The Aston Martin is a V12 with manual transmission, one of three such limited edition cars launched since 2020. The first was the extremely limited Victor, of which only one was built, followed by the more refined Valour and the more track-oriented Valiant. The latter was built to the personal specifications of F1 driver Fernando Alonso.
Aston Martin Valor
Aston Martin has a long relationship with the James Bond film franchise and its dedicated vehicle and personalization group is called Q Division. It was this outfit that created the Valor and the other two V12s, personalizing each vehicle to its owner’s specifications.
Making a legend
The Aston Martin Valor is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car. The bodywork is styled after the one-off Victor and is based on the limited edition Vantage V12 from a few years ago, but with the same six-speed manual gearbox as the Victor. The Aston Martin Victor, which started the transition to manual V12s, was a one-off custom car for an unknown customer, possibly from Belgium. It was based on the One-77 Hypercar and the Cosworth-tuned engine produced 836 hp.
Looks fast even when parked
Aston Martin cars are often described as elegant or sculpted. The Valor is not. It has an aggressive front fascia, with frowning lidded headlights flanking a shark’s mouth grille. This car is lurking and looks ready to pounce. The price is one of those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it,” but $2 million would have gotten your foot in the door. That’s before customization. Q Division is not a budget outfit.
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The V12 engine is a roaring masterpiece
The Aston Martin Valor is a bit of a paradox. It has a really powerful V12 engine that can probably take you to 200mph in a short time, but it’s not really built for speed. It is also not built to drive slowly, but the Valor is a real driver’s car. That’s where stick shift comes into the picture. The Valor is measured in 3.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, and a dual-clutch automatic would have shaved some time off that figure.
12 cylinders, two turbos, 48 valves
The Valor has the same engine as the more extreme and expensive Valiant, but it has a different tune, more focused on tackling country roads and mountain passes. The engine is a 5.2-liter V12 with twin turbos and 48 valves. Power is 705 horsepower and torque is 555 pound-feet. Torque remains stable from 1,800 rpm to the redline of 7,000 rpm.
Aston Martin Valor performance specifications
Engine | 5.2-liter Twin Turbo V12 |
Horsepower | 705 |
Couple | 555 lb-ft. |
Transfer | Six-speed manual transmission |
Powertrain | RWD |
0-60 mph | ~3.5 seconds |
This supercar is a road car first
The Aston Martin Valor is built for driving on challenging roads, rather than for maximum speed or circuit racing. The six-speed Graziano transaxle is smooth, meaning the driver can keep the car close to the redline, although with the amount of power available, a more relaxed drive is also fully possible.
There are three driving modes: Sport, Sport+ and Track. The mechanical limited slip differential maintains the direct connection between driver, car and road. The custom-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers, springs and anti-roll bars and the geometry of the wheel alignment all contribute to the driving characteristics of this car.
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The body and chassis are designed to deliver sharp performance
The Valour’s body is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and can be had in a carbon fiber finish, tinted red, blue or green. It has a clamshell hood with a large horseshoe opening and two NACA channels. The headlights consist of round LEDs, while the taillights are in a slatted strip that runs the width of the car. There are box vents and triple exhaust pipes with two huge diffusers on either side.
Tires and brakes are also well specified
The wheels are a honeycomb design, a lightweight forged alloy 21-inch, with Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires, 275/35 at the front and 325/30 at the rear. These tires offer good performance on both dry and wet roads. The brakes are carbon ceramic discs. The front discs measure 410mm x 38mm, with six piston calipers, while the rear, 360mm x 32mm, has four piston calipers. The carbon ceramic reduces unsprung mass by nearly 51 pounds, which improves handling. The carbon ceramic brakes can also handle much greater heat than steel without fading.
The chassis is tuned for surgical precision
The Aston Martin Valor uses the traditional layout with torque tube and trans-axle. The suspension is new and custom tuned. The Valor is designed for maximum torsional and lateral stiffness for precise handling. Front and rear sliding panels add strength to the chassis, as do the fuel tank support structure and a rear tower bracket. The steering is also new, and all this is fully aimed at tight, pleasant and precise driving on challenging roads.
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Interior and customization offer a reasonable palette
The interior of the Aston Martin Valour is an example of minimalism. Features you would find in a Toyota are not there. There are no driver assistance systems, head-up display, prominent instrument screen or large infotainment screens. There are electric seat adjustments, but they are located on the transmission tunnel. The stop/start button protrudes from the dashboard and can be a problem when shifting into first gear. Other switching equipment is located here, there and everywhere.
A study in black is subject to change
Unless otherwise noted, the Valor cabin is a mix of black carbon fiber and black leather. The carbon seatstays can be molded and baked to the buyer’s body shape, which can make weight gain an expensive proposition. The gear knob is the focal point of the interior, emphasizing the mechanical precision inherent to the Valor. This can be ordered in machined aluminum, titanium, molded carbon fiber, or old-school walnut.
1959 Le Mans wool tweed can be fitted, and custom door cards, dashboard, vents and other accessories can be chosen to provide contrast with the black carbon fiber. The buyer also has the choice of a Mokume carbon fiber pattern, or a selection of Johnsons or Elgin tweed and cashmere fabric for the seat upholstery and interior details.
Personalize the outside
The front, hood, sides and rear of the Valor can be painted with a range of stripes and graphic designs, in different colours. Or Q’s services can be called upon to provide a unique design, including graphics, colours, materials such as exposed and tinted 2×2 twill carbon fiber bodywork and painted wheels.
Sources: Aston Martin, Classic.com
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