The stunning new Aston Martin Valour, a V12-engined, manual-shifting special edition inspired by the Victor, sold out within two weeks of its unveiling.
Just 110 units will be made, priced from more than £1 million before options (most are expected to cost much more than this), and each was accounted for within a fortnight of the car's debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
High-margin special editions such as this form a crucial pillar of Aston Martin's growth strategy, and sales of the Valour – alongside the open-top DBR22 Speedster and final-edition DBS 770 Ultimate – will be pivotal in helping the firm achieve its lofty financial targets.
With design cues taken from the original V8 Vantage and Aston Martin’s snarling 1970s RHAM/1 prototype racer – known as ‘The Muncher’ – the new Aston Martin Valour is the firm’s 110th birthday present to itself and a celebration of its hallowed 12-cylinder engine.
Each buyer is invited to customise their car through Aston Martin’s Q bespoke service, offering one-off liveries, an exposed carbonfibre body finish and a raft of interior personalisation options.
Whereas the Victor was based on a surplus One-77 prototype chassis, the Valour is built around a bespoke body structure derived from the V12 Vantage.
The 5.2-litre V12, based on that of the DBS, sends 705bhp and 555lb ft to the rear wheels through a specially designed six-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Mating the V12 to a manual gearbox (the DBS, DB11 and Vantage all use ZF-supplied automatic gearboxes) was “a big part of honouring that driver-pleasing character”, said Aston Martin engineering boss Simon Newton.
The dynamic brief for the Valour, said Newton, was to provide a “state-of-the-art driver’s car” with “the true heart and soul of a timeless analogue classic” – a point emphasised by the manual gearbox’s visible shift linkage. Modifications include the fitment of front and rear shear panels, a rear suspension tower strut brace and fuel tank bracing, boosting rigidity.
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So this is “further proof of Aston Martin’s position as the driver’s champion”, said company chairman Lawrence Stroll. With all the deserved emphasis on the engine in this -- Aston's own V12 -- and the manual gearbox, it should be clear that there is a market for this combination. Stroll, stop with the marketing BS. Put the V12 (Aston's, not Benz's) in the DB12. And offer it with the manual gearbox. Guaranteed home run. And you'd have Aston Martins that are truly Aston Martins. With a Mercedes engine, it's not really an Aston.
If I was really being picky I'd say I'm not a fan of the Alloy wheels,there a bit fussy.