Aston Martin quietly began delivering the Valkyrie to owners in November. The road-going hypercar wears a wild design and sports bonkers power figures, but it wasn’t the conclusion to Aston’s ambitions. That car is the Valkyrie AMR Pro that Aston introduced last July, which recently hit the race track in Bahrain. Oh, and Aston has already started delivering the Pro, too.
Ahead of this year’s Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Aston took the Valkyrie AMR Pro onto the track to complete two runs – one ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying session and another before the race on Sunday.
Dirk Müller, the development driver behind the wheel during the car’s Bahrain spins, said, “It’s closer to an F1 car in terms of performance than anything else I have ever driven. The power, the handling, the grip, everything is perfect.”
Gallery: Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Hits At The Bahrain Grand Prix
Aston initially revealed the Valkyrie AMR Pro in 2018, but Aston tweaked certain aspects of it over the car’s development cycle, introducing the production version of the track-only AMR Pro in July of last year. The car discarded the hybrid powertrain setup, resorting to a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 built by Cosworth for power. It doesn't make the same 1,100-plus horsepower (820 kilowatts) promised with the hybrid, but the engine still delivers 1,000 hp (745 kW).
Aston paired the car’s tremendous power figure with a full carbon-fiber body, carbon suspension wishbones, and Perspex side windows and windscreen to save weight. Aston also lengthened the car and widened the front and rear tracks; however, the biggest upgrade to the car was the aerodynamics, which saw Aston achieve double the downforce.
Aston plans to produce just 40 examples of the Valkyrie AMR Pro. Once Aston completes deliveries, all Valkyrie owners will have the opportunity to take their vehicle to a dedicated track experience program. It starts this fall, allowing owners to experience famous race tracks such as Yas Marina, Silverstone, Nurburgring, and the Circuit of the Americas. “Legendary drivers from the F1 and endurance racing world” will be there for trackside support, according to the company.
