The Newey engineering wonder that may never race

Adrian Newey describes the Aston Martin Valkyrie as "an innovative piece of engineering art". That statement says so much about his whole approach to automotive design, whether he's sitting at his famously old-school drawing board sketching out Red Bull's latest Formula 1 car, or something like this: an astonishing piece of design and engineering created with a suitably route-one aim of being the fastest road car ever made.

It's no secret the Valkyrie was born from Christian Horner's desperation to hang on to the employment of his friend, who was being courted heavily by Ferrari at the start of the hybrid era before the Valkyrie project was conceived.

Red Bull's technical director has been at the team since 2006, by far his longest stint in one place - and naturally, being the creative man he is, Newey was getting itchy feet. Horner knew he needed something extra, to keep the architect of Red Bull's F1 success away from Maranello.

It was over a pub lunch with, among others, Aston Martin's own creative guru Marek Reichman that a plan was hatched: to take everything Newey had learned from F1 and put it into something that could run legally on the road.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies spun out of that pub conversation along with an Aston Martin partnership, to provide the road car production know-how that would be vital for such a project to jump from Newey's drawing board and into reality. Code-named AM-RB 001, the project was announced to the world at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix.

The problem with road cars is Newey's tendency towards 'no compromise'. That isn't always practical to meet stringent real-world safety and emissions regulations, and it has been said Newey's interest has inevitably drifted in the time it has taken to bring the car to fruition. Still, from the concept stage, he gave it his best shot to create something pure in form.

Key partners were signed to contribute specialist know-how, just as they would in a racing team. Cosworth built and developed the 6.5-litre V12 engine. Originally, it was planned to be six litres - but that left the engine short of the cool 1000bhp target (numbers matter in this game), so up went the capacity to hit that mark.

This being a Newey creation, aerodynamics are as vital as power - and even here the normally aspirated configuration played its part

Combined with an F1-style kinetic energy recovery power boost system developed by electric supercar specialist Rimac, the Valkyrie actually boasts a peak output of 1160bhp at 10,500rpm and an equally monumental 664lb ft of torque at 6000rpm - the most potent powertrain ever committed to the public road.

A V12? Not very F1 in this small-capacity turbo era, but then Newey never was a fan of that.

As Cosworth managing director Bruce Wood explained: "When the sole objective is the driving experience you can't beat a naturally aspirated V12." Even modern turbos have a small modicum of lag - and they can never sound as wondrous as a 12-cylinder at full bark - so Newey went large. No compromise.

The chassis is all carbonfibre and is very much the Red Bull Advanced Technologies part of the car - and directly related to F1 design and manufacturer. The engine is bolted direct to the tub as a stressed member, with the rear suspension hung off the seven-speed Ricardo automated manual gearbox, a layout that has been central to the ethos of F1 since Colin Chapman came up with the Cosworth DFV-powered Lotus 49 in 1967. Newey has recalled how the 49 inspired him as a boy - and he even owns one today.

This being a Newey creation, aerodynamics are as vital as power - and even here the normally aspirated configuration played its part. Turbos would have required intercoolers and when you look at the car's otherworldly shrink-wrapped lines, you wonder where they might have been placed. Again, no compromise - and it has resulted in an incredible 1816kg (4000lbs) of downforce at top speed.

Bosch has provided the engine control unit, complete with traction control and electronic stability control (no F1 limits in this regard, of course), while Alcon and Surface Transforms supply the callipers and carbon-ceramic brakes. Tyres come not from Pirelli, but Michelin. The French company's highly regarded performance Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber is sized at 20in on the front, 21in on the rear.

Not enough for you? There's also an AMR track performance pack owners can add that includes an aerodynamic 'clam' for the nose and other exterior body-parts for extra circuit speed, all of which can be removed to convert the car back to 'standard' road spec at the end of a busy track day. But then there's the Valkyrie AMR Pro, too - a full track version, of which only 25 will be built.

Just 150 of the 'standard' Valkyrie (quote marks are surely always required in this context) will be sold - for around £2.4 million. Yes, each. And those with their name against one includes a certain David Marshall Coulthard, once of Red Bull's F1 team. Yes, we know, he's a Scot... Why, DC?

"I've got an order on a Valkyrie because it will be something special," says the 13-time grand prix winner. "Am I ever going to exploit that 'specialness' on the road? Of course not. But the reason I can afford one is that I drove most of my career in Adrian Newey cars! So the least I can do is have one."

Coulthard's dozen years in F1 surely means he had his fill of ultimate automotive performance. But his interest in hypercars goes beyond sheer speed.

"I also have an order on a Project One because I'm a Mercedes ambassador, too," he reveals, referring to the AMG-developed hypercar that is similarly inspired by F1 - now officially known just as One.

"Again it'll be something unique, with an F1 engine. We are in an ever-changing world, so by the time it's ready you might have to donate a testicle to charity to drive it or simply be banned from driving it anywhere other than Mars. Who knows?

"Max and Alex were really positive about the direction that we're currently taking and could see the ingredients for an exceptionally high-performing car are already there" Chris Goodwin

"But I've placed orders because I believe in the projects. I'm curious. I want to see what the journey is like to buy such cars, to see if it's as exciting and emotionally engaging as it is for other people."

Coulthard won't have long to wait, at least for the Valkyrie, since deliveries of the Norse god of hypercars are due to begin later this year. Sadly, racing plans for a Le Mans version have now been frozen, following a recent moving of the goal posts in endurance racing rules. But the road car that was intended to "lap Silverstone as fast as an F1 car", according to Aston CEO Andy Palmer, has at least been lapping the home of the British GP recently in the hands of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon.

The pair offered some assistance to chief test driver Chris Goodwin, who said: "Both Max and Alex were really positive about the direction that we're currently taking and could see the ingredients for an exceptionally high-performing car are already there, ready to be unleashed."

Lap times have not been made public, and somehow we suspect F1-matching abilities are a bit of an exaggeration. But Palmer's video taken from his phone and released on social media at least prove the V12 hits its intended aural marks.

As Coulthard says, the world is changing fast - but at least for now, thank goodness, there's still a place for an engineering wonder like the Aston Martin Valkyrie.