Latest news with #ValkyrieLM
Car and Driver
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
The Aston Martin Valkyrie LM Is a Track-Day Special Plucked Straight from Le Mans
Aston Martin debuted the Valkyrie LM, a track-only car based closely upon the race car that will challenge for overall victory at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Valkyrie LM features a 697-hp naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12, free of the hybrid system found in the road-legal car. Only 10 will be built, and Aston Martin will also offer a driver training program that involves simulator time, data and onboard camera analysis, and a set of track-day gear. At the upper echelons of motorsport, the connections between race cars and their on-road counterparts are tenuous at best. Ten different brands have prototype racers competing in the top classes of the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and of those, just one is based on a road-going hypercar: the Aston Martin Valkyrie. To celebrate the Valkyrie's unique position, Aston Martin revealed the Valkyrie LM, a track-ready limited edition that is essentially identical to the race car that will appear on track at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend. Aston Martiin This is a special occasion for Aston Martin, as it's the first time the automaker will be vying for the overall win at Le Mans since 2011. If they are successful, it will be Aston Martin's first overall victory since 1959 when Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took first in the Aston Martin DBR1. Aston Martin says the LM that it will sell to customers is virtually identical to the cars piloted by its drivers in WEC and IMSA racing, except for a few adjustments aimed at making the cars more accessible to their (likely) amateur owners. Aston Martin ditched certain racing-specific equipment, like ballasts and FIA-required electronics, while tailoring the cockpit to track-day use. Aston Martin also tweaked the engine to run on more accessible fuels, while also removing torque sensors that manage power delivery, all in the name of improving the experience for the customer. Aston Martiin The Valkyrie LM gets its motivation from a modified version of Cosworth's naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 engine. While the engine produces 1001 hp in the road car and is hooked up to a hybrid powertrain for a total of 1139 hp, the LM's V-12 is free of electrical assistance and is tuned to 697 horsepower as required by racing regulations. While that's notably less power than the road-going Valkyrie, the LM's missing hybrid hardware will drop the curb weight considerably. Aston Martin The LM's V-12 hooks up to the rear wheels through a seven-speed sequential transmission operated via paddle shifters, just like the race car. The suspension also mirrors that of the competition car, with unequal-length control arms at the front and rear and pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers. The Valkyrie LM will run on special Pirelli performance tires. Inside, the driver sits snug in a custom carbon-fiber race seat with headrest padding and a six-point FIA safety harness. There's also a built-in fire suppression system, and the steering wheel features a display screen and shift lights. Aston Martin While Valkyrie LM owners will be able to keep their car wherever they want it, Aston Martin will also offer a special driver development program to support the driver for track days with a team of engineers. Aston Martin will store and transport the car for its customers, and they will also provide simulator driver coaching sessions, detailed track walks, and classroom sessions before hitting the track. The engineers will provide data and onboard video analysis to help the owners improve their driving. The program offers the chance to get a full track-day kit as well, bestowing these lucky owners with a helmet, suit, boots, HANS device, earpieces, gloves, and fireproof underwear. Customers will take delivery of their Valkyrie LM in the second quarter of 2026 and will have a chance to drive the car at two fully supported track days at F1-grade circuits later in the year. Only 10 will be built, and while Aston Martin didn't reveal the cost, we have to imagine the cost of entry is at least a few million dollars. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Aston Martin Valkyrie LM lets you live your Le Mans fantasies
Aston Martin has introduced the Valkyrie LM, a limited-run, track-only hypercar developed as a tribute to the brand's return to top level endurance racing Derived from the Valkyrie Hypercar competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Valkyrie LM version is closely aligned with the race car – minus the regulatory constraints required for competition – that will take part in this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans. At its core is the same Cosworth-built, naturally aspirated 6.5l V12 engine, producing 520kW, the maximum allowed under race regulations. However, the Valkyrie LM has been tuned for private track use. It drops features such as FIA-mandated electronics, homologation hardware and race ballast. Power delivery systems are simplified for ease of use and the engine has been recalibrated to accept readily available fuel. Designed to be more accessible to amateur and gentleman drivers, the Valkyrie LM uses a seven-speed sequential transmission operated via paddle shifters and features a race-derived suspension setup – with double wishbones front and rear, and pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs paired with adjustable dampers. Tyres are sourced direct from Pirelli. The cockpit prioritises safety, access and visibility. Highlights include a fixed carbon-fibre seat with integrated support padding, a FIA 8853 six-point racing harness and a fire suppression system. The steering wheel incorporates a driver display and shift lights, as seen in the race car. Aston Martin confirmed only 10 examples of the Valkyrie LM will be built. On purchase each customer will have access to a tailored ownership programme designed to support them on and off the track. Known as the Valkyrie LM Performance Club, the initiative includes full technical support, driver coaching and logistics. Aston Martin will store, transport and maintain each Valkyrie LM enrolled in the programme. Track preparation, simulator training, data analysis and on-site engineering support are all part of the package. Drivers will also receive a complete kit – helmet, Hans device, suit, boots, moulded earpieces, gloves and fireproof underwear – along with classroom sessions and guided track walks led by professional instructors. Deliveries of the Valkyrie LM are scheduled to begin before the programme's launch in the second quarter of 2026.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Photos: See the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM from Every Angle
