Initial plans .
Aston Martin was one of the first manufacturers to commit to the
Le Mans Hypercar class in 2019, with plans to start competition with at least two factory cars in the
2021 FIA World Endurance Championship. The car was planned to compete without a hybrid system, despite the road car containing one. Alongside the factory entries, which were to be fielded by
Multimatic Motorsports,
R-Motorsport were set to run two customer cars. In February 2020, Aston Martin announced that they would be cancelling the project, citing the
Automobile Club de l'Ouest's decision to allow
LMDh sports cars to participate in the Hypercar class. According to
Aston Martin executive David King, the development of the project had nearly progressed towards the construction of a fully operational model at the time, with testing set for spring that same year.
2023 revival The project was revived in October 2023. Aston Martin planned to enter at least one car in both the
FIA World Endurance Championship and the
IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2025, run by factory team
The Heart of Racing. The original plan to compete without a hybrid system was carried over to the new car. It uses the same 6.5-litre
Cosworth RA V12 used by all versions of the
Valkyrie sports car, but is extensively modified to run leaner in order to meet the Le Mans Hypercar class performance window and to stay reliable throughout all stages of an endurance race. The gearbox is a 7-speed
sequential manual developed by
Xtrac. Despite not using a hybrid, the car is able to launch from a standstill without requiring engine power, using a combined
starter and
alternator motor system that Aston Martin calls a 'starternator'. The car, officially named the Valkyrie AMR-LMH, The team also participated in sanctioned tests with the car later that year, testing at
Bahrain International Circuit and
Daytona respectively. In November 2024, Aston Martin announced that the car would make its global racing debut at the
2025 Qatar 1812 km, opting to skip the
2025 24 Hours of Daytona to perform further testing and development.
Valkyrie LM In celebration of their return to top class endurance racing at the
24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin introduced an unrestricted track-only version of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH in June 2025 called the Valkyrie LM. The car is nearly identical to its racing counterpart, with only certain racing equipment removed such as ballast and the mandated electronics required for competition in both the
FIA World Endurance Championship and the
IMSA SportsCar Championship. The Cosworth V12 powertrain was carried over from the race car, reconfigured in order to use standard fuels. Production is limited to 10 examples. Through Aston Martin's 'Unleashed' program, owners of the Valkyrie LM are able to drive the car on different racing circuits worldwide with comprehensive support from Aston Martin engineers. == Competition history ==