Aston Martin's creations are known for their uniqueness, but they still adhere to certain standards we're used to. However, this is not the case with the brand's latest project, the Valkyrie supercar, production of which has just gotten underway.
In fact, this car is the result of a joint project between Aston Martin and the Red Bull Racing team. The model is inspired by Formula 1 racing. Introduced five years ago, it was named AM-RB 001 before getting the decidedly catchier name Valkyrie.
The project has been long and arduous, and the obstacles were numerous. Rumours that the automaker struggled to develop the car surfaced as early as August 2020. Some reports indicated that the Valkyrie was both unreliable and difficult to drive.
It must be said that the Valkyrie is not a "traditional" supercar. It's powered by a 6.5L V12 engine built by Cosworth, working in conjunction with a Rimac KERS hybrid system; total output is 1,140 hp.
The issues would seem to be a thing of the past, however. Yesterday, the mood was celebratory as the first customer unit was completed. The company says deliveries should begin in the coming weeks.
"It is a moment of immense pride for us to complete our very first supercar," said Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers. "The Aston Martin Valkyrie program has challenged everyone who has worked on it, but the commitment to the dream has produced a truly incredible car, an F1 car for the road."
Aston will build only 150 units of the Valkyrie. Producing each one requires more than 2,000 hours of work from a team of "highly skilled technicians" who build the car by hand. A dedicated team also manages the vehicle from build to delivery. Customers can take possession of their Valkyrie in a specially designed production area. However, this occurs after the company has completed testing in its high-performance facilities.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a best of a car with unique styling and completely crazy technology. It's been a long time coming, but the beast is now ready to hit the road (and that's just the beginning). The AMR Pro variant (25 units), reserved for the track, will show up alongside a new Valkyrie Spider (85 units) that the firm presented earlier this year and that will join the coupe.
In short, this is already a collector's item and its price (around $4.2 million) will only go up.