Aston Martin Just Introduced the $3.75 mil Valiant. Here’s Everything We Know.

Limited to 38 examples, the marque’s answer to a challenge from F1’s Fernando Alonso pairs a 734 hp V-12 engine with a manual transmission.

By Sean Evans 03/07/2024

Last summer, when Aston Martin unveiled the Valour—a $1 million-plus V-12 model with a manual transmission and limited to 110 examples—Aston’s Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso was intrigued. Yet the former F1 World Champion challenged the British automaker’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, with a commission that called for the Valour’s comely design but would be built as a lighter, more muscular, and more track-focused expression. The result was the extremely lithe and powerful Valiant.

Priced at what Aston Martin cites as “upwards of £2 million (more than $3.75 million AUD), the Valiant is, effectively, what you’d get if Alonso was allowed to design a homologated race car for the road. The Valiant’s output is owed to the same 5.2-litre, twin-turbo V-12 engine given to the Valour, though engineers have recalibrated it to squeeze out an additional 21.6 kW, bringing the total to 547 kW, while both models deliver 6,400 kgm of torque. And the six-speed gearbox employs a manual and mechanical limited-slip differential.

The 734 hp Aston Martin Valiant. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC

We recently got a sneak peek at the full carbon-bodied Valiant at Aston’s New York City showroom, and a number of the design flourishes leap out: those 21-inch forged magnesium wheels with carbon aero discs (inspired by the 1980 RHAM/1 “Muncher” Le Mans car); the Kamm tail, featuring that handsome ducktail sweeping up below the fixed wing; the quad-exit titanium exhaust; and the removal of the sides of the transmission tunnel in order to expose the linkages before rising to a gated shifter.

Only 38 examples of the Valiant will be made, and each has already been spoken for. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC

What’s happening within the chassis is equally artful. Take the mechanical limited-slip diff, selected over an e-diff due to its positive throttle engagement out of corners. “We carefully focused on the ramp angles of the diff to give optimum balance for stability on turn-in and corner exit,” says Simon Newton, Aston Martin’s director of vehicle dynamics. And no, it doesn’t have rev-match; drivers will, according to Newton, get “the full experience of working harder.”

The interior features carbon-fiber trim, a steering wheel developed specifically for the model, and a skeletonized transmission tunnel exposing the linkages for the gated shifter. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC

Then there are the Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers, largely reserved for race cars like the Ford GT. The ASV units afford higher levels of response, simultaneously adjusting each corner unit in less than six milliseconds for optimal performance and handling. Newton cites the integration of the ASV dampers as the largest engineering challenge of the project, adding that now “it’s part of the fabric of the car.”

The real validation, though, will come when Alonso first hops into that custom Recaro seat and hurls the Valiant around an F1 circuit. “Fernando will drive it at Silverstone, and then we’d like to give him other environments, such as Nardò Ring [in Italy] and some tracks in southern Spain,” says Newton, who mentions that Alonso will also have road time in the test mule since “working on the road as well is a key part of the Valiant.” Newton is anticipating feedback around what Alonso loves most about a car, “a good front end with good turn-in response.”

The Recaro Podium seats have been customized to the car. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC

The fact that all 38 examples of the Valiant are already accounted for is no surprise. “A V-12 manual is increasingly rare, but demand is there,” acknowledges Alex Long, the marque’s head of product and marketing strategy. “In pairing [a manual] with our V-12, it brings alive the engine; you feel the torque in a completely different way than when a torque converter smooths it out for you.”

The Valiant, with Fernando Alonso behind the wheel, will be entered in the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed next month. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC

Long admits that developing this new V-12 power plant, which Aston will use through 2030, has been a “massive investment on our part, one we sweated over on whether to double down on,” but believes the team chose wisely, opining that “EV sports-car demand isn’t there.” More V-12 manuals will be emerging from Gaydon, per Long, though they will be in very restricted volumes.

As for the Valiant, the public will get an opportunity to see (and hear) it sprint up the hill at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will be piloted by Alonso, of course. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fall.

Find out more about Aston Martin’s plans for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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Show Stopping Fun

Robb Report Australia and New Zealand teamed up with Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance in late February to celebrate a weekend of fine motor cars on Cockatoo Island.

By Robb Report Team 04/03/2025

Robb Report Australia & New Zealand and Citizen Kanebridge, the new private members’ club brought to you by this masthead’s publishers, offers exclusive access to magical experiences and unrivalled networking.

This year’s Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance on Cockatoo Island did not disappoint. Our invited guests—including speakers Gerard Doyle, General Manager ASX Refinitiv Charity Foundation; Ant Middleton, the British adventure and TV personality turned hydration-drink disruptor and owner R3SUP; and Lex Pedersen, CEO of automotive investment firm Chrome Temple—enjoyed unlimited access to the three-day event and an elegant sufficiently of Champagne, wine and whisky, as well as an exquisite catered lunch inside the Citizen Kanebridge Private Members’ Lounge. They enhanced their experience by VIP transport to and from the mainland via superyacht.

