The Valkyrie is Adrian Newey’s idea of the ultimate automobile. You realize it’s more than a “road car” by just looking at it. But, the journey from the drawing board to actual production was far from easy.
To realize a project of this magnitude, Aston Martin took the help of Cosworth, who developed the 6.5-liter V12 engine, while the 7-speed single-clutch automatic transmission was sourced from Ricardo. There are more interesting facts about the Valkyrie that don’t receive much attention. James Manners, Head of Vehicle Engineering, Aston Martin, shared some intricate details during his chat with Henry Catchpole.
James revealed that the windscreen wiper on the Valkyrie is built by the same company that made the wipers for the Space Shuttle. It’s essentially a torsion beam, unlike a conventional wiper, which twists as the wiper moves from side to side. Such a setup is required due to its double-compound windscreen. The design was signed off following several visits to a train wind tunnel.
The Valkyrie uses a lot of titanium components. Even the door latches are made from this lightweight material. In fact, at one point, Aston Martin was ordering so much titanium that it started affecting the global prices of the metal.
Like most hypercars these days, the Valkyrie also features active aerodynamics. The carbon fibre rear wing has a movable flap that extends under heavy braking. When Adrian Newey designed the wing, it was supposed to last for just 25,000 miles. However, in their right mind, Aston Martin thought this was a ridiculous idea and re-engineered it to make it last the car’s lifetime. Imagine replacing a part of the bodywork during regular service.
Here’s another fun fact. Being a road car, the Valkyrie had to be supplied with a medical kit. But where do you fit a first aid kit when space is at a premium? On the Valkyrie, it sits inside the front number plate housing.
Those are some of the “quirks and features” of the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Check out Henry’s first drive video to learn what it’s like.
Image Source: Art Konovalov / Shutterstock
