Aston Martin converted its Valkyrie hypercar into a race car prototype to compete in endurance races. It also gave 40 lucky and rich customers an extreme version that could only be used on the track. It was called the AMR Pro, and it didn’t have a hybrid powertrain like the race car. Aston Martin has decided to release another track-focused Valkyrie. However, in a strange turn of events, this is the closest thing anyone will ever be able to buy to the car competing for the overall win at Le Mans this weekend. To the exact amount of $6.5 million before taxes. The Valkyrie LM is its name. This car is powered by the same 6.5-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 engine as the race version, delivering 697 horsepower and revving up to 8,400 rpm. It’s similar to Ferrari’s 499P Modificata and Porsche’s 963 RSP, which were developed by Roger Penske. The Valkyrie Street Car has 1,140 horsepower and a redline of 11,000 rpm, so fans may notice that these numbers are significantly lower. However, keep in mind that this is the same car that Aston Martin races and the Le Mans Hypercar formula has its limits. It has been agreed that the Valkyrie LM can run on a variety of different fuels, and the race judges’ rules regarding electronics and ballast have been waived. In a time when gasoline engines and energy can be combined to make huge, four-figure power, 700 horsepower may not seem like much. The road car weighs 3,000 pounds, but the Valkyrie weighs only 2,270 pounds because its batteries and motors have been removed. All that power is sent to the back wheels through a seven-speed sequential gearbox. The AMR Pro remains the faster model, thanks to roughly 40% more power and no need for a hybrid system. However, Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark explains that the LM is built to deliver “the purest and most comparable endurance-driving experience” possible. Track-only cars have outperformed controlled race cars since the Ferrari FXX many years ago. You won’t find a good-value spec sheet here, especially for $6.5 million. They can keep an exact copy of a Le Mans prototype in their garages, which is something that Ferrari directly tells owners of 499P Modificatas they can’t do. Some race-spec parts on the Valkyrie LM’s chassis are also on the competition car. For example, the front and rear dual wishbones are equipped with adjustable side and center dampers, and the pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs are also adjustable. There is an FIA-approved fuel system as well as a harness and fire control system that meets FIA standards. The Valkyrie LM is one of the cars that are usually all booked up by the time they are made public. An Aston Martin representative told The Drive that this is not the case with this car, but the names of the ten prototypes the company plans to build have not yet been released. The price is expected to be around $6.5 million over $2 million more than the AMR Pro even though the AMR Pro is faster on paper. Altogether, the cost of the race event is quite high, even if the 10 owners are treated like celebrities. Aston will ensure that each of them obtains their racing license at Silverstone before they begin a year-long program, during which instructors and engineers will accompany them to various tracks to help them refine their driving skills and make adjustments to their cars. You don’t have to win to keep your job. You can still enjoy the thrill and personal growth that racing offers. Being wealthy sounds nice.
