Even James Bond doesn’t have one of these.
Aston Martin knows there’s more to pleasing supercar customers than with scorching 0-60 and Nürburbring lap times. The storied British automaker’s latest special model, the Valour, aims to give customers something much more meaningful: a genuine manual transmission hooked to a 705-horsepower V12.
Of course, if all you want is a sports car with a stick shift, there are even a few choices under $30,000. The Aston Martin Valour starts $1,970,000 higher. Just 110 will be made, one for each year Aston Martin has been in business.
The $2 Million Car
If you did not become the lucky owner of the one-off 2020 Aston Martin Victor, we have some good news for those who liked the design. The new Valour adopts much of the Victor’s external look. Now, the bad news: If you’re not already earmarked to get a Valour, which will start at about $2 million, you’ll have to watch the auctions for future opportunities.
Like the Victor before it, the Valour design draws a bit of inspiration from the simply named 1970s Aston Martin AM V8, a car that to many eyes is prettier than the Valour. But then, the AM V8 couldn’t wrinkle the pavement with 705 horsepower, so the Valour’s hunkier, more brutal look certainly matches the mood of the new car. The round LED headlights are a distinct nod to the classic AM V8, but the rest of the front end seems overtly “in-your-face,” as do the huge rear diffusers.
For your $2M entry fee (before options) Aston Martin will have you fit for the carbon-fiber seats, which will offer a variety of different upholstery finishes. The interior, which seems sparse compared to Aston Martin’s regular-production models, features carbon-fiber door panel trim with simple leather door pulls.
You can be reasonably certain that all 110 customers for the Valour will have made full use of the automaker’s Q division to spec out their cars. As a result, you can count on each of the 110 cars being “one of a kind.”
Return of the Stick Shift
It’s true that most supercars have abandoned manual transmissions, because for one thing, an automatic gets the quickest acceleration times for bragging rights, and for another, most sports cars in general have abandoned stick shifts. You want bragging rights in that crowd? Valour will let you claim to have the only new V12-powered production car with a stick.
The 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 serves up 705 horsepower and 555 lb-ft. of torque, while the upcoming Vanquish will have a new V12 with 824 horsepower, Aston Martin says. That car will be automatic-only, but it surely won’t cost $2M.
Under the Valour’s all-carbon-fiber body lies the aluminum structure of the 2023 V12 Vantage, which had the same engine but with 15 fewer horses. Aston Martin built 333 of those $300,000-plus models.
Not The Absolute Fastest, But Who Cares?
Considering that the 110 people who will get their hands on the $2M Aston Martin Valour likely have 20 or 30 other cars hanging around, we think it’s likely that none will care that the Valour will not be the absolute quickest and fastest Aston Martin ever made
Aston Martin says the Valour will do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and be able to reach a top track speed of 200 mph. That’s mighty quick, but for perspective, Motor Trend got 3.7 seconds from a Mustang Dark Horse and 2.8 seconds in a Hyundai Ioniq5 N, both of which cost under $68,000
Don’t get bogged down thinking of the Valour as a “numbers car.” The Valour, with its stick shift, is designed to scintillate its driver with a magnetic connection to the road, and rowing your own gears while using a clutch pedal is part of the magic. All stick-shifts are not created equal, though, and in the past, some alluring sports cars have disappointed with subpar gearboxes, clutches, and shifters. The Aston Martin Valour has already won high marks on its transmission performance and feel, as well it should for $2M.
Built to be Driven
Aston Martin appears to have built this one for the driving connoisseurs. The Valour uses the Vantage V12’s rear transaxle layout and suspension, but with some added chassis reinforcements and different tuning. Aston Martin engineered the Valour as a road-going grand tourer than can deliver on the track. But here’s an important distinction: While the Valour will go like blazes around a road course, it won’t leave you too shaken up on the drive there and back.
The chassis hardware will be familiar. Specifically, the Valour uses computer-controlled adaptive Bilstein dampers and conventional (not active) anti-roll bars. The limited-slip differential is mechanical, not full of electronic hocus-pocus. Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires and carbon-ceramic brakes are standard. The Valour offers three driving modes: Sport, Sport+, and Track, accessed via steering wheel switches.
An Emotional Experience
Car and Driver summed up the driving experience thusly: “Other supercars may be faster, or they may be pioneers in electrification and digitalization, but few, if any, offer a more involving and emotional experience behind the wheel.”
Speaking of emotions, don’t be sad if you’re not getting an Aston Martin Valour. The company’s model line always has plenty of beauty and excitement on offer, and there’s always another special edition coming along.
