Aston Martin Valor Review 2024

A 110th birthday press for Aston Martin and a solution to a nagging problem of Aston’s own making. The Valour’s existence owes much to Aston’s previous one-off for re-igniting the manual fuse: the gorgeous Victor.

Commissioned by a mystery Belgian buyer in 2021, Victor draped the Vantage’s 1970s-inspired bodywork over an all-carbon frame and Cosworth-afflicted vital organs of the One-77 supercar.

This stunner has always been hamstrung by its criminally delayed automated manual transmission, so for Victor, Aston mercifully collected the controls and paddles and supplied a six-speed manual mid-section. We drove it. We loved it and wanted more. And we weren’t alone, causing Aston Martin a first-world problem.

What to do when an unruly queue of clients waving black cards rattles through the factory gates, but you solemnly promised the owner of Victor that their car will remain unique? And besides, the One-77 chassis hardly grows on trees. Nor the cosified 836bhp V12s.

So, what is the solution?

Redoing a limited edition Aston Martin V12 Vantage from a few years back – 333 units, all sold – in a Victor-like suit and fundamentally swapping for an equally dramatic manual gearbox.

The Valor sees a 5.2-litre biturbo V12 tuned for 705bhp and 555lb ft: more than the Vantage or Speedster, less than the DBS. Aston makes no claims on 0-62mph or top speed as this is not a numbers car. There is no Nürburgring “this” or “that” downforce attached to the car. It’s a celebration of a rare recipe: big engine, manual transmission.

It sure looks exciting…

You can see the Valour family’s resemblance to Victor from every angle. Headlamps with a hood and squinting whale squinting grills. Upright duck decorated with intricate multi-ribbed taillights. Spider wheels.

It’s not a classically elegant Aston Martin. It’s a brutal and odd shape that lets your eyes follow, with side sills and a bizarrely high ground clearance. We love the clash of its smooth rear roof with unapologetic details like the bulging exhaust port behind the front wheel. It’s like something David Attenborough would warn you about treading in the Outback. “Beware the Wrath of the White-Spotted Ridgeback, Poison Frogs of Death.”

How much is it?

We’re told over £1 million. And of course each of the 110 will be spec’d differently, so the price will only go up. You probably won’t get change from £1.5 million for one, as seen in our gallery, with its bold lip, circular doors, high-gloss carbon and tweed seats.

That’s a lot for a facelifted Vantage.

It didn’t deter anyone. Aston Martin says all examples were collected within two weeks of the car’s reveal, and is now working on 38 examples of an even lighter, more powerful, aero-honed version called the Valiant, apparently commissioned by a professional meme and parts enthusiast. – F1 ace Fernando Alonso.

As always, if you try to rationalize the asking price for a limited edition… it’s not aimed at you. It is expensive because it is rare. Because it’s the first time a twin-turbo Aston V12 has had three pedals and a stick.

Impossible to make a reasonable case for, but laudable just for existing, the Valour is a very ‘Aston’ kind of Aston. After all, the DBX is vital to the bottom line and the Valkyrie is a technical showcase, but if you asked most people on the street what an “Aston” is, chances are they’d say something with a huge Spitfire engine up front. the swooping coupe roofline, two seats, wide hips and polite GT features.

Valour is in that wheelhouse. In fact, it feels like a worthy successor to the 1990s Vantage V600: another twin-charged heavy bruiser with more poke than was strictly recommended, made in small numbers for collectors who valued its scarcity and the feeling of buying the last. breed.

Hopefully, after the Valor and Valiant, Aston will continue to find room for a car like this in its lineup. Because even though technology advances and tastes change, they never go out of style.