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You could own* this Le Mans-spec Aston Martin Valkyrie LM

You could own* this Le Mans-spec Aston Martin Valkyrie LM

Top Gear09-06-2025

Motorsport
*Euromillions win likely required. How better to spend it than on a Le Mans special? Skip 13 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Anyone else spotting a trend? First we had the track-only Ferrari 499P Modificata, then the road-going Glickenhaus 007s, and just last week the (sort of) road-going Porsche 963. And now this : the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM. No prizes for guessing what the initials stand for.
Launched to celebrate Aston's tilt at Le Mans glory this weekend – its first since the DBR1 conquered La Sarthe in 1959 – the Hypercar-derivative bandwagon has come full circle, because the LM is a track-only plaything. Only 10 will be built.
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Like the AMR Pro, the LM goes without the, er, standard Valkryie's hybrid system and makes do with that piffling 6.5-litre Cosworth V12. Except the aim is to make it 'fully accessible to amateur drivers', so Aston's stuck with the regulation 697bhp and not the full 1,001bhp we know that engine's capable of. Yep, it's a My First Valkyrie…
In fact, the goal is to change as little as possible from the homologated Hypercar without giving you a back door into the Le Mans 24hr itself. So ballast and FIA-mandated electronics have been thrown out, and a 'user-friendly' open-loop torque control system replaces the competition-style closed-loop sensors. You might like
Meanwhile the V12 has been recalibrated for fuel you can actually get hold of, and… erm, that's about it. Like the racecar you still get a seven-speed sequential transmission with semi-automatic paddleshift, and the suspension remains insanely complex: double wishbones front and back, plus pushrod actuated torsion bars with adjustable side and central dampers.
Aston says the setup has been optimised for track day driving, and it's fitted bespoke performance boots from F1 shoemaker Pirelli.
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Ah, the cockpit's been tweaked actually; for better safety, access and visibility, says Aston, and all customers get their own custom carbonfibre race seat featuring an FIA-grade six-point harness. Just as well you won't be dealing with toll booths in this.
The steering wheel integrates shift lights and a driver's display. Doubt it'll run Apple CarPlay, that.
Those 10 lucky owners have the option of taking full possession of the LM themselves, or you can let Aston look after the car and enrol in a tailored development programme complete with driver coaching, simulator sessions and classroom prep to get the most out of your (likely very expensive) machine.
Aston will even supply you with a helmet, HANS device, overalls, gloves and racing boots, moulded earpieces (because V12) and… fireproof undies.
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'In all its forms, there is nothing on Earth that compares to Valkyrie,' says Aston CEO Adrian Hallmark. 'The Le Mans contender is unique amongst its peers, not least the breathtaking 6.5-litre V12 engine that provides the beating heart for the only competitive hypercar bred from a road car.
'Valkyrie LM is an exquisite opportunity to be part of the most exclusive Aston Martin owners club in the world; a group who can immerse themselves in the purest and most comparable endurance driving experience, one that would otherwise only be available to our works drivers operating at the very limit of sportscar racing's highest echelon.
The LM will be ready to play with in the second quarter of 2026. Who knows, if Lance Stroll's wrists are still playing up and Aston's reserve drivers are pulled away from Le Mans at the last minute, you might just earn yourself a call-up…

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