Aston Martin Valkyrie – revised aero, plus interior pics

Aston Martin’s upcoming halo car, the Valkyrie, has been updated with key aerodynamic, styling and interior packaging updates as it nears production. The hypercar, developed in conjunction with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and AF Racing, is meant to push the limits of what is possible with a road-going vehicle.

The changes start at the front of the car – legendary Formula One chassis designer Adrian Newey discovered that considerable gains in front downforce were there for the taking, which resulted in the apertures between the cockpit and the front wheel arches.

The headlights have also been updated with inspiration from the pure functionality of an F1 car. The low- and high-beam elements are mounted to an anodised aluminium frame which enables a reduction of between 30% to 40% compared to the company’s lightest series production headlights currently available.

Weight reduction on the Valkyrie even extends to the badges – the traditional winged badge was deemed too heavy, and a sticker not befitting the car’s quality and cutting edge nature. So in its place is a chemical-etched aluminium badge measuring just 70 microns thick, 30% thinner than a human hair; it weighs a whopping 99.4% less than the usual enamel badge.

At the rear of the car, one can spot the redesigned tail lights, now with Vulcan-style clear blades. A small shark fin has also sprouted along the centre of the rear bodywork, atop which sits a red LED that is the world’s smallest third brake light, measuring just 5.5 mm wide and 9.5 mm tall. Finishing off the new look are fairings on the wheels that should make the car even more slippery through the air.

“I would say we’re around 95% of the way there with the exterior design. Much of what you see is actually the structure of the car, so this had to be signed-off relatively early in the project. The remaining areas of non-structural bodywork are still subject to evolution and change as Adrian [Newey] continues to explore ways of finding more downforce,” said exterior design director Miles Nurnberger.

Aston Martin has also revealed the interior of the car for the first time, and while it looks plenty cramped, Gaydon claims that there is enough space for two 98-percentile adults, with a legs-up sitting position reminiscent of F1 cars and Le Mans prototypes.

The resulting teardrop shape of the cabin fits within the small space between the massive Venturi tunnels that run underneath the car. These generate huge amounts of downforce without the need for additional aerodynamic devices that would ruin the purity of the upper body surfaces.

As is expected, the Valkyrie’s cockpit is trimmed in minimalist race car fashion, with multiple digital displays, including an OLED screen on the detachable F1-style steering wheel which shows vehicular information. The pair of smaller displays on either side of the dashboard are for the side cameras, located within the car’s flanks and taking the place of conventional side or wing mirrors.

Powertrain details have yet to be confirmed, though the car is tipped to use a naturally-aspirated 6.5 litre V12 engine with an electric motor for a total system output of around 1,130 hp; with an expected weight of 1,030 kg, the resulting power-to-weight ratio should be able to exceed 1:1. Putting that power to the road will be a clean-sheet transmission design by Newey and Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

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