Aston Martin will build a road-legal sports car at the request of its Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, the manufacturer announced.
Alonso, a two-time world champion, helped oversee the design of the Valiant, his own edition of the Aston Martin Valor, launched last year.
Alonso signed a new deal with the Aston Martin F1 team until 2026 on April 11 and described the new contract as part of a “lifetime project” with the company.
Aston will produce 38 Valiants, which will be front-engined and supplied with a 5. 2-litre twin-turbo V12 powertrain with 745bhp.
“I value an impressive Aston Martin 110th anniversary birthday party and it encouraged me to create a more extreme, racecar-driven, track-focused version, while still delivering a thrilling ride on the road,” Alonso said in a statement.
“Valiant was born out of my love of driving on the limit and I really enjoyed working with the Q team up to Aston Martin on both the design and technical specifications and I think we have created a masterpiece. “
Aston Martin’s Q department allows potential owners to personalize their car.
Aston Martin has worked with F1 names before. Together with Red Bull and design legend Adrian Newey, the company has designed the Valykrie hypercar, which it will use to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2025.
Newey recently joined Aston Martin’s F1 project and it is believed that the freedom to paint on the manufacturer’s sports cars was an important component of the offer he made.