Limited to 333 units, the V12 Vantage Coupe spawned a roadster version, of which 249 units were produced. Aston Martin's watering down of the V12's exclusivity continues with the Valour, which rides on the Second Century platform of the Vantage, DBS Superleggera, and newly revealed DB12. Think of it as the heir apparent of the V12 Vantage, or a new take on the DBS Superleggera.
Even rarer than the V12 Vantage Roadster, the Valour celebrates the British marque's 110th anniversary to the tune of 110 units. All feature a manual gearbox, which makes the Valour the only front-engined V12 sports car with a row-your-own transmission. Scheduled to start production sometime in the third quarter of 2023, Valour will kick off deliveries in the fourth quarter.
In regard to exterior styling, Aston Martin's latest special edition takes inspiration from a line of V8-powered coupes, beginning with the V8 from 1969. It also has a little Vantage V600 to it, namely the Vantage V600 derived from the 1989 to 2000 Virage. As a brief refresher, the V600 is called this way after its 600-hp V8 engine, a twin-supercharged monster that puts out 600 pound-feet (813 Nm) at 4,400 rpm.
The Valour's connections to the DBS Superleggera are easily noticeable in terms of tire dimensions and output figures. Equipped with 275/35 by 21- and 325/30 by 21-inch tires compared to 265/35 by 21 and 305/30 by 21-inch rubber boots for the DBS Superleggera, the Valour packs 715 ps and 753 Nm of torque compared to 725 ps and 900 Nm for the DBS Superleggera. Converted to imperial units, that's 705 ponies and 555 pound-feet versus 715 ponies and 664 pound-feet.
Aston Martin says that carbon-ceramic discs measuring 410 and 360 millimeters are standard. Those dimensions perfectly match the carbon-ceramic brake discs of the automatic transmission-only DBS Superleggera. Further inspired by the V8 RHAM/1 racing car, the Valour flaunts adaptive dampers and other suspension componentry honed for this application to ensure superb ride quality and handling.
The Gaydon-based company also worked its magic with the wheel alignment geometry. In combination with Aston Martin-specific Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires, it should be a thrilling machine in the corners. Dressed in carbon fiber, just like the DBS Superleggera, the Valour doesn't feature a rear window. The rear end is properly spectacular, though, beginning with the wide hips to the diffuser and Kamm tail.
As for the front end, the round lights and NACA ducts on the hood are pretty tasteful in their own right. Rear screen panel vortex-generating exoblades also need to be mentioned, along with a triple-outlet exhaust made from stainless steel. Aston Martin says that it's 7 kilograms (15 pounds) lighter than a traditional system, whatever that means. In truth, Aston Martin cheapened out by not offering titanium or Inconel.
If you want one, Aston Martin requires you to pony up £830,000 before taxes. In other words, make that $1,071,590 sans destination charge and options.
Unfiltered. Unadulterated. Uncontaminated. Valour is here.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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