Wild Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH racer eyes up Le Mans 2025 win
Aston V12 hypercar will be the only racer built from a road-going vehicle under the latest LMH regsThe 2025 Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH racer has finally been unleashed and will compete at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, vying for outright victory.
Hoping to give Aston Martin its first win at the world-famous endurance race in more than 60 years, the new Valkyrie LMH racer is the only entrant built under the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regs, with all its rivals developed under Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMDh) rules.
That means the Valkyrie LMH is the only vehicle to be spun off a road-going vehicle and the only endurance racer to be powered by a naturally-aspirated V12 engine, with all the other rivals favouring twin-turbocharged V6 or V8s, with the exception of the Cadillac V-Series R that uses a naturally-aspirated V8.
While the road-going Valkyries come with a 6.5-litre V12 hybrid system good for a combined 865kW/900Nm, the LMH regs have forced Aston Martin wind things down to 500kW.
With less peak power, engineers said they’ve taken the opportunity to ensure the V12 delivers a broader spread of torque over the rev range.
The rev-limit has also been wound back to allow a leaner air-fuel ratio in the name of efficiency which, in turn, allows a smaller tank and less weight.
Despite looking like the road-going version, the Valkyrie has a largely all-new body that has been designed to have panels removed and/or replaced quicker.
Aero tweaks, meanwhile, have seen a huge central dorsal fin added.
Other changes include a new pneumatic jack system added to aid tyre changes.
The Valkyrie LMH racer will compete in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the US-based IMSA Sportscar Championship, with the 2025 24 Hours of Le Man being the main focus.
British drivers Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble will pilot the flagship #007 vehicle at Le Man while its sister car, #009, will be driven by Denmark’s Marco Sørensen and Spain’s Alex Riberas.
Aston Martin says the racer has racked up 15,000km of testing at myriad circuits around the world and will make its competitive debut at the Qatar 1812km on February 28.
Related: V12 Aston Martin Valkyrie Le Mans racer hits the track
Related: First Aston Martin Valkyrie rolls off the line
Related: Aston Martin Valkyrie hits the road for the first time
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