When you think of a rear-mid-engine supercar, you’d think Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren. You’ll probably would not think about Aston Martin. In fact, in its century-old history, Aston Martin never had a mid-engine car.
As part of their 21st century business plan, Aston Martin decided that they will build a mid-engine supercar. In fact, they said they’re going to build the ultimate mid-engine hypercar: an F1 road-legal equivalent they called the Valkyrie.
Many thought the company had bitten more than it can chew and called the Valkyrie impossible.
Well all of this changed during the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, as Aston Martin went on to unveil the first verification prototype Valkyrie.
It’s the first working car with the Cosworth 6.5-litre V12 engine installed. Just a few days ago, Aston Martin confirmed the official power output of the Valkyrie – 1,000 bph from the engine alone and a total of 1,160 bhp and 664 lbs/ft of torque with the electric motors.
The car was presented in a press conference by Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer along with two new mid-engine supercars for a grand total of four:
- Valkyrie – the crown jewel in Aston Martin’s portfolio and UK automotive engineering as a whole. The Valkyrie, together with Mercedes-AMG One create an entirely new segment of F1-derived road-legal hypercars.
- Valkyrie AMR Pro – the track-only version – launched at Geneva 2018.
- AM-RB 003 – the descendant of the Valkyrie. It’s toned down from the Valkyrie with a hybrid powertrain centered around a brand new, Aston Martin-developed, twin-turbo V6 engine.
- Vanquish Vision Concept – a concept car, expected to go in production in 2022 using the engine debuting in 003. It’s going to be Aston Martin’s mass-produced mid-engine supercar – the daily driver in the Valkyrie bloodline.
A tantalising preview of Aston Martin’s first series production mid-engined supercar, the Vanquish Vision Concept showcases the design language of the marque’s most ambitious model, taking centre stage alongside the newly revealed AM-RB 003, Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro. pic.twitter.com/uEyMFi9pms
— Aston Martin (@astonmartin) March 5, 2019
Mr. JWW, who also co-hosted the press conference gained an exclusive opportunity to shoot a video with the Aston Martin Valkyrie, giving us the closest and most detailed look so far of the car.
The prototype is equipped with a number of features we haven’t seen on any of the concept vehicles.
While there are no official downforce numbers, we can see astonishing aerodynamic modeling all around the car. It’s breathtaking to look at and although we’re no engineers, it looks like proper Formula One engineering.
An interesting feature is the high-tech engine air filter. The intake is set up in such a way that when raining, water enters the engine bay. The air filter is designed to hold back any water, but still allows air to enter the engine at screaming 11,100 RPM.
To comply with street regulations, Aston Martin engineered a carbon fiber windshield wiper with a driveshaft that articulates wipers, so they maintain contact as they pan around the curved glass.
See these and many more details about the Valkyrie in the video below: