Aston Martin’s Valiant: A rare and bespoke supercar co-created by F1 driver Fernando Alonso

There’s something beautifully brutalist about the Valiant that instantly intrigues. Aston Martin's latest creation is an extreme piece of architecture with a flair for the dramatic.

Housed in a boxy bodywork, the Valiant takes clear styling cues from the British marque’s legendary 1980 RHAM/1 ‘Muncher’ Le Mans racer, with the special edition 5.2-litre V12 originally conceived as a personal commission from Aston Martin’s F1 team driver Fernando Alonso.

The two-time F1 World Champion worked closely with the brand’s in-house bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, to realise his dream of a “more extreme version” of the Valour that was developed to mark the brand’s 110th anniversary last year.

“It stirred me to create a race car-inspired version that was track-focused while also delivering a thrilling drive on-road – Valiant is born from my passion for driving at the limit and I believe we have created a masterpiece,” said Alonso, who will be behind the wheel for the Valiant’s exhilarating debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed this week.

Outside of the festival’s famous Hill Climb course, the ultra-exclusive, fully-manual Valiant, with a limited run of just 38 units, is certain to continue turning heads with its unapologetic presence and audacious exterior.

“Valiant is an extrovert,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s executive vice president and chief creative officer. “One look leaves you in no doubt of its intentions: A true thoroughbred aimed at being enjoyed to the full on a racetrack, yet still usable on the road, it takes clear inspiration from motorsport, expressing its character through dramatic, muscular form and a plethora of beautiful, functional details.”

THAT 1970S AESTHETIC

Indeed, every inch of the Valiant’s immaculately sculpted form serves an aesthetic and aerodynamic function.

From its broad and muscular profile starting with a full-width carbon fibre grille and sharply chiselled features shaped to generate stability-enhancing downforce and reduce speed-sapping drag to its all-carbon fibre bodywork, the engineers have made a valiant effort to minimise weight and extract maximum performance on or off the track.

The obsession with weight reduction saw the introduction of exotic materials never before used in an Aston Martin. The 3D-printed rear subframe, for instance, saves 3kg with no reduction in stiffness while a magnesium tube reduces mass at the centre point of the car by 8.6kg. And we need to talk about those wheels – all 21 inches of magnesium magnificence that improve steering response and wheel control, paired with race-bred dampers and reducing unsprung mass by 14kg in the process. That gorgeous quartet of ceramic-coated exhausts singing the V12’s praises with a hedonistic howl at the rear? Titanium.

On that note, let’s also focus on the Valiant’s equally dramatic rear, shaped with a sharp Kammback, or Kamm tail, which refers to a downwards sloping styling feature that abruptly ends in a near-vertical surface to further reduce aerodynamic drag. Here, it meets with a bold, upswept deck lid topped by a prominent fixed wing for a decidedly 1970s feel.

‘FOR YOUR SINS’

‘For your sins’ is the Valiant’s slogan in its brand marketing. The vice in question? That twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine that just as unapologetically rebels against the climate concerns of the current zeitgeist sweeping the industry today, when every other supercar maker has begun phasing out gas-guzzling, emissions-spewing V12 beasts.

For such a lightweight car, the Valiant packs a heavyweight punch. While the company hasn’t released official performance figures, the Valiant will unleash 745PS (735hp) and 753Nm of torque that will no doubt deliver Alonso-approved thrills and spills on track.

MAGNIFICENTLY MANUAL

The crown jewel of the mostly heavily-carbon fibred interior is the bespoke 6-speed manual gearbox. Exposed gear linkages put the steel rods of the transmission on open-air display, creating a more visceral connection between driver and car.

Meanwhile, the machined aluminium knob in a gloriously co-dependent relationship with the three drilled steel pedals underfoot reminiscent of those found in track cars of the 1970s leave no doubt that this is a driver’s car, bar none.

It is also the first road-legal Aston Martin to come with a half cage, formed from high-tensile steel to bolster the torsional rigidity of the chassis and powder-coated for an extra layer of protection. Owners also have the option of installing a 4-point racing harness.

Unique to the Valiant, the steering wheel is remarkably stripped down and void of any buttons, controls or levers – a design decision deliberately appointed so as to not detract from the business of the day, with driver’s hands on the stick and eyes to the road ahead. Every unit of the 38-edition run has already been spoken for, with customer deliveries to commence in Q4 this year.