The idea that this 1,200-horsepower monster would show up to set a lap record on an open track day is bananas.
Aston Martin
The automotive world has been freaking right the hell out about Aston Martin’s technological tour-de-force: the Valkyrie. I mean, there’s every reason to. It’s got a naturally aspirated V12 that revs to more than 11,000 rpm and, combined with its hybrid system, makes nearly 1,200 horsepower.
Since the technical details started trickling out about this world-beating technological terror, people have been clamoring for it to make an attempt at the Nurburgring production car lap record. The current lap record of 6:44.97 is held by the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ and was set over a year ago.
Well, friends, it’s time to get excited because Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer on Thursday told Australian publication Motoring that a renegade ‘Ring record was in the car’s future. He also stressed that while a record attempt would be made, the car was by no means designed for that purpose.
Yeah, OK, Andy. We totally believe that you and Adrian Newey didn’t sit down over a few beers and giggle about how this impossibly exotic, expensive and fast Aston wouldn’t be made to smash lap records at racetracks. That’s like soooo totally plausible.
In any case, Aston Martin’s record attempt won’t be anything like most of the efforts made by other companies if Palmer has his way.
“We already know it will be [expletive] quick there,” Palmer said in an interview at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans. “I’m thinking maybe we’ll do something cool – like turning up to an open session, something crazy like that.”
So, yeah, it’ll show up at a random Touristenfahrten day and some guy driving a rented Renault Clio will soil himself as the Valkyrie blasts past at 10 times the speed of sound, bouncing off the rev limiter as it tries to beat not only the Lamborghini‘s record but the overall lap record set by Porsche’s 919 Evo.
We’re obviously 100% in favor of this.
Watch this:
Driving the Aston Martin Valkyrie on the Red Bull F1…
12:41