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Aston Martin’s Valkyrie looks ready to melt ice in new photos

Aston Martin took to Instagram to release a trio of official images of its forthcoming Valkyrie hypercar bathed in a graduated, nose-to-tail ice blue color scheme befitting its mythological Nordic name and making it look sleek, fast and aggressive. Built from a partnership with Red Bull Racing, the Formula 1-inspired but road-legal car appears to have been further refined since we last saw comprehensive images of a prototype last year. CEO Andy Palmer last month tweeted a 20-second teaser clip to show off the high-revving, F1-like sound of its 6.5-liter V12 engine, which is loosely based on Cosworth's 2.4-liter V8 but rumored to hover above 1,000 horsepower, plus more from a kinetic energy recovery system working the front axle, making it likely the fastest street-legal production car. Taking inspiration from today's #F1 race cars, Aston Martin Valkyrie features a reclined 'feet up' position, ensuring the driver feels at one with the car for the ultimate drive experience #BeautifulToDrive #AstonMartin #AstonMartinValkyrie A post shared by Aston Martin (@astonmartinlagonda) on Nov 1, 2018 at 11:30am PDT The F1 influence is clear from the shot of the cabin, which is swathed in carbon fiber and where the seats are positioned in a reclined "feet up" position. It also features six-point harnesses for driver and passenger, and a steering wheel that will display all information for the driver. There are also two screens visible — one centered on the console, the other positioned near the door jamb, which is likely a camera-monitor replacement for side mirrors, meaning there's almost certainly a third screen on the driver's side that isn't visible in the photo. Motor 1 reports that the Valkyrie is in the final stages of simulation, with an actual car set to begin testing late this year or early in 2019, though the final version will likely weigh a bit more than its targeted 2,204 pounds. All 150 models have been sold out and are scheduled for delivery in 2019. A track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro said to make 1,100 hp and do a top speed of 225 mph is also planned for 2020. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin Valkyrie Image Credit: Aston Martin Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance supercar Red Bull Racing hypercar Aston Martin Valkyrie aston martin valkyrie amr pro

Here's what else you could buy for the average new-car price of $40,573

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The average price of a new car in America hit a new record in December 2020: $40,573. Not that we're surprised — the average has been over $35,000 for the past few years — but seeing that baseline figure crest 40 large is still a sticker-shock to the system. So, as we do every once in a while, we put our collective heads together and came up with a list of alternatives that you could choose to buy for that sum, new or old, classic or practical. Now, let's be crystal clear about one thing here. We're not actually recommending you make this type of decision. That said, we wouldn't blame you if you did. Managing Editor Greg Rasa: $40,000 will buy a fully loaded Camry or moderately equipped crossover. Or, for $39,997, to be exact, one could go motoring in a fine British automobile. This 2006 Aston Martin DB9 Volante in Alabama has 21,452 miles on it, and depreciation has worked its cruel magic: It is listed for less than one-quarter of its $168,000 starting MSRP when it was new. A check of other used DB9s nationwide indicates this is a fair price. This Aston's CarFax reveals two owners. (One, really, as the second was a dealership. Looks like it got traded in for a Porsche.) If you're understandably concerned about reliability, its service history indicates no surprises to date. Remember, it has a 450-horsepower 5.9-liter V12. And spring is coming. Of course a used Aston Martin is riskier than a new Camry. But as Louis Prima sang, "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think." What price beauty? Less than $40 grand. Associate Editor Byron Hurd: This price point opens up a ton of options in the "nearly new" luxury space, including a few good enthusiast picks, but my nod here goes to the Cadillac ATS-V. The discontinued, M3/M4-rivaling, 465-horsepower sport sedan and coupe can be had all day long in this price range with low miles. In fact, the real challenge is finding one in the spec you want, since it's one of those old-fashioned cars that actually presented the buyer with choices. Here's a clean, six-speed sedan in an actual color for less than our target price, for example. Coupes are more plentiful than sedans, especially in interesting colors, but there are plenty of them out there.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie and its V12 sound insane

Formula 1 is where the mind goes when we listen to this teaser engine clip of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. And we're not talking about the lame-sounding turbo cars they're racing now. No, this sound brings to mind the stupid-high-revving machines of the 2000s. It makes sense too, because we've been told that the 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine is loosely based on Cosworth's 2.4-liter V8 it made for Formula 1. Rumors place the Valkyrie engine somewhere around 1,000 horsepower with a kinetic energy recovery system providing even more thrust. We've seen a number of reports putting the final combined figure around 1,130 hp, but the actual number will remain a mystery for the time being. The sound of "THE" GREAT British car company! Thank you @Cosworth @redbullracing #AstonMartinValkyrie #NaturallyAspirated#V12 pic.twitter.com/HmEICj29uH — Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) October 3, 2018 This video with the Valkyrie's soundtrack layered behind it comes courtesy of Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. Dramatic renderings of the Valkyrie cycle through in the background, but the noise is what we're paying attention to here. The engine's redline is reportedly 11,000 rpm and we don't doubt it after listening to the soundtrack more than a few times. No other production car revs that high — even LaFerrari tops out at 9,250 rpm. The team definitely has the engine working, and production is slated to kick off sometime in 2019. We'll be waiting impatiently until then to hear that insane V12 in person. Related Video: Aston Martin Coupe Performance Supercars hypercar Aston Martin Valkyrie