[supra93]

Aston Martin has unveiled a near-production version of the Valkyrie.

Described as further developed version of the car that was presented last summer, the updated model has new openings in the body between the cockpit and the front wheel arches. Red Bull Racing's Adrian Newey discovered this change provided "considerable gains in front downforce" so it has been incorporated into the car's design.

The updated Valkyrie has also been equipped with lightweight headlights that draw inspiration from Formula One. As the company explains, the low and high beam elements are attached to an anodized aluminum frame which enables them to be between 30-40 percent lighter than the "lightest series production headlamps available to Aston Martin."

The lightweight design philosophy even carries over to the Valkyrie's badge as designers felt the company's traditional wing logo would be too heavy and a sticker won't proper for an Aston Martin of this caliber. As a result, the model has a chemical etched aluminum badge that is just 70 microns thick.

According to Aston Martin designer Miles Nurnberger, “I would say we’re around 95 percent of the way there with the exterior design. Much of what you see is actually the structure of the car, so this had to be signed-off relatively early in the project. The remaining areas of non-structural bodywork are still subject to evolution and change as Adrian [Newey] continues to explore way of finding more downforce."

Besides featuring new bodywork, the updated Valkyrie has a minimalist interior that has been designed to have enough space for two 98 percentile adults. As part of this goal, the car's seats are mounted directly to the tub and occupants adopt a reclined ‘feet-up’ position reminiscent of today’s Formula One and Le Mans race cars.

The race car inspired design carries over to the steering wheel as it is detachable and holds all of the car's switchgear. The steering wheel also houses an OLED display which provides the driver with all the necessary information.

Drivers will also find two screens mounted close to the base of the A-pillar. They display live footage from two rear facing cameras that are located in the car's flanks.

Aston Martin declined to release technical specifications but the latest rumors suggest the car will have a naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine and an electric motor that produce a combined output of approximately 1130 hp (842 kW). The Valkyrie is also expected to be lighter than projected with a curb weight of around 2,270 lbs (1,030 kg).

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/07/ast...-valkyrie.html

[c1pher]

Wow, just incredible.

[NFiftyWon]

Square steering wheel? O.e

[Shazz]

Ummm.. I might be the only one but I think it looks horrible! Compared to their existing stuff, Mclarens, Porsche 918, etc.

[Red Bread]

Specs are just bananas, like a Miata with eight engines.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Shazz

Ummm.. I might be the only one but I think it looks horrible! Compared to their existing stuff, Mclarens, Porsche 918, etc.

It's more about stupendous engineering than cars and coffee with fresh shiny stuff on the tires.

[TrAcK TRaP]

Ewww..

[KingOfJericho]

And the winner for most radical design with most boring headlights goes to.............

[KingOfJericho]

looks like a sea robin from the front:

[CPWINCH]

its pretty ugly, but i love it

If those weight figures are accurate this will be an epic car

I see more potential for rear downforce. I wonder what the final design will be

[supra93]

The forthcoming Aston Martin Valkyrie is going to be fast. Very fast. There's never been any doubt about that. But just how fast are we talking here?

Close to F1 cars, according to the latest. Speaking with Motor1.com, Aston's special operations chief David King said that, more than any existing road car, grand prix racers represent the performance target for the upcoming super-mega-hyper-car.

The Valkyrie is being produced in two versions: one certified for the road, and the other (like the Vulcan) restricted to the track. “Even the road car is going to be extraordinarily fast on a track in the right hands,” said King. “Certainly for the track version we’re into lap times approaching Formula One lap times. That’s definitely within sight.”

Just what “approaching” means in this context, exactly, is anyone's guess. But it certainly speaks to just how fast Aston and its partners at Red Bull Racing expect their joint project to hustle around a track.

How can that be, you wonder, when F1 cars are, and always have been, the fastest machines on the track? Because of regulations. While the performance potential of modern F1 cars keeps increasing, the FIA keeps trying to rein them in, lest they become too unsafe to actually operate on conventional tracks. While the Valkyrie is being designed, in its base form, to comply with road-use regulations, it isn't subject to the kinds of performance restrictions that F1 cars are.

So where today's grand prix racers employ 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrains producing around 800 horsepower, the Valkyrie (though still unconfirmed) is slated to pack a 6.5-liter V12 – also electrically assisted but naturally aspirated – expected to kick out some 1,130 hp. The Valkyrie will be heavier, mind you, projected to tip the scales at under 2,300 pounds (compared to a modern F1 car's 1,500), but that extra 300+ horsepower, and all the tricks that Aston and Red Bull have to throw at it, will apparently bring their performance to comparable levels.

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/07/ast...lap-times.html

[MadOzodi]

Even though there may be no use for it, where does one fit their left leg? I don't really enjoy "spirited" driving with my left leg bent all lounging-like in my 2er, so...

[ShocknAwe]

Cool. 1100hp and 2300lbs. Monster.

[Red Bread]

Looks like it should be a practical thing.

[img]https://icdn-6.motor1.com/images/mgl...cial-media.jpg[/img]

Although it does appear that people actually fit once they get in.

[img]http://motonetworks.com/wp-content/u...yrie.jpg6_.jpg[/img]

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Although it does appear that people actually fit once they get in.

Yeeeeeeah. About that ...

I really hope the selling price comes with lifetime yoga and pilates classes, and Vaseline. That's a cockpit entry only a very small human or a contortionist could love.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Yeeeeeeah. About that ...

I really hope the selling price comes with lifetime yoga and pilates classes, and Vaseline.

It does make an Exige look spacious. Shaq probably doesn't need one.