin Valiant coupe will soon make its public debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed here in the UK. This powerful supercar is a personal commission designed for Aston Martin’s renowned F1 driver Fernando Alonso, and is powered by a 745hp 5.2-litre Twin-Turbo V12 petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Developed through Aston Martin’s ‘Q’ division, the manufacturer says that the car’s looks emulate the ‘Muncher’ DBS V8 race car for the 1970s.

The initial idea for the coupe was to make a “lightweight, more extreme, race car inspired version” of the Aston Martin Valour – another limited edition 5.2-litre V12 Aston Martin model that was unveiled last year to mark the brand’s 110th birthday.

Some of the car’s foundations have been 3D-printed, leading to a 3kg weight reduction, while the car’s torque tube which holds the rear end in place during acceleration and braking is made of magnesium, saving an extra 9kg of weight. The 21-inch alloy wheels are also made of magnesium – another 14kg saving. Six new bodywork inlets draw cooling air onto the carbon ceramic brakes to maintain optimum braking performance, with apertures around the circumference of the wheel allowing the heat generated by the carbon ceramic discs to vent.

The car has also been given a new suspension set-up and greater aerodynamic downforce, and comes with three different driving modes – ‘Sport’, ‘Sport+’ and ‘Track’.

Inside the two-seat cabin, the car is trimmed in plenty of exposed satin-finish carbon fibre and is fitted with a new slimmer-diameter steering wheel which is unique to Valiant and is devoid of physical switches. The gear shifter is also a unique design, with Aston Martin commenting that it has “focused on perfecting the weight and feel of the gear shift.” Aston Martin is yet to provide any performance stats for the model, and like the Valour, the coupe’s price tag is not exactly marketed by the manufacturer – likely stretching into the seven-figure range.

The Valiant is about as exclusive as limited-edition sports cars can get.

Only 38 will be sold worldwide, with the first customer deliveries to commence before the end of the year.