2019 Aston Martin Valkyrie

2019 aston martin valkyrie

10/4/2019

supercar - high performance (A+ Award)

We all thought it was a joke when Red Bull announced they were going to build a hypercar. Sounds pretty odd as they specialize in energy drinks not automotive technology. But when we were told that they were teaming up with Aston Martin, the project started to make a bit more sense. Sure, as we all know Red Bull is a big supporter of racing, fielding four (4) cars

between two (2) separate teams. Not bad considering that Ferrari and Mercedes only have two (2) cars each. So, this seemed like it was a legitimate project which could work in their favor. But really in the end did it.

A few years on into this project and a few concepts later, we finally have our production ready road racer. Although the Red Bull moniker has been dropped from the name, they still have a place in this vehicle. Too bad though as it would have made more sense to team the two (2) companies up on the final product, so that both companies and even F1, could benefit from this great project.

Now as we finally get to see the real face of what both Red Bull and Aston Martin can do, we start to see where they could have maybe done a bit better. Sure, the end result is astonishing on an engineering level, but in the way of basic design language, it could have been better. And with that note we must move onto our design review of this model.

When it comes to down-force engineering on a vehicle, Aston Martin and Red Bull spared no expense as the front end of this ride supports one hefty wing. Could it be that both companies wanted to integrate as much as they could from their F1 car, or could it be that Aston wanted to make this ride look as much the part of being an F1 vehicle as it could. Well whatever the reason, this wing wins hands down, for being the biggest piece of down-force on any production model out there.

Moving up we find ourselves wondering who has a duck as a pet. If you do, you might notice that the hood-line carries the same characteristics as a duck’s beak. Animal features designed into vehicles are great, but really a duck beak. I guess all the good snakes have been taken. But moving on from there you might find yourself face to face with the largest front wiper on the market. Sure, we all need to see, but couldn’t they have just toned down the space dome a bit so that the wiper wouldn’t have to be so big. Ah well I guess this really gives you the illusion of riding in an actual F1 car, as this feature would signify the Halo device.

Keeping with the space dome, this ride really makes great use of its glass greenhouse. So much so that it wouldn’t look out of place on the set of the Jeston's movie. But hey it does do its part correctly and makes great use of the center housing of the vehicle. A flat faced windscreen with standard flat windows would have just looked out of place on this ride. So, kudos to Aston for keeping the space dome greenhouse.

Riding along the side you may find yourself again staring at the Valkyrie’s side splitters. These again are required to keep this monster firmly planted on the road and keep with the F1 feel. Too bad that the side overhangs may be a bit too much for some consumers to navigate while entering and exiting the Valkyrie. Although it still keeps with the original idea of this being a road worthy F1 car. And the fact that you have to open some mind-blowing gull wing doors to enter, might may you think twice about that overhang you are having trouble navigating.

Checking out the rims might be something that you want to pass by considering their simple layout. We are aware that the design used will help with airflow and the overall aerodynamics of the vehicle, but really, they could have done a bit better. The fact that they are made of carbon fiber does increase their cool factor a bit, but again the design does bring them back down.

Arriving at the rear of the Valkyrie we find ourselves face to face with one big carbon fiber wing. It has meaning and purpose as well which helps bring this rear into a field all of its own. One of the greatest features of the rear would have to be the cascading river flow of the carbon fiber overlay. The smooth flowing lines and integrated intake make this one of the greatest features of the Valkyrie. Of course, it is a bit overshadowed by the highly oversize rear diffuser. This does have a purpose and it does serve it well, but most will see it as the main focal point instead of the cascading carbon fiber overlay.

Unlike most vehicles, Aston has decided to go with a simple field of light inserts in place of a standard bubble or band housing. This bodes well as it helps differentiate the rear of the Aston as well as give it its own unique styling feature. Something we hope to see on more future Aston or Lagonda models. Well this and the integrated rear deck exhaust ports, but we all know that not all models would be great with both.

2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG Project One concept

From front to rear the new Aston is a real head turner, but it still could have been a bit better. Not to mention that we have to give this ride a copycat award for being a bit too similar to the 1987 Oldsmobile Aerotech concept. Sure, they both have their differences, but both do have the same appeal. Besides that, it seems that a collaboration between Red Bull and Aston Martin became a great one indeed. Too bad that this model won't be the only road going product going after the F1 appeal, as Mercedes has announced their AMG Project One. Although this ride won't follow the same design language, it will follow the same appeal.

Overall the all new collaboration between Red Bull and Aston Martin came off pretty good. Well pretty good for a road going F1 car. Both Aston and Red Bull really pushed the point that this is a road going F1 replacement and tried to work in all the best features of an F1 car. They could have done away with some of the hard surfaces (duck bill) and bland features (i.e. headlamps), but overall the vehicle is out of this world. We hope to see more great vehicles like this from Aston in the future and hope both companies the best in the next F1 season.

Everett J.
#autolooks, @Autolooks.net, AutoLooks.net