Aston Martin says its Valkyrie Spider “delivers the most comparable experience to that of an F1 car, not limited to the track”
Aston Martin says its Valkyrie Spider is one of the world’s most extreme hypercars. (Photos courtesy of Aston Martin)
The new Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider, unveiled Friday, Aug. 10 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is called one of the world’s most extreme hypercars. “One that delivers the most comparable experience to that of an F1 car, not limited to the track,” Aston Martin said in a release.
Production is limited to 85 units worldwide in left and right-hand drive derivatives. But all 85 cars are “over subscribed,” and deliveries are scheduled to begin H2 2022, Aston Martin said in a statement.
The Valkyrie Spider is powered by a 6.5-liter V-12 hybrid system. It has a combined power output of 1,160 horsepower with 664 foot-pounds of torque.
“The sound of that 6.5-litre V12 engine revving to over 11,000 rpm with the roof removed is something I cannot wait to hear,” Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Tobias Moers said in a release.
Pricing was not stated, but news reports claim the Aston Martin Valkyrie hardtop coupe has a price of around $3 million. So, how much does the price go up when the roof comes off?
The Valkyrie Spider is the fastest open-top, road-legal Aston Martin ever built.
Valkyrie Spider construction
The Valkyrie Spider is the fastest and most extreme open-top, road-legal Aston Martin ever built. It has a top speed of 330 kmh-plus (205 mph) with the roof panel removed or 350 kmh-plus (217.5 mph) with the roof panel in place.
The ultra-lightweight construction and high downforce aerodynamics use Formula One technology. The upper body surfaces of the teardrop-shaped cockpit and lower tub contours follow the envelope of space between the huge full-length Venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit floor.
The tunnels draw huge quantities of air beneath the car to feed the rear diffuser. The venturis are the key to generating the Valkyrie Spider’s extraordinary levels of downforce, Aston Martin said in the release. At 240 kmh (149 mph) in Track mode the aerodynamics can produce 3,086.47 pounds (1400 kg) of downforce. It is the F1-type construction that “keeps the upper body surfaces free from additional aerodynamic devices that would spoil the purity of the open-top styling,” Aston Martin said in the release.
The huge full-length Venturi tunnels run on either side of the cockpit floor.
Design elements
The removable carbon-fiber roof panel latches onto the tub at the rear and to the front windshield surround. A pair of polycarbonate windows are hinged on either side. On opening the doors, the roof can be lifted off and stowed.
The front-hinged dihedral doors are unique to Valkyrie Spider and are designed to tilt forward.
The front-hinged dihedral doors tilt forward.
The driver-focused cabin has a low, F1-inspired hip-to-heel height. In addition, the near-central seat positioning and six-point safety harness are safety elements for the driver.
A center rear-view camera system and front and rear parking sensors have screen displays just above the instrument panel.
Follow the development of the Valkyrie Spider at Aston Martin.
