The Stig went behind the wheel of a $3.5-million Aston Martin Valkyrie, and set a blistering lap time of 1 minute and 9.6 seconds around the famous Top Gear circuit at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, UK. Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 engine producing over 1,000 horsepower, combined with a hybrid system that boosts the total output to 1,139 bhp.
The Top Gear test track, a 1.75-mile circuit designed by Lotus Cars, isn’t particularly suited to the Valkyrie’s strengths, with only a couple of high-speed corners where its advanced aerodynamics—crafted with input from Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey—can fully shine.
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Despite this, the car’s rear-wheel-drive setup and road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires didn’t hold it back from setting a time that’s remarkably close to pure race cars. For context, the outright lap record at Dunsfold is held by a Renault R24 Formula 1 car at 59 seconds, but that’s a non-road-legal machine on slicks.
Even with its hybrid system, the Valkyrie weighs just 2,270 lbs in its lightest configuration. That’s lighter than a Mazda Miata, but with about 10 times the power. The carbon fiber tub and obsessive weight-saving—like titanium bolts and a windshield wiper that’s basically a fancy twig—make this possible.
