Aston Martin seems to have found a niche for itself super-exclusive supercars. The Valor was unveiled last year, a retro-style manual transmission coupe, of which only 110 examples exist. But some customers wanted an even more special car, more specifically, Aston Martin F1 racer and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. He wanted his Valor to be lighter and more powerful, which led to the even more exclusive Valiant you see above.
The underpinnings are quite similar, especially the chassis and powertrain, the latter being a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 with a six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. But it makes an extra 30 horsepower for a total of 735, while keeping torque at 555 pound-feet.
The other major performance upgrade for the Valiant is the suspension. It’s still adaptive, but now uses adaptive versions of the famous Multimatic dampers.
Aston hasn’t claimed an overall weight saving, but the Valiant is almost certainly lighter after shaving pounds off the Valor in various places. It saved 6.6 pounds with a 3D-printed rear subframe and 19 pounds with a magnesium torque tube. A lithium-ion battery saves 25.4 pounds, and the magnesium wheels save a total of 30.9 pounds. Aston says that even the carbon fiber grille, which provides extra airflow, has saved some weight.
That grille, however, is the least of the exterior changes. The Valiant gets a much more aggressive front spoiler, side skirts and rear wing. It also has a fully functional rear diffuser and fender vents. The wheels feature carbon fiber covers to reduce drag, but are also shaped to draw air over the carbon ceramic brakes. The entire rear end is now also one piece, with only a hinged rear window section to access some cargo space.
The interior is another highlight, especially the shifter. All the guts of the gear lever are visible through the cutaway center console, and the lever and knob are beautiful metal pieces. The steering wheel is smaller in diameter compared to the Valor’s, and there are no more switchgear. Recaro seats are nestled in a half-roll cage with anchor points for racing harnesses. And the doors have lightweight mesh panels and fabric door pulls.
There’s no price tag on the Valiant, though it’s certainly exorbitant. There is a good chance that Aston has already found buyers for all Valiants. After all, there were only 38 to find. And the lucky customers will receive their car at the end of this year. And the world will see the Valiant take the hill Goodwood festival of speed next month.