Is this Aston Martin’s greatest modern creation?
There are British supercars and then there are British hypercars. The Aston Martin Valour falls into the latter: only 110 were made and it costs £1.5 million.
Thanks to a friend, I had the chance to spend a day with one in the South of England. Unsurprisingly, I came away with a beaming smile, but also a new found appreciation for what Aston Martin have done with the Valour. In an era when so many performance cars seem determined to overwhelm you with technology, the Valour feels wonderfully, defiantly old-fashioned. It has presence. It has theatre. And, crucially, it feels like someone at Aston Martin was given permission to make the manual car that you just want to keep driving.
Then there is the colour.
In satin green, the Valour is almost absurdly beautiful. The long bonnet, broad shoulders and muscular proportions seem to suit the satin finish perfectly, with the muted sheen picking out every crease and curve without making the car look over the top. Not many cars look incredible in a satin or matte paint, but this monster certainly does.
Then there is the design.
This is the car that changed Aston Martin’s design language. It was actually inspired by the original V8 Vantage from the 1970s, muscular, but classy. Or you could say retro-futuristic with a bit of American muscle! The rear is where the real wow factor is. The taillights are the same as the ones you find on the Valkyrie, and just look at those curves and those lines! Rear of the year, every single year.
You also need to check out the custom interior, completed by Aston Martin’s Q division…
The Valour isn’t merely a sculpture, though.
The moment you get moving, it reminds you that this is a PROPER driver’s car. The six-speed manual, the V12 grumble, the sense of occasion, everything conspires to make even 20mph feel special. Although you don’t buy a hypercar to do 20mph. If you want to feel even more special, you do have a 5.2-litre, V12 engine that produces a whopping 705 horsepower! There is something gloriously mechanical about the experience and how the Valour feels.
And that’s what I adored about it.
The Valour feels emotional in a way that is becoming increasingly rare. It isn’t trying to be the fastest, cleverest or most technologically impressive car on the road. Instead, it wants to make you feel connected with the road. Every time you look back at it, every time it fires up, every time you settle into the driver’s seat, it gives you another reason to grin like a Cheshire Cat.
The launch of the Valour inspired the more track-focussed Valiant, and the just announced Valen! This seductive, muscular design isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!
Watch one of our short videos from our London encounter below…