Aston Martin Valor revealed: V12 manual liftback

The 705-horsepower Valor is limited to just 110 cars worldwide.

Aston Martin sure knows how to celebrate a century (and decade). In honor of its 110th anniversary, the automaker has unveiled a new V12-powered supercar called the Valor. Limited to just 110 units globally, the Aston Martin Valor features retro styling cues and a manual gearbox as the company calls it “the last of the era.”

Like the 2020 Aston Martin Victor Limited, the Valor looks to the iconic V8 Vantage of the 1970s and 1980s for inspiration. The exterior does an excellent job of blending the old with the new; A clamshell hood with “horseshoe” louvre and vintage round headlights give the Valor a distinctive front end.

Horizontal “blade light” taillights and a large integrated spoiler provide additional retro cues at the rear, while the 21-inch lightweight alloy wheels shod with new Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires (275/35 front, 325/30 rear) . Buyers can choose from 21 standard exterior colours, or they can peruse Aston Martin’s Q color palette for something more unique – like the exposed carbon fibre.

The interior is no less extravagant. Aston Martin’s designers have taken classic wool tweed – like the one found in the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1 – and mixed it with high-tech carbon fiber accents and modern, lightweight seats. Even the round wooden gear shift knob has its old charm.

The V12 in question is a front-mounted, twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter unit that makes 705 hp (715 PS) and 555 lb-ft (753 Nm) of torque. It comes with a “knock-down” 6-speed manual transmission (again, just like the Vector) and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

But the massive power and manual gearbox are only part of the equation. The Valor has a unique suspension set apart from other Aston Martins that uses adaptive dampers and anti-roll bars specifically tuned to match the power output of the V12 engine. On top of that, the Valor has an additional strut, front and rear, that improves torsional and lateral stiffness, as well as carbon-ceramic seals. The front brakes are six-piston, 16.0-inch carbon-ceramic rotors, and the rear brakes are four-piston, 14.0-inch rotors. The pair helped shed 50.7 pounds on the standard steel brakes.

As expected, Aston Martin doesn’t list any pricing details for the guts. Our guess is that all 110 examples have already been tallied. However, Valor will start production at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters in the third quarter of 2023, with first deliveries scheduled for later this year.

Gallery: Aston Martin Valor