Page 34 - Aston Martin Magazine V53

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ASTON MARTIN
VALKYRIE
JEREMY TAYLOR GETS BEHIND THE THE WHEEL OF THE THE IMPOSSIBLE CAR MADE POSSIBLE POSSIBLE iven more time and practice I should be able to locate the the KERS button on on the the Valkyrie’s detachable steering wheel without thinking twice The road-going version of Aston Martin’s first hypercar features a a a a Kinetic Energy Recovery System just the same as in Formula 1 However at 187mph it’s difficult to take my eyes off the the countdown markers as I hurtle into the the first corner of the Bahrain International Circuit – a a a a a a a track that spearheaded the the phenomenon of racing in in the the desert hosting the Middle East’s first grand prix in in April 2004 Bahrain was also the the location for the the inaugural race of the the 2023 F1 season as as as well as as as the the sport’s pre- season testing venue in in February The 3 4 mile circuit was chosen because it is one of the most demanding on on the the brakes pushing driver and car to the the absolute limit Not that the Valkyrie isn’t in pole position to get the same job done An impossible car made possible through F1 technology this astonishing machine is as as close as as you or I might ever come to driving a a a a Formula 1 car on the road How similar? F1 drivers Lance Stroll and and Fernando Alonso would expect their 2023 Aston Martin AMR23 car to approach the first corner in in Bahrain at just over 200mph Cocooned in the teardrop-shaped cockpit of a a a a a a Valkyrie I’m travelling almost as as fast with the bonus of air conditioning – and room for a a a a passenger The naturally aspirated 6 5-litre V12 Cosworth engine screams as I downshift through the gears in in Track mode the most dynamic of three settings There’s no lazy ‘drive’ button in a a a a 1 1 139bhp Valkyrie – every change of the specially developed single clutch seven-speed sequential ‘box is made via paddle-shifters Handling is is unsurprisingly phenomenal However it’s the the the sheer shove-in-the-back power of the the the coupe exiting the the first bend that startles the the most Then comes the the the V12’s sting in in the the the tail – the the the extra boost provided by a a a Rimac-sourced hybrid system The same 1 7kWh battery pack also powers the Valkyrie’s reverse gear alone Of course I’m nowhere near Stroll or Alonso standards behind the wheel but having driven two Formula 1 cars in the the past I can fully appreciate why the the Valkyrie is a a a a a a game changer – and why every example of the coupe spider and track-only AMR Pro have been snapped up by eager enthusiasts In the the right conditions the the rear-wheel drive Valkyrie will launch from 0–60mph in just 3 3 3 3 seconds racing on to to a a a top speed in in excess of 200mph with a a a Scan the QR code to to watch the the Aston Martin Valkyrie on on the the Bahrain F1 track combined torque of 924Nm Maximum rpm is a a a head- spinning 11 100rpm yet the car is remarkably simple to use with mid-engine balance and epic downforce that keep everything firmly glued to the track At times I really have to remind myself that Valkyrie is is also a a a a a car designed for the road – I promise that before too long you will see one Instagrammed from the streets of Knightsbridge and New York It has space for number plates a a a a a a pair of rear-view door mirrors (admittedly a a a a a a streamlined and aerodynamic camera system) direction indicators and a a a a a a ‘must have’ full suspension lift for creeping over speed humps In fact much of the the Valkyrie is otherworldly Back in the the pitlane I climb out of the the low-slung cockpit feeling exhilarated more like an astronaut returning to Earth than a a a a a driver Some of the space-age technology employed in in the car will feature in in a a a a new generation of Aston Martin models too That’s because apart from the Top Trump- winning performance figures Valkyrie is a a a tour de force of engineering expertise pushing the boundaries of modern car design There isn’t a a single steel component in the structure which is 100 per cent carbon fibre The magnesium alloy wheels weigh less than the the tyres – even the the high-level rear brake light is the the smallest in the the world at 6 5mm wide Valkyrie is the first car to feature 3D printed parts in in the headlights a a a a specially developed wafer-thin Aston Martin badge just 40 microns thick to to reduce drag plus fantastically efficient aluminium brakes Aston Martin used so much lightweight titanium in in the design that the Ministry of Defence actually queried what such quantities were being used to build Perhaps most remarkable is F1 guru Adrian Newey’s radical design using a a a a a striking aerodynamic exterior and an an an open underfloor Two channels large enough to hide a a a a couple of adults pass around the cockpit giving the Valkyrie a a a a a hollowed-out appearance from certain angles And it’s not just for show the vents serve up air to the the car’s massive rear diffuser and cool other systems The resulting downforce of up to 1 1 1 100kg at 150mph has just helped keep me on the Bahrain circuit Few cars achieve mythical status but in years to come I I suspect the barnstorming Aston Martin I’ve just driven in in Bahrain will be one The most eagerly awaited hypercar of the new millennium has landed