Aston Martin Valour Revealed: Front-Engined V12 Monster

Most automotive brands celebrate milestone anniversaries by releasing a special livery or trim level — but not Aston Martin.

In commemoration of its 110th anniversary, Aston Martin has revealed the Valour, a special edition car that is the only front-engined V12 sports car available with a manual transmission. In the age of electrification, the Valour will delight automotive fans who enjoy a car that can deliver a pure and raw driving experience.

To honour Aston Martin's history of building high-quality front-engined sports cars, the brand took inspiration from the 1977 V8 Vantage and its modified cousin, the Aston Martin RHAM/1 race car that ran at Le Mans. The Valour also sports traits from other cars, such as the immaculate design of the One-77 and the driver-centric character of the one-off Victor.

With a clamshell bonnet that features a large 'horse shoe' vent and twin NACA ducts, classically inspired round LED headlights, a triple tailpipe exhaust system, and vortex-generating 'exoblades' on the rear screen panel, the Valour has an aggressive presence that leaves you both intimidated and enamoured.

It'll be powered by a 715PS/753Nm twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine located at the front, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. This makes the Valour a driver's car, which Aston Martin says will be a "precious collector’s piece that demands to be driven."

The Valour will also feature a mechanical limited-slip differential and three driving modes to enable the driver to have an enhanced sense of connection with the car. Unsurprisingly, the 'least sporty' drive mode in the Valour is 'Sport', with the rawest mode being the 'Track' option. Don't worry though, the Valour does come with electronic traction and stability control systems for those who want a little more assistance.

In order to ensure that the Valour is a road car first with track DNA built into its core, Aston Martin has given it bespoke suspension parts and anti-roll bars that give the Valour a well-balanced ride and driving quality that can conquer road trips and track days.

Adding to that are front and rear shear panels, a rear suspension tower strut brace and fuel tank bracing, all of which give the Valour an optimised platform to lap around your favourite circuit. There are also carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston callipers in the front and four-piston callipers in the rear that are highly resistant to brake fade.

Customisation options are plenty, where you have the choice of machined aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre, and walnut for the gear knob. You'll also be able to have traditional woollen tweed seats inspired by the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1, and a customisable livery that offers 21 paint colours for all four areas of the car, including an array of hand-painted stripes and graphics. If that isn't enough, the services of Q by Aston Martin are also available for the Valour.

Aston Martin Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll, said that the Valour is "a showcase for our world-class design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, Valour is further proof of Aston Martin’s position as the driver’s champion and maker of the world’s most exciting, exclusive and desirable ultra-luxury high-performance cars."

Production of the Valour is due to begin later this year, with the first units being delivered at the end of the year. If you want your very own Valour, be sure to order it soon — Aston Martin is only making 110 of them.

Photo Credits: Aston Martin Lagonda