Aston Martin Valkyrie

Why can't AM make this the DB11 instead of being a $3m collector's garage queen? I owned a DB9 and have a great deal of respect for the brand but AM keeps making the same mistakes with halo cars and Jame Bond fantasies. If it is capable of the Valkyrie it is capable of making a $300,000 version that can challenge the likes of the 488, Huracan, and 720s. The new DB11 ISN't it!

 

I think the DB11, a GT car, is not really supposed to compete with sports cars like the 720S and Huracan.

I think the Valkyrie is pretty cool, but imo they should make more at a lower price so it doesn't end up being like the Vulcan...tucked away in garages and never to be used.

 

I'm in love with that car/Hypercar!! Aston Martin did a spectacular work!

 

I'm anxious to see the new Vantage. Went to an Aston event recently and the guys from A-M had seen it and couldn't stop raving about it. Front end sorta like the Vulcan, back end like the DB10, AMG V8 with 3 pedals and a shifter... Sign me up.

 

I'm in the minority here but I think it's ugly and a ridiculous concept for a car. Looks like you need to be a particular type of person to drive it. Small, athletic, fast reflexes. Am I describing your typical oil sheik?

 

I couldnt hate it any more than I do. Just hideous.

 

I'm glad they're not forcing the car to fit people they know won't drive it anyway. Why make a car that is large enough to fit two large people comfortably side by side, fit weekend luggage, have cupholders, and have a nice entertainment system when it will just sit in the garage to be looked at?

At least they are showing what's possible with technology when you design something that's not meant to be a mix of a sports car and first class airplane experience.

 

I'm with ya Jerry!

An engineer's dream, a designer's nightmare.

 

Plenty of people like to drive fast cars that aren't 5'10, 150 lbs with the reflexes of Lewis Hamilton. And have you seen how you have to get in the thing?

 

Yeah it is pretty crazy, but like an F1 car it should be able to fit taller people to an extent. Justin Wilson was 6'4". JPM wasn't a narrow guy. It won't be comfortable for pretty much anyone and I like how comfort is not a priority...pretty cool engineering (the styling is not for me though).

 

I love it! This thing is the spiritual successor to McLaren's F1.

 

The interior makes no sense.

First, they are saving weight, right? Well why do you need 3 TV screens?

Second, there one screen in the center of the steering wheel. How does the airbag work? And, how do you read the gauges when turning the wheel? And, why is it flat on top with spokes on the right and left if it where you want your hand to be? You have to do the Spock "live long and prosper" hand signal to steer it?

Third, how do you get in it with those large curved portholes for door entry? A crane lowers you in?

Fourth, I guess for $3m you don't need a stereo because there is none.

I smell some BS here...
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The TV screens next to each A-pillar serve as the side view cameras (in place of mirrors). They are doing that to reduce aero drag as mirrors need to be much larger than the camera for the same field of view.

The center dash screen will serve in place of the rear view mirror and will also likely other options and not just that (so another multifunction display). Modern race cars already have this.

The 4th screen in the steering wheel is like any other LMP1 (and some F1) car steering wheel display so racers have been used to it moving rather than fixed to a dash. It doesn't appear there is an airbag on that one. However, it can always come with two steering wheels. One for road use and the non-air bag one for "track use only." Race steering wheels are also flat on the top and bottom as it serves no purpose to be curved there. The lower half would hit your legs/give less legroom and upper half gets in the way of visibility (as it's not regular upright seating well clear of the dash...you're laying down almost). The spokes shouldn't get in the way of anything and should serve as a rest spot for your thumbs as the rest of your hand is on the back of the wheel and shift paddles (which likely turn with the wheel and not steering-column mounted).

And you get into the car like any other LMP car with a similar cockpit. It's a pain in the ass.

Here's a better shot of the wheel: https://d3lp4xedbqa8a5.cloudfront.net/s3/digital-cougar-assets/wheels/2017/07/12/Misc/Aston-Martin-Valkyrie-interior-dashboard-close.jpg

 

This is pretty interesting...I found this build-slot ad and it says the original owners had to purchase a Lagonda along with the Valkyrie. Will the US owners also have their Lagondas US-legal?

This is the ad: https://www.knightinternational.net/viewid-3701

This car is going to be awesome...I think it will end up like the McLaren F1. It won't be the most popular hypercar of its time during production, but it will age well and become more appreciated when people realize how ahead of its time it was at its debut. Naturally aspirated V12 putting out over 1,000hp, weighs in at 2,000lbs, and is designed by one of the greatest F1 designers ever...

 

How realistic is that 2,000lb claim? Seems fake to me. I had a 2,000lb car and there was nothing to it, and it had 8 fewer cylinders.

 

It looks like a very small car. The McLaren F1 (and F50 imo) is similar in that it is smaller than it appears in photos.

The McLaren F1 LM is a V12 and weighs 2,341 lbs. My statement of 2,000 wasn't to be exact. It's 2,250 as a closer figure. The lack of a hybrid system definitely saves it weight.

Although it's a race car, the McLaren F1 GTR longtail weighs 915kg (2,017lbs), which is crazy.

 

There likely is no airbag in the wheel. There might be airbags in the seatbelt however. Regardless Aston Martin has already stated that the car is not going to be street legal in the USA so it would need to be imported under Show and Display regulations.

It's the same shape as the La Ferrari wheel and nobody complains about that. It is likely that has a very aggressive steering rack (like a proper race car) such that you can completely steer through even the tightest turns without removing your hands from the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. If the wheel is turned far enough that you can't read the display chances are you're not looking at the center of the wheel at that moment anyway. I did a track day this week and barely ever looked at the dash. I had to look at the telemetry afterward to know what corner and straight speeds I was hitting except on quiet laps when I wasn't pushing very hard.

To me that impracticality of the car is its both its biggest detraction but also it's biggest attraction. It's completely unconventional and that could be a lot of fun to drive. I doubt anyone is going to regularly drive it down to the shops but for those special Sunday drives, or track days, it would be immense fun.

I think with a car like that you can probably amuse yourself with the throttle, break and steering. Having said that I still like to listen to decent-sounding music when I drive my P1 although there are plenty of times when I turn it off and enjoy the sounds of the car.

 

Red Bull releases details of track-focused Valkyrie




http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/21432076

 

That's awesome. Shmee did a detailed video on the "street" version (I still think it's not usable for street use). The interior is pretty spartan. I like it.

 

Have a listen to SCREAMING 11,000 rpm naturally aspirated V12 (for the street?!!!)
Engine is stressed, structural member of chassis like F1 car.

 

This car will be e p i c.

 

Just over 200 kilos. Wonder how much a 488 Pista engine weights with turbos and intercoolers.

 

JWW specs out a Valkyrie for an owner (kinda).

I think the static model is the best looking spec with the silver and black and the flat face/tron looking wheels. The custom colors I think are distracting and the other 3 "normal" wheel options make the car look more tame and regular. The track pack bodywork also looks too busy...just get the AMR Pro version if you want a track version...