The new open-top version of Aston Martin's Valkyrie hypercar is said to give "the most comparable experience to that of a Formula 1 car not limited to the track".
Revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as part of Monterey Car Week in California, US, the Valkyrie Spider is limited to just 85 examples, a build run that Aston says is already "oversubscribed" ahead of customer deliveries beginning in mid-2022. Both right and left-hand-drive models will be available.
This is the third derivative of the Valkryie to be shown, following the near-ready standard coupé and the track-only AMR Pro coupé.
It represents a unique opportunity for a new open-roof, combustion-engined hypercar, as the Valkyrie's closest rivals, the McLaren Speedtail and Mercedes-AMG One, are sold as coupés only.
Power output from the Cosworth-developed hybridised V12 is unchanged, at 1160bhp, and revisions to the hypercard's carbonfibre tub and aerodynamics package ensure the Spider is closely matched to the hard-top in performance terms.
The active aerodynamics and chassis elements have been recalibrated to suit the car's new shape, while the weight penalty – usually a pitfall of convertible models – is kept to a minimum by use of a removable carbonfibre roof section and polycarbonate roof windows.
The most significant modification is the replacement of the Valkyrie's gullying-style centre-hinged doors with front-hinged scissor doors - a first for Aston Martin.
With these modifications in place, Aston Martin claims "just a marginal" weight difference and says the Spider will top out at more than 217mph, or 205mph with the roof off.
The British firm has yet to build and test a physical prototype but says that development is "well under way", courtesy of its "powerful simulation tools".
Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers said the Spider takes the Valkyrie's "passion and emotion to the next level" and that he "can't wait to hear" the mid-mounted engine revving to its 11,000rpm redline with the roof removed.
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@Hughbl,
even the fitter Aston Martin owners would struggle to get in and out without help, and that's not a sad reflection on them but rather that this car isn't designed for road use. You need to be a very fit, young, racing driver to be able to get in and out of this easily. That isn't an insult to Aston owers, just a statement of fact.
I'm not unfit, but I struggle with things like the original Elise, or the McLaren 650s. And this has a higher sill than either of those. There's few people who are fit, young, and have the millions required to buy the Valkyrie.
But if you can prove otherwise, I'm more than willing to hear.
@symanski your post was a personal attack on AM owners and you then criticise @jason_recliner for making it personal. Classic hypocrite.
Quite sad really. :-)
@jason_recliner,
when you have to opt for a personal attack I know you have nothing to offer.
Quite sad really.