Aston Martin engineers are pushing the boundaries of what the Valkyrie platform can do. Spy shots of a prototype testing on track suggest the British marque is developing a radically evolved, single-seat variant that takes the already extreme AMR Pro to an entirely new level — and it looks every bit like a Batmobile built for the Nürburgring.
The Valkyrie Legacy
The name Valkyrie is no accident. True to Aston Martin tradition, the company favours names beginning with “V” for its most extreme machines — a deliberate naming ritual, with the only notable exception being the DB lineage, which pays homage to David Brown, the industrialist who purchased the company back in 1947.
The original Valkyrie was already one of the most Formula 1-inspired road-legal machines ever built. Its carbon fibre monocoque chassis, reclined F1-style driving position, and ground-effect aerodynamics — channelling air through two large underfloor tunnels and expelling it via massive side exits and a rear diffuser using the Venturi effect — made it unlike anything else on the market.
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre Cosworth V12 producing 1,000 hp, paired with a Rimac-developed electric motor that pushes total output to 1,160 hp. The result is a 0–320 km/h sprint time of just 10 seconds. Supporting hardware includes a 7-speed paddle-shift gearbox by Ricardo, Wipac-designed lighting, and Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres (265/35-ZR20 front, 325/30-ZR21 rear) on single-nut alloy wheels. Even the exhaust is packaged close to the hybrid powertrain, mirroring Formula 1 principles.
The AMR Pro: 25 Units, 400 km/h, Zero Compromise
The Valkyrie AMR Pro took things even further when it arrived in 2020 — just 25 units were ever produced. The track-only car strips out air conditioning and infotainment in the pursuit of minimum weight, and fits 18-inch wheels at both ends. It delivers lateral acceleration of 3.3 G and braking forces of 3.5 G — numbers that would overwhelm the vast majority of drivers on the planet. Top speed: a theoretical 400 km/h.
The New Prototype: One Seat, No Mercy
The latest prototype spotted on circuit takes the AMR Pro’s philosophy and amplifies it further. The car features a widened front splitter, an enlarged rear wing, and aerodynamic elements pushed to their logical extreme. Most striking of all is the full single-seat configuration, complete with a Halo cockpit protection system and a prominent engine air intake positioned directly above the driver’s helmet — unmistakably reminiscent of an open-wheel racing car.
The suspension setup drives the point home: fully exposed F1-style pushrod and pullrod geometry with inboard dampers is visible at all four corners. A heat-wrap film with a shark fin spine runs the length of the car and feeds into a colossal rear spoiler, while F1-style underbody panels and dive planes complete the aerodynamic package.
The fingerprints of Adrian Newey — the legendary Formula 1 designer who contributed to the original Valkyrie before formally joining Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin operation — are all over this car’s DNA. Surpassing the AMR Pro’s performance ceiling is no small ambition, but this prototype suggests the engineering team is deadly serious about doing exactly that. And it will do it all to the sound of a thundering, naturally aspirated V12, because some things should never change.
