Aston Martin’s Valen Is Its Most Powerful Front-Engined Car Yet

Aston Martin has unveiled the Valen, an 850PS V12 special limited to 150 cars worldwide and described by the company as the most powerful front-engined production car ever created by a manufacturer.

Developed through Q by Aston Martin, Valen uses the brand’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 to produce 850PS and 1,000Nm. It is claimed to reach 60mph in three seconds and continue to a top speed of 214mph, or about 344km/h.

The numbers are only part of the proposition. Aston Martin has removed up to 110 kilograms compared with its existing core V12 platform, using a full carbon-fibre body and motorsport-influenced lightweight components. A specially tuned titanium exhaust reduces mass while giving the engine a more pronounced sound character.

The exterior is not a simple variation of a series-production body. Bespoke lighting, carbon surfacing and a new interior architecture help Valen read as a distinct model, even though its front-engine, rear-drive proportions remain recognisably Aston Martin.

Chassis and powertrain calibration have been developed specifically for the car. That matters because the enduring appeal of a front-engined flagship lies in its relationship between long-distance usability and rear-driven balance, not in chasing mid-engined lap times alone.

Valen arrives as many performance manufacturers shift towards hybrid assistance. Aston Martin has instead used a highly tuned combustion engine, aggressive weight control and low production volume to create an analogue counterpoint at the top of its range.

That does not make it technologically simple. Carbon construction, active systems and the complexity of extracting 850PS from a road-legal V12 mean long-term servicing and replacement components will be as relevant to collectors as rarity.

Only 150 cars will be built. Australian allocation, pricing and delivery timing have not been confirmed publicly. Prospective buyers should also confirm whether the quoted 110-kilogram saving depends on optional equipment rather than standard specification.

In a market crowded with four-figure power outputs, Valen’s point of difference is architectural: a vast bonnet, compact cabin and V12 driving the rear wheels. It turns Aston Martin’s traditional grand-tourer silhouette into something deliberately sharper and rarer.

Fact box

– Model: Aston Martin Valen
– Production: 150 cars worldwide
– Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
– Output: 850PS and 1,000Nm
– Performance: Claimed 0–60mph in 3.0 seconds; 214mph top speed
– Body: Full carbon fibre
– Weight saving: Up to 110kg versus the referenced core V12 platform

Porsche has revealed a one-off 911 GT2 RS that brings the extraordinary silhouette of its 935/78 “Moby Dick” racing car onto the road.

Created by Porsche Sonderwunsch with Manthey, the commission began with a near-new GT2 RS. The owner requested greater performance, a Slantnose profile and a rear wing influenced by the limited 911 GT3 R Rennsport.

The most transformative work occurs at the front. Flatter guards and a newly developed headlight arrangement remove the familiar upright 911 face, producing the low Flatnose profile associated with Porsche’s most extreme late-1970s competition machinery and later 1980s road cars.

Grand Prix White paint provides the base for a contrasting U-shaped bonnet graphic referencing the 935/78. That car earned the “Moby Dick” nickname through its vast white bodywork and elongated aerodynamic form, becoming one of the most recognisable racing Porsches ever produced.

At the rear, a new wing uses S-shaped mounts and is intended to increase downforce. The intervention is more than a styling exercise: Manthey’s participation brings the track-development expertise required when bodywork and aero surfaces are changed on a car with GT2 RS performance.

What makes the project significant is its road legality. Recent Porsche special projects have demonstrated growing demand for factory-sanctioned cars that sit between restoration, motorsport homage and contemporary commissioning. Sonderwunsch allows a collector to pursue an individual idea while keeping the work within the manufacturer’s technical and historical ecosystem.

Porsche has not disclosed the commission price or full performance data. With only one example, conventional availability is irrelevant. Its wider influence lies in showing how far Porsche will take personalisation when a client’s brief, budget and the underlying vehicle align.

For collectors, the resulting car is not a replica of Moby Dick. It is a modern GT2 RS that uses one of Porsche’s most dramatic racing silhouettes to create a new object — and one that can legally leave the collection for the road.