Aston Martin Valkyrie to make even more noise in racing

If you enjoyed the melody of the naturally aspirated V12 engine of theAston Martin Valkyrie LMH during its test sessions, particularly at Daytona, you can rejoice: the roar of the English beast will be even greater in competition.

« At first we opted for a silent safety position, explained Adam Carter, program manager Endurance at Aston Martin, during a virtual round table organized by the British manufacturer earlier this week. The worst case scenario would be to be stopped during testing due to exceeding noise limits. That’s why, during the development period of the car focused entirely on performance aids, we reduced the size of the silencer. This reduces weight, inertia load on the exhaust, underbody blocking and helps with cooling. We’ve gradually released more of that magnificent soundtrack. I’m really looking forward to hearing it on the track in Qatar. »

Adam Carter has confirmed that the engine that will be used in competition from the 1812km Qatar on Friday 28th February is the same as the road version of the Valkyrie, although it has had to be reconfigured and recalibrated. This car is an iteration of the Valkyrie, which has this 12-litre V6,5 engine at its heart. The synergy with the road version is an integral part of our strategy. The regulations are based on precise torque control on the driveshaft. With a hybrid system at the front, the other LMH cars can run with four-wheel drive. The engine has the same crankshaft, the same block, the same cylinder heads as the road version. The main thing we have changed is the valve train. It is important to run lean to reduce the amount of fuel you carry because the energy per relay is limited. »

The Gaydon firm also had to make changes to its prototype in order to meet the performance criteria of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). We had to redefine the aerodynamics of the car, Carter explains. To get into the performance window, a lot of the changes are in the floor pan. The concept is largely the same, but the way we load and stress it is different from the production car. There was some work done on the louvers and the rear wing fins, but it was important to keep as much of the Valkyrie identity as possible. »To meet FIA safety standards, other areas have also been reviewed, particularly in the cockpit.

The design of the production version of the car played into the decision not to incorporate a hybrid. Gaydon's LMH will be the only car in the 2025 Hypercar class not to be powered by a part-electric system. The front of the car would have had to be modified, with extra weight, not to mention all the cooling systems. We would have had to design a completely different car and lose the link with the road Valkyrie.e. »

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