Aston Martin Valkyrie gains open-air Spider variant

Fresh off the back of the Aston Martin Valkyrie's first public appearance at last month's Goodwood Festival of Speed, the British marque has revealed the hypercar's got a twin – the Valkyrie Spider, its fastest convertible yet.

Retaining the original car's exterior design and its 850kW hybrid V12 engine, where the Valkyrie Spider differs is that it features two removable roof panels to provide a top-off experience like no other, bolstered by revisions to its carbon fibre platform.

Additionally, the valkyrie's gull-wing doors have been replaced by equally unconventional scissor doors.

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Even sans roof, the Valkyrie Spider can produce in excess of 1400kg of downforce at 240km/h in track mode before hitting its top speed of 330km/h – boosted to over 350km/h with the roof on – all thanks to recalibrated active aerodynamics.

Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers said the Spider is an extension of the already cutting-edge Valkyrie, providing a unique experience for those lucky enough to get in one.

“The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the product of incredible innovation and technology, but above all it has always been about emotion," said Moers.

"With the Valkyrie Spider we are taking that passion and emotion to the next level. The driving experience promises to be truly sensational.

"The sound of that 6.5-litre V12 engine revving to over 11,000rpm with the roof removed is something I cannot wait to hear.”

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Red Bull Racing's chief technical officer, ten-time Formula One championship, winning designer and head of the Valkyrie project, Adrian Newey, said the Spider still retains the strengths of the hard-top with no compromises.

"Right from the very beginning of the Aston Martin Valkyrie project we were driven by exacting targets which went way beyond any previous road car, and the Valkyrie Spider brings that same ethos to the open cockpit hypercar category," said Newey.

"What you see is a simple removable roof panel, but the challenge of remaining true to the Valkyrie concept was anything but.

"Maintaining aerodynamic performance with the roof removed was of paramount importance, likewise keeping any unavoidable weight gains to an absolute minimum whilst maximising enjoyment for the driver."

Debuting at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Valkyrie Spider will be limited to 85 units with deliveries beginning in the second half of next year.

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