Aston Martin May Straight Pipe Its V-12 Valkyrie GTP

Aston Martin is finally ready to race an LMH-spec variant of the production Valkyrie hypercar, fulfilling a goal the brand first set back in 2019. Among the car's most notable features is a naturally-aspirated V-12 engine from Cosworth, which is restricted down to bring the car in line with regulation-correct horsepower output numbers for the LMH and LMDh categories. The 12-cylinder still sounds great, but it could stand to be more visceral. Aston Martin may have a classic solution: Straight pipes.

According to a report from RACER's Marshall Pruett, leadership from Aston Martin team partner The Heart of Racing first discussed the possibility with IMSA at an annual pre-season Daytona test in November. The car is currently restricted by a new-for-2025 European-spec muffler, which is not mandatory in IMSA's regulations. Straight piping the car would bypass the muffling and open up the distinct noise of the car's howling V-12.

Whether or not Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing go through with racing an unmuffled Valkyrie, Pruett's report adds that observations from a more recent test suggest that the team has gone through with the modification. Team boss Ian James stops short of confirming that the Valkyrie will race with direct sound, but he tells Pruett that "Fans will be pleased" with the group's decision.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie will not be ready to race at Daytona, so it makes its IMSA debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. Hopefully, a straight-piped V-12 will howl across the concrete in that race.

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