Aston Martin is about to return to Le Mans after decades, and they’ll do it with this new Aston Martin Valkyrie.
It’s based on the road-going Valkyrie, but it was heavily modified, and it shows.
It probably looks even better than the ‘original’, and it’s faster, too.
But, paradoxically, it’s less powerful.
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The Aston Martin Valkyrie for Le Mans is less powerful, but for a very good reason
Aston Martin is set to compete in both the WEC and IMSA series, which means it will also participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Sebring.
This is the brand’s second WEC debut, a series which they first joined in 1959.
Aston will debut on February 18 in Qatar with a WEC-specced Valkyrie.
The road-going Valkyrie is already pretty extreme to begin with and, ironically, the WEC Valkyrie is less powerful than the street-legal one – 670 horsepower instead of 1,000 – for regulatory reasons.
The engine is still the same, though.
It’s the Cosworth 6.5-liter V12 and, precisely because it now ‘only’ has to generate 670 horsepower, it should be more reliable and robust, which is essential in endurance competitions like Le Mans or Sebring.
Their first race is scheduled for February 18, in Qatar.
Aston in motorsport and Formula 1
When it comes to motorsports, Aston Martin had been quite quiet, pardon the cacophony, for a very long time, but now they’re back with a vengeance.
Aston is doing well in Formula 1, and they’re likely to do even better this season with Adrian Newey at the (technical) helm.
Newey is the most successful designer Formula 1 has ever known, having designed more F1-winning cars than anyone before him.
He left Red Bull last year, designed a track-focused monster in his spare time, and then joined Aston.
This isn’t Newey’s first rodeo with Aston, because he’s the guy behind the Valkyrie, one of Alonso’s favorite cars by the way, which he designed back when he was still working for Red Bull.
When he left Red Bull, everyone assumed he would join Ferrari next, but the writing was on the wall and maybe should’ve seen his move to Aston Martin coming.
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