Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider revealed

Aston Martin has combined wind-in-your-hair thrills with Formula 1-bred dynamics to create the Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider.

Following in the wheel tracks of the regular Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro, the 2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider was unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the US this morning and will be strictly limited to 85 units globally.

The Valkyrie Spider will be available in right-hand drive as well as LHD, but would-be Australian owners of the open-top hypercar should note that, like the hard-roofed version, local homologation issues are likely to rule it out for this market.

And there’s the small matter of all 85 units already being allocated to buyers.

Power comes from the same 865kW/900Nm Cosworth V12 hybrid drivetrain as the fixed-top Valkyrie – itself limited to a production run of 150 cars.

However, Aston says the Spider has received “revisions to its carbon-fibre structure, plus precise recalibration of both the active aerodynamic and active chassis systems – all with an eye to maintaining optimal Valkyrie performance when driven in a roof-off condition”.

The British car-maker claims the Spider’s “unprecedented open-top performance” stems in part from its lightweight construction and high downforce aerodynamics package, including Venturi tunnels that run either side of the cockpit to develop 1400kg of downforce at 240km/h in track mode.

Top speed is rated at 330km/h-plus with the roof down and 350km/h-plus with the roof on – values which are said to quantify claims that this is the most extreme open-top, road-legal Aston ever built.

The company hasn’t released any further technical specifications including the weight penalty imposed by the drop-top, but it says the differences are “marginal”.

“Delivering LMP1 levels of performance, Valkyrie Spider is simulated to set impressive lap times, not normally achievable in a road-going car,” Aston says.

Inside the Spider’s cabin are two bucket seats fitted with six-point harnesses, plus the usual assortment of mod-cons including a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Dihedral doors are now front-hinged and designed to tilt forwards, rather than upwards on the regular Valkyrie.

Meanwhile, the removable roof includes a carbon-fibre central panel that latches onto the tub at the rear and the windscreen surround at the front, together with a pair of polycarbonate roof windows hinged either side.

“On opening the doors, the roof can simply be lifted off and stowed away,” says Aston. “Modifications to the carbon-fibre tub have been made to support the removeable roof panels and the luxury open-top layout.”

Aston Martin’s engineering team employed simulation tools early on in the Spider’s development, with physical testing of prototypes to begin shortly.

The first deliveries of the Valkyrie Spider are set to occur in the second half of 2022. The car-maker says that, following unprecedented demand, the Spider is already oversubscribed.

“With the Valkyrie Spider we are taking passion and emotion to the next level,” said Aston chief Tobias Moers.

“The driving experience promises to be truly sensational. The sound of that 6.5-litre V12 engine revving to over 11,000rpm with the roof removed is something I cannot wait to hear.”