Aston Martin has revealed it will be selling a limited number — 10, to be precise —of track day versions of its Le Mans hypercar for well-off buyers. It's called the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM, and it'll give its handful of owners the chance to live out their endurance racing fantasies on tracks around the world. Of course, owning and piloting your own personal copy of a screaming V12 hypercar that was made to battle in the 24 Hours of Le Mans won't come cheap; Aston isn't formally talking price, but we hear each Valkrie LM will likely sell for around $7 million. Read more about the Aston Martin Valkyre LM here. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aston Martin reveals track-day version of Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar
Aston Martin is billing a new track-day version of its Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar as near-identical to the race car. The Aston Martin Valkyrie LM Hypercar boasts the same maximum power output of 520kW (697bhp) from its 6.5-litre V12 as the World Endurance Championship and IMSA Sportscar Championship contender. Advertisement The differences between the two cars represent, said Aston head of endurance motorsport Adam Carter, 'only a few minor deviations to ensure it is a non-homologated variant and is accessible for customers to experience and enjoy'. Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Aston Martin This will include the removal of FIA-regulation electronics, a bespoke cockpit interface tailored for track days and the use of Pirelli rather than Michelin tyres. 'Valkyrie LM represents the most authentic Hypercar track experience that is now available,' he continued. Aston CEO Adrian Hallmark said: 'With Valkyrie LM, there has never been an opportunity to get closer to the raw dynamic forces and state-of-the-art technology deployed by the Hypercar currently competing in WEC and IMSA. Advertisement 'Valkyrie LM is an exquisite opportunity to be part of the most exclusive Aston Martin owners' club in the world, a group who can immerse themselves in the purest and most comparable endurance driving experience, one that would otherwise only be available to our works drivers operating at the very limit of sportscar racing's highest echelon.' The ownership experience Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Aston Martin Production of the Valkyrie LM will be limited to 10 cars, whose owners will be able to take part in a special programme during Aston's so-called 'Unleashed' track experience events. Deliveries of the first Valkyrie LMs will start in the middle of 2026 ahead of two track days at Aston Unleashed' events later in the year. Aston has put the price of the Valkyrie LM at 'circa $5 million Usd. plus taxes'. Advertisement Aston Martin will look after the cars and offer a driver development programme tailored, it explained, 'to support harness and optimise their driving ability and provide them with the ultimate top-flight motorsport experience'. The British manufacturer is taking a leaf out of Ferrari's book after the launch of the Modificata version of its two-time Le Mans-winning 499P LMH. Ferrari is understood to have sold well in excess of 20 Modificatas, which take part in its Clienti events, since its launch at the end of 2023. The Ferrari, however, is different in key areas to the LMH – one of these a push-to-pass power boost from its hybrid system, which increases peak power to 640kW or 860bhp. Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Valkyrie track day car Aston Martin Aston Martin Advertisement Deliveries of the first Valkyrie LMs will start in the middle of next year ahead of two track days at Formula 1-grade circuits later in the year. Plans to race the Valkyrie in the WEC were announced in 2019 before being put on hold early the following year, but development of the still-born LMH fed into the AMR Pro track day car. This car was the starting point for the development of the LMH that entered competition this year. To read more articles visit our website.
Auto Car
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Always wanted to own an *actual* Le Mans hypercar? Get your order in for the new Aston Martin Valkyrie LM...
Aston Martin has launched the Valkyrie LM as a screaming V12-engined, Le Mans-spec track toy that could be the world's ultimate automotive plaything. Unlike the Valkyrie AMR Pro, a track-only version of the Valkyrie road car, the Valkyrie LM is based on Aston's LMH hypercar that will race at La Sarthe this weekend. That means it draws 697bhp from the same 6.5-litre Cosworth V12 and drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox. But Aston Martin has made a number of modifications to tailor the Valkyrie LM to track day use, starting with making the V12 compatible with readily available fuel. It has also removed the ballast and FIA-regulation electronic systems, along with the racer's torque sensors. Otherwise, though, this is a top-class Le Mans car that can be run around a track of its owner's choosing. It still has a carbonfibre race seat with six-point harness, a fire suppression system and bespoke track tyres from Pirelli. Adam Carter, Aston Martin's head of endurance motorsport, said: 'It is important to emphasise that the Valkyrie LM is close to identical to the race car that is currently competing in WEC and IMSA, with only a few minor deviations to ensure it is a non-homologated variant and is accessible for customers to experience and enjoy. "Valkyrie LM represents the most authentic hypercar track experience that is now available.' Similarly to Ferrari's original XX track car programme, Aston Martin will store and transport the cars as part of a support programme for owners that aims to offer the "ultimate top-flight motorsport experience". Included as part of that, the company will also supply a team of engineers to set up the car and maintain it during the track days. It will also provide professional driver coaches and simulator sessions to ensure customers can "explore the limits of a machine designed to operate in excess of 200mph on the fast, flat-out kinks of the most famous race track in the world". Owners will be able to drive their cars for the first time at an "exclusive handover event" in the second quarter of 2026, before being invited to track days at Formula 1-standard circuits later in the year.
