2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider revealed: F1-inspired hypercar loses its roof
Aston Martin and Red Bull Formula One’s ultra-fast hypercar can now be had without a roof – and it's nearly as quick as its hardtop sibling.
The 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider has been unveiled, as the open-roof version of the brand’s Formula One-inspired hybrid hypercar.
Revealed by Aston Martin at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in California, the Valkyrie Spider trades the coupe’s fixed roof for a removable carbon-fibre panel (latched onto the windscreen surround and rear bodywork) and two hinged polycarbonate side windows.
The 'standard' Valkyrie's 'gullwing' doors are also swapped out for front-hinged ‘dihedral’ doors, akin to those fitted to modern McLaren models.
Despite its more complex roof design, the Spider doesn’t compromise on performance, sharing the coupe’s ultra-fast powertrain combining a 6.5-litre Cosworth-designed, naturally-aspirated V12 with a single electric motor to develop a combined 850kW (interestingly, 15kW less than the last output confirmed for the coupe).
Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed ‘automated manual’ transmission. A “marginal” weight increase for the Spider over the coupe translates to a top speed of over 330km/h with the roof removed, or 350km/h with it installed.
A 0-100km/h time isn’t claimed for the drop-top, though expect a time similar to the fixed-roof model, at around 2.5 seconds.
The Valkyrie’s structure has been revised for the Spider model, joining recalibrated active chassis and aerodynamic systems to produce more than 1400kg of downforce at 240km/h in track configuration.
Inside, the Valkyrie Spider retains its fixed-roof sibling’s F1-inspired driving position, plus six-point racing harnesses for passengers, front and rear parking sensors, and a central rear-view camera system in place of a traditional rear-view mirror.
Just 85 examples of the 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider will be built, joining the 150 coupes and 25 AMR Pro track specials slated for production.
First deliveries of the open-air model will commence in the second half of 2022, with both left- and right-hand-drive examples to be built – though it’s believed other factors related to Australian Design Rules compliance will rule out all road-going Valkyries for Australian sale.
Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect a figure in the region of AU$4.5 million.