If you've ever wondered what it would be like to own your own Le Mans race car - without the hassle of FIA red tape - then the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM is just that. Limited to just ten examples, brutal enough to make you dizzy, and with enough prestige to get you invited to dinner at Gaydon. It's a car that doesn't need a number plate - because the road isn't enough.
Under the hood Aston Martin Valkyrie LM the same monster lurks in Aston Martin's new race car Le Mans 2025 – Cosworth’s 6.5-litre V12 without a turbo. It’s a mechanical masterpiece that only a few manufacturers still know. The engine is naturally aspirated and re-engineered for long-term durability and optimised for lean-burn technology. Final output? 520 kilowatts, or 697 horsepower (520 kW / 697 hp) to be exact. Yes, that’s the same power as allowed by the World Endurance Championship rules.
As befits a serious racing car, the drive is routed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed sequential Xtrac transmission. Of course, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, no automatic, no comfort – just you and the racing pace. And once you step on the gas, you'll be grateful that it only weighs around 1,030 kilograms. The weight-to-power ratio is so raw that you feel it in your teeth.
A cabin where there is no room for compromise
Aston Martin The Valkyrie LM is not road legal – and rightly so. The interior is all racing: carbon fiber racing seat, six-point seat belt, FIA standard and mandatory fire extinguishing system. The steering wheel is not just a steering wheel, but also a dashboard, a data display and a space for shift lights – everything you need when your heart is beating at 150 beats per minute in the pits.
There is no comfort, except for the extraordinary feeling of driving something that is literally a cousin of a Le Mans car. The chassis has also been adapted with a larger fuel tank and the removal of unnecessary FIA electronics - which in practice means less hassle and more enjoyment.
From exclusive to elite: the Valkyrie LM Performance Club program
But Aston Martin didn't just create a car with the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM - it created a whole world around it. If you're one of the ten chosen ones, you get access to a special program: simulators, driving on the most elite race tracks, professional trainers, taking care of logistics, storing the vehicle and even organizing transportation - fly in, drive hard, fly out.
Aston Martin will teach you how to get the most out of this car, without having to worry about the little things like where to leave the car, who's driving it home, and whether you've filled it with the right amount of gas. All of this is included in a package that will set you back around $5 million - and no, the price doesn't include popcorn in the stands.
The genetic record of Le Mans
Make no mistake – the Aston Martin Valkyrie LM is not just a fashion statement. Its sibling, the Valkyrie AMR-LMH, already competes in the WEC and has already tasted victory in Qatar. It is powered by an identical engine, supported by an identical chassis architecture. The only difference is that the LM version lacks the hybrid systems and electronic restraints that are mandatory in real racing.
And that's the magic: the Valkyrie LM is more like a race car than race cars themselves. Raw, mechanical, direct. And yet it remains as elegant as an Aston can be – at least until you turn the key.
Conclusion: madness with the smell of gasoline
The Aston Martin Valkyrie LM is arguably the purest form of driving madness you can afford today – if you’re among the rare ten who get the keys. This isn’t a supercar you take to dinner – this is a hyper-savage you take to the edge of its capabilities, where the difference between a driving master and a wealthy collector quickly becomes very apparent.
But for those with enough money, willpower and petrol in their blood – this is not an expense, but an investment in an experience that no one else offers. No road comfort, no luggage rack, no coffee holder – just you, 697 horses and the sound of a V12 engine that sounds like God himself is rehearsing an opera.
The Valkyrie LM is not a car, it's a manifestation of power, exclusivity and pure driving experience. If that's not enough, then you're in the wrong sport.
