Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing team went into pre-season testing cautiously optimistic. After finding its new Valkyrie Hypercar racer was several seconds off the pace, it is decided that the car won’t make its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January while the team looks for a solution. Part of that solution might be found in completely removing the Valkyrie’s exhaust mufflers and giving the Cosworth-built V12 a real roar. The car is currently slated to bow in racing trim at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, and it could do so with a hair-raising shriek.
According to reports from Racer an IMSA official encouraged Heart of Racing team boss Ian James to unmuffle the UFO-shaped hypercar in a post-testing tête-à-tête. The car’s Euro-spec mufflers are mandatory for running in the FIA WEC, and while it is currently homologated for IMSA with the mufflers, James could lobby the series to allow an unmuffled Valkyrie to compete. It probably wouldn’t take much cajoling. Don’t threaten IMSA with a good time.
The car was run in unmuffled configuration in a recent Sebring test session, and boy howdy does it sound seriously good. By comparison to the car’s run at Daytona with the mufflers installed, the unmuffled test car sounds like a real deal race car instead of a rich guy’s road car that happens to be sort of fast on track. If Aston wants fans to really resonate with this car, it’s going to have to out-loud the Cadillacs, and really resonate.
So it seems Aston and Heart of Racing are taking the suggestion seriously. James didn’t commit one way or another when asked by Racer if the car would have mufflers, but he did say “I think our fans will be pleased.” That seems like tacit admission that the car will deliver its deafening wail at the central Florida track come March.
Will the naturally-aspirated non-hybrid hypercar Aston be able to beat, or even keep up with, the competition? Time will tell.