The Aston Martin Valkyrie will begin arriving to customers later this year after a long development period. To meet the growing demand for the car in the near future from customers who were not lucky enough to own this hypercar before, Aston Martin has launched a convertible version of the Valkyrie Spider with a removable roof to bring a more Formula 1 feel to this model.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie was unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance during Monterey Supercar Week, where it was displayed to the public alongside the Valhalla and the Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team Formula 1 car.
The biggest difference between the newly launched Spider version and the previous Valkyrie coupe is the removable roof to turn it into a convertible. This roof was also specially designed by Aston Martin to better suit the carbon fiber monocoque body with high and wide sills of the Valkyrie. The roof is made up of three separate pieces, a middle piece made of carbon fiber and two side pieces made of glass. When getting in and out of the car, in addition to the butterfly-shaped doors, the two side roofs must also be opened to make getting in and out more convenient.
To help the convertible version achieve the same aerodynamic performance as the previous coupe, Aston Martin has brought to this model a new aerodynamic package to increase downforce. On the upper part, the body is completed with a teardrop cabin while below, all the excess details are cut to create a Venturi wind tunnel under the car. This is the main design that helps the car create a downforce of up to 1,400 kg at a speed of 240 km/h. In addition, the front bumper and rear spoiler are inspired by the aerodynamic details of Formula 1 racing cars.
Inside, the Valkyrie Spider’s cockpit still offers the same LMP1 racing-style seating position as its coupe counterpart. Safety equipment also includes a standard 6-point seat belt. In the Spider version, customers can choose an optional fixed-frame seat instead of just a seat integrated into the chassis as before. The rearview mirror is still equipped as a camera, and parking sensors are still standard equipment.
Similar to the previous coupe version, the Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider is still equipped with a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine developed by Cosworth. This engine block can produce a maximum capacity of up to 1,000 horsepower and a maximum torque of 740 Nm and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 11,100 rpm. Not stopping there, Aston Martin also equipped the Valkyrie Spider with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System – KERS. This system was developed by two partners, including Integral Powertrain Ltd., which specializes in providing high-performance electric motors, and Rimac, the unit responsible for developing a lightweight hybrid battery pack. Thanks to this integrated system, Valkyrie can operate with a maximum total capacity of up to 1,160 horsepower at 10,500 rpm and maximum torque of 900 Nm at 6,000 rpm.
With this power, lightweight design and technology, the Valkyrie Spider can reach a top speed of 330 km/h with the roof open and over 350 km/h with the roof closed. This combined with the aerodynamic systems makes this the fastest and most powerful Aston Martin convertible that can be legally driven on public roads.
“The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a marvel of innovation and technology, but above all it is about the emotion of driving. With the Valkyrie Spider, we are taking passion and emotion to a new level,” said Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers. “The driving experience promises to be very emotional. The sound of the 6.5-litre V12 revving to 11,000rpm with the roof removed is something I can hardly wait to hear.”
Aston Martin will only produce 90 Valkyrie Spiders and they are expected to begin delivery in the second quarter of 2022.
