You may never get to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but now, thanks to Aston Martin, you can drive a car that could.
The storied British marque is offering collectors an exclusive variant of the vehicle it will enter in endurance racing’s biggest event next weekend. The new Valkyrie LM is almost identical to the race car, with the only real difference being that the customer version is subject to fewer rules and regulations.
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Aston Martin head of endurance motorsport Adam Carter isn’t exaggerating when he calls the Valkyrie LM “close to identical” to the company’s World Endurance Championship and IMSA Sportscar Championship racer. The two hypercars share the same chassis and bodywork. The powertrain—a Cosworth-sourced, naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 mated to a seven-speed, paddle-shifted sequential transmission—and double wishbone suspension are also matching.
There are a few “minor deviations” to ensure the car qualifies as a non-homologated variant, though. Chief among these differences is that the race series-specific ballast and International Automobile Federation-regulated electronics have been removed. Aston Martin says the variant has the same 697 hp output as the race car, but the absence of those features means it may be even faster. No performance numbers were provided, but the original road-going Valkyrie tops out at 250 mph and the Le Mans car at 210 mph. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Valkyrie LM’s top speed sits somewhere between those two numbers.
The vehicle’s cockpit interface has also been reworked so that it’s better suited to a more casual track driving experience. That’s not the only change meant to make the vehicle easier to drive. The engine has also been recalibrated to run on more readily available fuel, and it wears bespoke Pirelli racing tires. Owners will also be eligible for a dedicated driver development program, designed to optimize their driving ability and remove the stress of running track sessions. Those who take advantage of the opportunity can count on Aston Martin to store, maintain, and transport their vehicles to Valkyrie LM Performance Club driving venues.
Unsurprisingly, the Valkyrie LM will be very exclusive. Aston Martin has announced that it intends to build just 10 examples of its customer racer. Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect it to be sky high. The road-going Valkyrie costs $3.2 million, after all.
Click here to see more photos of the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM.
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