Aston Martin unveils 735bhp Valiant

Back in July 2023, Aston Martin revealed the Valour - a V12-engined, 705bhp, coupe complete with a six-speed manual gearbox. But that, apparently, wasn't enough for Fernando Alonso, who asked Aston Martin for a lightweight more extreme iteration.

And this, is Aston Martin's answer. It's called the Valiant, and now comes with a total of 735bhp thanks to a twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 that develops a total of 753Nm of torque, and still comes paired to a six-speed manual transmission. But the best part is, it comes totally road-legal, and production will be limited to just 38 examples.

The Aston Martin Valiant gets a carbon fibre front grille that spans the width of the car at the front, and a rear diffuser that frames the car's quad titanium exhaust system

Just how much more extreme is the Valiant over the already handsome and brutally strong Valour? Quite a bit - Aston Martin states that the Valiant gets a 3D-printed rear subframe, allowing it to save three kilograms in weight without sacrificing any stiffness. The use of a magnesium torque tube, lightweight magnesium wheels, and a motorsport-spec lithium-ion battery allow more weight savings.

On the handling front, the Aston Martin Valiant gets Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers, each of which are said to be capable of simultaneously adjusting to one of thirty-two discreet damper curves in less than six milliseconds, allowing motorsport-level damping control and an operating control bandwidth previously exclusive to the highest echelons of motorsport.

The car also gets bodywork made extensively from carbon fibre. The muscular and chiselled design of the Valour has been retained, although you will note that the Valiant comes with a more aggressive front splitter, while its grille now spans the width of the front.

The car also gets a round steering wheel completely devoid of switches, while its transmission tunnel gets a cutaway to expose the gear linkage running rearward to the six-speed transaxle

The car also gets heavily scalloped side fenders, broader side sills (equipped with vortex generators to smoothen airflow along the car's flanks), while at the rear, the Kamm tail now gets topped by a fixed rear wing. The Aston Martin Valiant also gets a carbon rear diffuser at the rear, which houses its quad titanium exhaust system.

First deliveries of the Aston Martin Valiant are set to start in the late 2024, but the car will make its first public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with none other than Fernando Alonso himself (the car's first customer) taking on the famous hill climb behind the wheel of the Valiant.