Aston Martin returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its Valkyrie hypercar
While the phrase “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” may have been coined nearly a century ago, its inherent ideology in the automotive world holds as true today as it did in the middle of the last century. Aston Martin has been on a tear lately, upping its game in the upper echelon of automotive performance cars. Recently introducing its first plug-in hybrid, the Valhalla, Aston Martin is now embarking on a new chapter in its illustrious racing history with the unveiling of the Valkyrie hypercar. Derived from its road-legal counterpart, marks the brand’s return to endurance motorsports at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Valkyrie stands out as the only competitor based on a road-legal hypercar and is the first in the Hypercar class built to comply with FIA regulations. It will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The car will make its competitive debut when the Aston Martin THOR Team enters two Valkyries in the opening round of the 2025 WEC at the Qatar 1812 km on February 28th of this year.
Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda, Adrian Hallmark, said of this (hopefully) triumphant return to the race:
“Returning to the fight for overall honors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is central to our values and represents a significant milestone in our racing heritage. As the only hypercar born from a road-legal model competing at the highest levels of sports car racing in both WEC and IMSA, the Valkyrie embodies our enduring sporting ethos that has defined our brand for over a century.”
Developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies and THOR, this new car is unique in the top Hypercar division of global endurance motorsport because it is based on an existing production extreme performance vehicle—the Aston Martin Valkyrie, considered the ultimate hypercar.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, stated:
“The Aston Martin Valkyrie is not just a hypercar; it represents a revolution in automotive engineering, showcasing the pinnacle of performance, design, and innovation. With an extraordinary blend of Formula 1 technology and road car expertise, the Valkyrie is built for racing, and its participation in world endurance racing will further solidify its technological achievements.”
The race-optimized Valkyrie begins with a carbon fiber chassis and is powered by a modified, lean-burn version of the incredible Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12 engine. In its standard form, this engine can rev up to 11,000 RPM and produces over 1000 horsepower. Retaining a V-12 engine offers clear performance advantages and aligns with Aston Martin’s aesthetic for a pure racing solution. Regarding reliability and durability, the hypercar regulations, which include a power limit of 500 kW (680 bhp), provide advantages for the inherently robust V-12 engine.
Fuel efficiency is a key area of focus for development. Carter explained, “Running lean to minimize fuel load while delivering the necessary energy for each stint is crucial. We operate the engine at a lower RPM than its maximum capability because we require less power. The regulations’ lower power limit presents an opportunity to refine the torque curve and lessen frictional losses by reducing engine speed to enhance fuel efficiency.”
Regarding aerodynamics, the Valkyrie’s evolution was guided by the homologation criteria set by the regulations, built upon the road car’s already slippery shape. “It’s almost unimaginable for Adrian, one of the greatest racing car designers in history, to design a car without considering its future in racing,” Carter noted. The transition from road car to racing vehicle is primarily dictated by the FIA’s technical regulations, which address both safety and performance.
To adapt to racing challenges—such as rapid driver and tire changes, live refueling during pit stops, and the potential for car-to-car contact—the Valkyrie has been equipped with quick-change front and rear bodywork, a single-point rapid refueling coupling, a high-speed pneumatic jack system integrated into the chassis, and a driver cockpit designed for safety, quick access, and visibility.
The racing suspension features double wishbones at both the front and rear, along with pushrod-activated torsion bar springs and adjustable side and central dampers. The Valkyrie runs on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tires, which are mandated under the Hypercar regulations. “The absolute performance is capped by the regulations, regardless of development,” Carter explained. “There are minimum weight requirements, power limits enforced through driveshaft torque control, and constraints on aerodynamic performance.”
The post Aston Martin returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its Valkyrie hypercar appeared first on The Manual.
