Remember the Valkyrie? Aston Martin revealed the motorsport-infused hypercar five years ago, and deliveries haven’t commenced yet. Be that as it may, the automaker has already unveiled a roofless option that will certainly dilute the Valkyrie’s future valuation on the used market.
Limited to 85 examples worldwide, deliveries for the Valkyrie Spider will commence in the second half of 2022, making this variant a 2023 model. Revealed at Pebble Beach, the F1-inspired hypercar flexes a removable roof comprising of a carbon-fiber center panel and two polycarbonate windows.
The windows are hinged on either side, and obviously enough, modifications were made to the carbon-fiber tub to support the open-top layout as well as the front-hinged and front-tilting doors that are unique to the Valkyrie Spider. By comparison, the coupe features roof-hinged doors.
From a mechanical standpoint, the more stirring body style is unchanged from its fixed-head sibling. A 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 spins to 11,500 revolutions per minute and makes 987 horsepower on full song while the hybrid system elevates the free-breathing engine to 1,139 horsepower. Developed by Croatian hypercar specialist Rimac and Integral Powertrain, the kinetic energy recovery system feeds the battery with power generated under braking.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider is capable of 330-plus kilometers per hour (205 miles per hour) with the roof stowed away and 350-plus kilometers per hour (217 miles per hour) with the roof on. As per the manufacturer, this fellow develops more than 1,400 kilograms (3,086 pounds) of downforce at 240 kilometers per hour (149 miles per hour) in Track Mode.
“What you see is a simple removable roof panel, but the challenge of remaining true to the Valkyrie concept was anything but,” said Adrian Newey, chief technical officer at Red Bull Racing. “Maintaining aerodynamic performance with the roof removed was of paramount importance, likewise keeping any unavoidable weight gains to an absolute minimum whilst maximizing enjoyment for the driver,” signed off the legendary Formula 1 engineer who designed championship-winning cars for three F1 teams.
The windows are hinged on either side, and obviously enough, modifications were made to the carbon-fiber tub to support the open-top layout as well as the front-hinged and front-tilting doors that are unique to the Valkyrie Spider. By comparison, the coupe features roof-hinged doors.
From a mechanical standpoint, the more stirring body style is unchanged from its fixed-head sibling. A 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 spins to 11,500 revolutions per minute and makes 987 horsepower on full song while the hybrid system elevates the free-breathing engine to 1,139 horsepower. Developed by Croatian hypercar specialist Rimac and Integral Powertrain, the kinetic energy recovery system feeds the battery with power generated under braking.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider is capable of 330-plus kilometers per hour (205 miles per hour) with the roof stowed away and 350-plus kilometers per hour (217 miles per hour) with the roof on. As per the manufacturer, this fellow develops more than 1,400 kilograms (3,086 pounds) of downforce at 240 kilometers per hour (149 miles per hour) in Track Mode.
“What you see is a simple removable roof panel, but the challenge of remaining true to the Valkyrie concept was anything but,” said Adrian Newey, chief technical officer at Red Bull Racing. “Maintaining aerodynamic performance with the roof removed was of paramount importance, likewise keeping any unavoidable weight gains to an absolute minimum whilst maximizing enjoyment for the driver,” signed off the legendary Formula 1 engineer who designed championship-winning cars for three F1 teams.