Aston Martin marked its 110th anniversary by globally unveiling the Valour– one of the last few pure V12s to roll out before the British marque switches to electrification. Limited to just 110 units globally, the Valour is a celebration of the brand’s rich history of building some of the most exotic sports cars.
Aston Martin Valour: Fusion of modern & retro
Valour draws styling inspiration from its yesteryear models including the original V8-powered Vantage from 1970s/80s while incorporating modern touches to present itself as a visual treat to the eyes. Up front, it flaunts a signature Aston Martin grille flanked by round LED headlights while the rear features a ducktail-shaped spoiler on top and a massive diffuser with vents and blades at the bottom separated by uniquely designed LED taillamp slats in the middle.
A three-tip exhaust placed at the centre of the diffuser is likely to scream out an exhilarating symphony, adding to the V12’s character under the hood. Side profile on the contrary looks cleaner and understated with smooth lines. However, the biggest highlight are those massive 21-inch Honeycomb alloys lending the Aston Martin Valour its road presence.
Interior of the cabin also borrows certain elements from the Vantage, most prominently its dashboard layout and angular AC vents. The central console draws attention thanks to a very classic and beautifully sculpted wooden gear knob, reminiscent of certain American muscle cars. Further, Aston Martin is offering tons of personalisation options including 21 exterior paint schemes, 3 shades for alloy wheels, roof colour, etc.
Aston Martin Valour: Light on its feet
Resting on a bespoke architecture, the entire body is made of carbon fibre. Further, those 21-inch lightweight alloys, shod with AML-specific Michelin Pilot Sport S tyres, consist of carbon ceramic brakes as standard, thus improving braking performance and offering a significant 23 kg reduction in un-sprung mass in comparison to steel brakes.
Aston Martin Valour: Performance with complete control
Powering the Aston Martin Valour is a twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine. However, the biggest talking point is the six-speed manual gearbox on offer that lends complete control to the driver, making it the rarest powertrain gearbox combo available. The front-mounted V12 dishes out 705 bhp and 753 Nm of peak torque.
Further, amplifying the driving joy is a mechanical limited slip differential that allows exceptional handling and dynamic control around corners. Adaptive dampers, springs and anti-roll bars in the bespoke suspension setup benefits the car’s dynamic ride capability.
