The original “Nebula” internal codename for what would eventually become the Valkyrie was entirely fitting. Aerospace-grade engineering runs awash throughout this fully carbon fibre, road-legal hypercar that is capable of single-seater racer levels of performance. The letters in “Nebula” also denoted the key stakeholders involved: multiple Formula 1 World Championship-winning car designer Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing, and Aston Martin.

A seven-year gestation period for the Valkyrie (the named derived from Norse mythology) reflected the project’s immense complexity. Elegant bodywork, featuring the trademark Aston Martin grille shape, does without unsightly aerodynamic devices. An emphasis was placed instead on the open underfloor that employs Venturi tunnels running either side of the teardrop-shaped cockpit to feed an enormous diffuser. For this attempt at creating a Grand Prix car for the streets, extreme management of the airflow allows the Valkyrie to achieve over 3.5-G through high-speed corners, approximately three times that of a conventional sports car. All told, it can generate a genuinely tyre-bursting two tonnes of downforce.

Under the skin, there is no steel to be found in the structure of the car. To achieve the best power-to-weight ratio, carbon fibre dominates the chassis, of which the engine is a fully stressed member. Rather than conventional mounts that dampen the experience, the 65-degree, naturally aspirated, 6.5-litre V-12 is attached directly to the monocoque with four bolts. Created by Cosworth, who started on the project by developing a straight-three unit, the engine has a screaming red line of some 11,100 rpm. Fitted with an electric motor and a battery pack suppled by Rimac, the Valkyrie develops a total of 1,160 horsepower. This is sent to the rear wheels only via a Ricardo-manufactured seven-speed sequential gearbox.

Underlining the engineering boundaries being pushed throughout, Aston Martin says the rear brake light is the smallest and brightest ever fitted to a production car. What is more, there are a reported 15,187 adjustable parameters across the Valkyrie. This led to the fitment of a hydraulics system with 17 different actuators borrowed from a Boeing Apache helicopter to keep pace with the active aerodynamics, double-wishbone suspension, and damping.

Then there is the single windscreen wiper. While it was initially thought that the model might do without, the potential for a car to one day be caught at a set of red lights in a downpour led Aston Martin to find a company that could provide a sleek unit that would not spoil the silhouette but would still clean the extremely curved windscreen. As a result, after a year of investigation into the wiper alone, the Valkyrie uses the same supplier as the Space Shuttle programme.

“Anemos”: A Bespoke Configuration

One of just 25 customer cars built in right-hand drive, the Valkyrie Coupé offered here is sure to stop people in their tracks wherever it is driven or displayed. The bespoke “Anemos” (appropriately for a car that manipulates the air so heavily, it means “wind” in Greek) configuration worn by this example added an astonishing £500,000 to the original list price of £2.5 million plus taxes. Such a premium reflects the purple-tinted exposed carbon fibre applied to the upper body surfaces, while the lower sections present with a gloss finish. The Mokume Carbon Fibre package was also selected. Created by the Aston Martin design studio, this extends to the inner scoop of the headlights, sidepod vanes, armrest, central interior vent, and the steering wheel face plate. Additionally, the roof and engine cover are specified in gloss carbon fibre.

But, in the case of chassis number 70123, its most notable exterior attributes surely come in the form of the 24-carat gold leaf accents. These run across the edges of the front splitter, side of the downforce-generating floor, and rear diffuser, over the front bodywork, and around the canopy. This is complemented by the gold “Anemos” decals placed behind the side windows. Furthermore, the winged Aston Martin badge and honeycomb wheels are also gold to match. Preserving its unique appearance, the Valkyrie benefits from paint-protection film.

The pared-back interior of this car is no less striking. The carbon-fibre seat shells are upholstered with purple Alcantara padding, featuring gold stitching and embroidery for the “Anemos” script on the race-style harnesses and Aston Martin logo on the headrests. Similarly, the toggles on the steering wheel to select the drive mode, stability control, and operate the windscreen wipers, plus the engine start button, are also presented in gold.

Wearing a unique colour scheme, here is one of the most extensively optioned Valkyries ever devised. Completed in January 2024 ahead of being registered by its sole, commissioning owner in March 2024, the car displayed—per the odometer located on the screen of the F1-inspired steering wheel—a mere 112 miles at the time of cataloguing. It is under manufacturer warranty until the end of January 2027 and further eligible for a two-year extension as part of Aston Martin’s three-tiered, five-year service plan, available separately. Please speak to an RM Sotheby’s member of staff for more details.

This special Valkyrie represents the very best that the modern hypercar sphere has to give. It is both an engineering showcase dripping in F1 technology, and a demonstration of what manufacturers can achieve in tailoring the specification to a client’s exacting requirements. Offered with extremely low mileage, this 21st Century automotive great would rank among the very finest entries in any collection the world over.