Aston Martins latest Le Mans Hypercar based play thing!!

Surely just a strange coincidence that Aston Martin today release news of their most exclusive car package yet in the Valkyrie LM!!

Further cementing the link between this new model and the Aston Martin Valkyrie that the Heart of Racing team will be racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since its inception this week, today’s news sees a more than exclusive road going version of that Valkyrie Hypercar in it’s Le Mans version.

Not as powerful as the Valkyrie AMR Pro and (again) coincidentally limited to the FIA WEC limiting 697bhp from the 1000bhp plus of the Pro variant, this run of cars will of course be limited with just ten such models being made available globally.

Aston Martin CEO, Adrian Hallmark said: “In all its forms, there is nothing on Earth that compares to Valkyrie. The Le Mans contender is unique amongst its peers, not least the breathtaking 6.5-litre V12 engine that provides the beating heart for the only competitive hypercar bred from a road car.

“Valkyrie LM is an exquisite opportunity to be part of the most exclusive Aston Martin owners club in the world; a group who can immerse themselves in the purest and most comparable endurance driving experience, one that would otherwise only be available to our works drivers operating at the very limit of sportscar racing’s highest echelon. Through the decades, Aston Martin has striven to give its owners the truest sense of the performance bred from its racing cars. With Valkyrie LM, there has never been an opportunity to get closer to the raw dynamic forces and state of the art technology deployed by the hypercar currently competing in WEC and IMSA.”

The Valkyrie LM truly represents a driving experience directly comparable to the elite performance levels of sportscar racing’s pinnacle Hypercar class. Its differentiation is minimal to the cars competing in WEC and IMSA and focusses on ensuring the Valkyrie LM is fully accessible to amateur drivers. Race series specific items such as ballast and FIA-regulation electronics will be removed, with a bespoke cockpit interface tailored for track day usage. User-friendly open-loop torque control (rather than closed-loop which exists for competition regulation and homologation), torque sensors that manage power delivery on the race car are removed, optimising the driving experience for customers. The V12 engine will be recalibrated to accept readily available fuel.

The rear-wheel-drive Valkyrie LM is driven through a seven-speed sequential transmission operated by semi-automatic paddle shift gear change, just like the competitive version. The racing suspension configuration features double wishbones front and rear, with pushrod actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers. The Valkyrie LM will run on bespoke performance tyres from F1® tyre supplier Pirelli.

The cockpit is optimised for driver safety, access and visibility, with a custom carbon-fibre race seat with shoulder support and headrest padding surround. It features a six-point FIA 8853 safety harness and fire suppression system, while the steering wheel has an integrated driver display and shift lights.

These cars will become available in Q2 next year but if (like us) you’re wondering how much these beasts might be – then we probably cannot afford it!!

Source material – Aston Martin