The concept of a road-legal car that can answer to the upper echelons of performance in motorsport is a familiar one, with some memorable race-bred machines permitted to wear licence plates and take to the road over the years, yet few have delivered in such uncompromising fashion as the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Born of a partnership between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing, it was the latter’s technical director and aerodynamics guru, Adrian Newey, who had a heavy hand in the Valkyrie’s conception. The brief for the hypercar was to be as close as possible to an F1 car without being restricted to the track. Aston Martin could be forgiven for hyperbole when it comes to the Valkyrie, but few could quibble with its assertion that it pushes the boundaries, describing its development as a “remarkable journey in engineering to make the impossible possible”.

Just how arduous that journey proved was apparent in the time taken for the car to reach production. After the idea was initially conceived in 2014, the first version of the Valkyrie was showcased in 2016. In July 2019, a prototype made its dynamic debut at Silverstone prior to the British Grand Prix.

It wasn’t until November 2021, though, that the first customer car was completed. That the process had been so painstaking is a reflection of how difficult a task the development team had set itself. Every element had to be designed, engineered and manufactured from scratch, as there was simply nothing comparable that had been attempted before.

In tandem with this, the astronomical cost of the undertaking presented obvious challenges. And as befits such an ambitious project, where attention to detail is paramount, each of the 150 Valkyries that would be made available was meticulously hand-built in a process spanning 2,000 man-hours.

The persistence and perseverance paid off, however, in the realisation of a hypercar that breaks new ground, as the Valkyrie’s key statistics testify. An astonishing 1,000 brake horsepower is available from the naturally aspirated, 6.5-litre Cosworth V-12 engine, which revs to an outrageous 11,100 rpm. Total output is increased further to 1,140 brake horsepower thanks to assistance from an electric motor via the hybrid system, partially developed by Rimac, that boosts power on demand in a similar way to F1’s KERS technology, and channelled through a single clutch, seven-speed sequential gearbox.

With a peak figure of 900 Nm of torque available at 6,000 rpm, acceleration is devastating with a 0-100 km/h time of 2.6 seconds achieved on the way to a top speed reportedly in excess of 400 km/h. But the figures don’t tell the whole story. The Valkyrie is unique thanks to its desire to bring the F1 experience to the road, with Newey’s relentless focus on weight-saving and aerodynamic efficiency evident across every single part of the car.

This is demonstrated by the fact that, for example, there is not a single steel component used in the Valkyrie’s structure, which is exclusively carbon fibre.

It extends beyond that to other, less obvious areas, such as the winged Aston Martin badge at the front, where the traditional enameled version is replaced by an aluminium alternative laid under the lacquer that is 99.4 per cent lighter and does not interrupt the airflow. At the rear, meanwhile, the Valkyrie features the world’s smallest brake light, which is sufficiently sized to carry the bare minimum of legal text it is required to carry, but no bigger.

The result of such forensic approach to weight reduction is a mass, without fluids, of 1,270 kilograms, and a power-to-weight ratio not far removed from the 1:1 targeted at the outset of the programme.

Further enhancing the Valkyrie’s credentials as a truly unique proposition is the striking exterior, which looks little else that has ever been approved for road use, but still delivers the panache Aston Martin is renowned for. Designed for optimum aerodynamic performance, the carbon body features dramatically hollowed sides, while a complex front spoiler and massive rear diffuser add to the drama. Combined with an open underfloor and active suspension, downforce can reach 1,100 kilograms, ranking well in excess of the capabilities of an F1 car.

This is underlined in a driving experience acclaimed by those fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to get behind the wheel as an intense assault on the senses, with a combination of speed, noise, and agility reinforcing that the Valkyrie, to all intents and purposes, is a race car at heart. Understandably, all 150 Valkyrie coupés were swiftly snapped up, and with the car still relatively new, few models have become available to buy since its launch, making the occasion of a car presented at auction especially significant.

Presented with only 123 kilometres on its odometer at the time of cataloguing, this example cuts a menacing presence finished in Scintilla Silver with contrasting Speed Red detailing. This includes a satin and gloss graphics package from the Q personalisation division that incorporates a full-length body stripe, and pinstripes for the front splitter, side sill and rear diffuser.

Other well-chosen options that enhance the Valkyrie visually are the exposed gloss carbon fibre twill roof and engine cover, Matte Black magnesium performance wheels with red brake callipers, and Zircotec Black exhaust pipes.

Inside, the expertly packaged two-person cabin blends black Alcantara, exposed satin carbon fibre twill and Spicy Red Alcantara to deliver a colour scheme that perfectly complements the exterior. And there’s no escaping that the environment has been created for racing, with the carbon shell seats accompanied by a black six-point harness, and a low oblong-shaped steering wheel—fitted with titanium toggle switches in this instance—providing a constant reminder of its racing underpinnings.

As the first Aston Martin Valkyrie to appear at auction, the opportunity to acquire a car as extraordinary as this is a rare occurrence. The availability of such an exquisite example is sure to attract huge interest from supercar collectors and fans of the brand alike.