Why is Aston Martin Building a Track-Only Version of the Valkyrie?

Why is Aston Martin building a track-only version of its jet fighter-inspired Valkyrie, the AMR Pro model? “Why not?” is probably a better question.

“It’s too tempting not to make the ultimate version, and there’s too much demand for it as well,” said Dave King, vice president of special projects and the president of Aston Martin Racing. He and his team would never be able to show the true potential of this machine if it’s saddled with mass-multiplying extras like climate and emissions-control systems.

“In a world where you can’t drive a sports car to anything like its potential on the public roads anymore, track days become more significant,” explained King. “[And] I think they’ll become ever more significant in the future… if you’re going to take your road Valkyrie on the track anyway to explore its maximum performance, why not create a track-only version, which goes completely as far as it can possibly go?”

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With a lightweight carbon fiber structure and body, a howling V12 engine that revs beyond 10,000 rpm and aerodynamics that would make Northrop Grumman jealous, the Valkyrie is a technological tour de force on numerous levels, but surprisingly it doesn’t represent the limit of Aston Martin’s engineering capability because, as King noted, it’s just one path.

The autonomous, all-electric Lagonda Vision Concept that also debuted at last week’s Geneva Motor Show is something totally different from the Valkyrie AMR Pro. “So that’s stretching us in a completely different direction with different technologies, different skills required,” King explained.

Simultaneously, they’re also revamping their mainstream range and even preparing to launch an SUV. “We’re spreading our portfolio across the whole luxury sector quite rapidly. It’s an exciting ride at Aston Martin at the moment,” he added.

And the British brand’s customer base has certainly noticed. Demand for Valkyrie, both the roadgoing model of which 150 copies will be built, as well as the track-only AMR Pro version, which is limited to just 25, should all be spoken for.

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“We’ve established a credibility and a trust in our customers that we’ll deliver, or overdeliver,” said King. “That means when we announce special editions they sell out pretty much overnight because we don’t get greedy, we don’t offer too many [and] they know we’ll do a proper job.”

Stupefying speed, windswept style, and unmatched exclusivity are but a few reasons why Aston Martin is offering an all-out version of the Valkyrie. Another is likely pride. Bringing a vehicle like this to market is well within their product-development capability so why leave anything on the table?

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