Aston Martin aims to “create the world’s most thrilling and highly desirable electric performance cars” and says its upcoming BEV models will feature P Zero tyres and Pirelli Cyber Tyre. But it is not planning to depart the combustion engine stage quietly, and in celebration of its 110th anniversary has revealed the Michelin-equipped V12 Valour.
According to Aston Martin, Valour is a “spectacular, ultra-exclusive V12-engined, manual transmission special edition.” The Gaydon-based firm is building Valour to “honour the marque’s long tradition of superlative front-engined sports cars and delight purists who crave undiluted and visceral driving experiences.” This limited edition run of just 110 cars will offer a “mouth-watering end-of-an-era specification” that mates a 715PS/753Nm twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine to a bespoke six-speed manual transmission.
Valour will ride on 21-inch lightweight forged alloy ‘Honeycomb’ wheels, which are fitted with the very latest AML-specific Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres – 275/35 R21 front tyres and 325/30 R21 on the rear. Aston Martin comments that the Michelin tyres provide “inspired handling and roadholding in wet or dry conditions.”
Pirelli Cyber Tyre for BEVs
Lucid, a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced electric powertrains and battery systems, will supply Aston Martin with electric vehicle technologies. Access to Lucid’s current and future powertrain and battery technology will be at the centre of Aston Martin’s all-new in-house Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platform. Aston Martin will support its electrification programme with an investment of over £2 billion over the next five years, with investment phasing from ICE to BEV technology.
This all-new bespoke platform, developed by Aston Martin will form the basis of the company’s entire future electrified model range; from hypercars to sports cars, GTs and SUVs. The first of these is targeted for launch in 2025. Before then Aston Martin will deliver its first plug-in hybrid, the mid-engined supercar Valhalla, in 2024. By 2026, all new Aston Martin model lines will feature an electrified powertrain option, and the long-term objective is for the core range to be fully electrified by 2030.
According to Aston Martin, the BEV lines it develops will showcase the very latest generation of Pirelli P Zero R tyres. These will feature Pirelli Cyber Tyre, a system of sensors that “gather a wide range of data and can provide a reliable gauge of the load going through each individual tyre” to calculate “a more accurate real-world range.”
