As the automotive world gradually moves towards silent electric cars with ginormous batteries, the old-school analogue supercar will slowly be forgotten. But not by Aston Martin. The British marquee is keen to keep the genre alive and the new limited edition bespoke Valour is a testament to that. Only 110 of these manual masterpieces will be built and of course, they are already on the verge of being sold out.
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Unveiled this week, the new Aston Martin Valour is an intriguing prospect, both inside and out. Eagle-eyed folks will instantly see the resemblance with the Aston Martin Victor which was revealed a few years back. That too had a V12 albeit one plucked from the One77 while the Valour gets the current twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12.
However, this engine too will be phased out soon, making the Valour possibly the last Aston Martin with a V12. Built to celebrate the brand’s 110th anniversary, the Valour is inspired by iconic Aston Martins like the shark-nosed original V8 Vantage and the Vantage-based RHAM/1 ‘Muncher’ Le Mans racer from 1980.
Undoubtedly the highlight here is the 715PS/753Nm V12 being linked to a bespoke 6-speed manual for the first time. It follows the classic supercar recipe of a front-engined V12 sports with the driver being at the centre of the experience via three pedals.
While being gloriously analogue, the Valour is also a modern supercar with a raft of electronic traction and stability control systems. You get drive modes – Sport, Sport+ and Track plus adaptive dampers, springs, and anti-roll bars. Stopping power is courtesy, standard-fit Carbon Ceramic Brakes measuring 410mm x 38mm discs at the front and 360mm x 32mm discs at the rear.
The retro-infused design also gets our vote with a clamshell bonnet featuring a large ‘horse shoe’ vent and twin NACA ducts while those carbon fibre intakes feed the V12 with cool air. The eyebrow-like grille and round LED lights are all 70s cool being embedded in and we love it! An upswept Kamm tail and diffuser round off this muscular design.
The interior on the other hand is uncluttered with a lovely tactile old-school gear lever while you can spec it in machined aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre or walnut. The whiff of nostalgia also comes with the seat coverings having traditional woollen inspired by the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1. Of course, buyers can further personalize their car with loads of customizations via the Q branch.
“Valour is a celebration of Aston Martin’s passion for driving and extraordinary heritage, but it is also emblematic of today’s vibrant and revitalised brand,” Aston Martin executive chairman, Lawrence Stroll said. “A modern icon that fuses classic character with contemporary execution, Valour captures the essence of excitement and exclusivity that defines this storied automotive marque.”
“A showcase for our world-class design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, Valour is further proof of Aston Martin’s position as the driver’s champion and maker of the world’s most exciting, exclusive, and desirable ultra-luxury high-performance cars,” Stroll continued.
Lucky buyers will get deliveries of this bespoke supercar by the end of the year while Aston Martin is tight-lipped on the price although expect it to be in the region of $1 million plus.
