Vanquish-based hyper-GT is priced from £1.5m and offers almost unlimited personalisation
Aston Martin has transformed the Vanquish into a V12-engined hyper-GT called the Valen that has more power than any other front-engined road car on sale.
The radical new Valen is the latest ultra-exclusive model from Aston Martin‘s Special Vehicles Operations division, which created the Vulcan track car, DBR22 speedster and the one-off Victor hypercar.
The new hyper-GT packs the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 from the Vanquish but ramps the power output to 838bhp, making it more powerful than any Aston apart from the mid-engined Valhalla and Valkyrie.
Torque stands at 738lb ft and the Valen can dispatch 0-62mph in 3.1sec, the same time as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
The Valen’s Vanquish origins are clear from its silhouette but it has been extensively overhauled inside and out in line with its heightened performance and exclusivity. High levels of personalisation will mean no two of the 150 customer cars will look the same.
Although the Valen’s striking appearance nods to the original DBS and its successor, the Vantage, Aston Martin creative chief Marek Reichman said it is a significant departure from past models.
“Valen gave us the opportunity to explore and express more extreme emotions through a new form language and surface treatment,” he said.
Defining features include the brutish new snout—which takes the signature Aston Martin grille motif and expands it across the entire front end—as well as the chunky ducktail spoiler, the aggressive slimline LED lights and, most obviously, the GT3-style carbonfibre aerodynamic addenda, including a huge rear diffuser and downforce-boosting side skirts.
There’s an eye-catching new exhaust set-up too, with two exits in the diffuser and two through its centre. The uppermost exits are always open, while the lower set is valved, opening in the raciest drive modes.
The use of carbonfibre, aluminium, titanium and magnesium has helped to make the Valen as much as 110kg lighter than its Vanquish counterpart. The optional lightweight pack alone saves 16.9kg, bringing machined-aluminium suspension arms and knuckles, plus titanium chassis bolts.
Meanwhile, the gearbox has been remapped with the software from Aston Martin’s Vantage GT4 race car, giving more aggressive shifts. The throttle pedal’s behaviour has also been modified so it is more sensitive in the road-focused Sport and Sport+ drive modes, while the throttle’s travel is extended in Track mode for “when on-limit precision is the priority”.
The suspension has also been stiffened by way of new springs and the steering response has been quickened for improved responsiveness—completing the Vanquish’s transition from super-GT to no-holds-barred performance weapon.
Simon Newton, Aston Martin’s director of vehicle performance, suggested the ambition was to unleash the latent sporting potential of the Vanquish.
“Valen channels the more overt dynamic purpose of a true sports car,” said Newton, who added that the revisions “intensify the character of Aston Martin’s signature GT.”
Each of the 150 examples of the Valen will be priced at £1.5 million—before buyers delve into an extensive catalogue of optional extras. These include an exposed-carbonfibre exterior finish that can be tinted to whichever colour the customer wishes, through Aston Martin’s Q division. The Valen also makes extensive use of 3D printing, such as around the centre console.