Courtesy of Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance

The British-born event, which also has iterations at Pebble Beach in California and Hampton Court Palace in England, once again teamed up with the world’s most prestigious marques (among them Aston Martin, Bentley, Brabus, Genesis, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Porsche), to display their latest supercars alongside the pageant of owner-driven vintage vehicles.

Courtesy of Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance

On Sunday, Robb Report’s Editor-in-Chief Horacio Silva treated guests to a special preview of the winners of this our annual Car of the Year awards, showcased in our coming March 2025 issue. Our lips are sealed.

Courtesy of Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance

To learn how to become a member of our exclusive new community, visit Citizen Kanebridge.

Thank you to the following sponsors: Whisky and Wealth, Jacob & Co, Wine Selectors, Mulpha, Jackson Teece, Young Henry’s and Resup.

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Patron’s New Ultra-Premium Tequila Is a Reposado Blend That Punches Way Above Its Age

Patron’s latest luxury tequila is a blend of ages.

By Jonah Flicker 13/03/2025

There are certain categories in the tequila world that indicate how long the spirit has been matured, so what happens when you combine a few of them together into one release? Patron is the latest brand to get in on this multiple-maturation blending action with the new high-end El Alto release, a combination of tequilas aged for different lengths of time.

In the whisky world, an age statement represents the minimum age of the liquid that’s in the bottle—in other words, a 10-year-old scotch may have liquid much older than that in the blend, but 10 years represents the minimum age. When it comes to tequila, there are also rules in regards to how it has to be labelled based on maturation, and like whisky that depends on the youngest liquid in the blend. The core of El Alto is an extra anejo tequila (the exact proportion isn’t revealed), meaning it was aged for a minimum of three years. But master distiller David Rodriguez decided to blend some anejo (aged one to three years) and reposado (two months to one year) tequila into the mix as well, making this an expression that is defined as reposado instead of extra anejo even though it has some ultra-aged liquid in the blend.

According to the brand, 11 different types of barrels were used to mature the tequila in El Alto, with the majority being hybrid barrels consisting of American oak bodies and French oak heads—each type of wood is thought to impart different flavours into the spirit. “The tequilas that harmoniously come together in Patron El Alto are a result of selecting the finest 100 percent Weber blue agave in the highest parts of Jalisco, Mexico, a territory known for producing the sweetest agaves,” said Rodriguez in a statement. “We took four years to focus on only the best of the best and perfect the bold, sweet flavors of this expression the right way: naturally.”

This type of multi-aged tequila seems to be part of a growing trend, with a few other brands releasing similar high-end expressions including Cincoro and Volcan de Mi Tierra. Perhaps it’s a way of stretching supplies or a tactic to get consumers to dip their toes (or tongues, preferably) into another luxe tequila, a category that is growing every year.

This month Australians are getting an exclusive taste of the El Alto as this formerly USA-exclusive release is launching here with The Bacardi Group. You can find El Alto in selected hospitality venues and at Barrel & Batch for $298 as these chic spots that represent the “pinnacle of celebrating momentous occasions,” according to the brand.

 

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Neutral, Not Boring: How to Wear This Season’s Most Stylish New Menswear

The soft tones of California’s Joshua Tree provide a perfect backdrop for the season’s refined yet relaxed vibe.

By Naomi Rougeau And Alex Badia 04/03/2025

Amid spring 2025’s myriad trends, there was one connecting element: colour. From Alessandro Sartori’s rusty hues at Zegna to Loro Piana’s subdued neutrals, the palette was more sun-bleached than saturated, and the muted tones of California’s Joshua Tree provide a perfect backdrop for the season’s refined yet relaxed vibe.

Stylists Naomi Rougeau and Alex Badia, teamed up with photographer Brad Torchia to create these casual looks that turn a bold statement into a confident whisper.

Brad Torchia

Berluti leather jacket, $14,067; L.B.M. 1911 merino crewneck, $450; Dolce & Gabbana linen trousers, $1,921; Zenith 37 mm Chronomaster Revival in steel, $13,987.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Umit Benan silk jacket, silk shirt, and linen trousers, all prices upon request; Dolce & Gabbana suede loafers, $1600; Girard-Perregaux 38 mm Laureato Sage Green in steel, $23,954.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Brunello Cucinelli linen shirt, $1500; Loro Piana linen trousers, $908; Zenith 37 mm Chronomaster Revival in steel, $13,987.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Anderson & Sheppard cotton jacket, $4,421; Gabriela Hearst cashmere turtleneck, $1,430; Louis Vuitton cotton jeans, $2n138; Tod’s suede sneakers, $1438.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Canali wool, silk, and linen tweed blazer, $4,011; Thom Sweeney silk shirt, $876; Paul Smith mohair trousers, $908; Church’s patent-leather loafers, $1,768; Parmigiani Fleurier 40 mm Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Golden Siena in steel and platinum, $40,675.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Paul Smith cotton trench, $3528; Ferragamo cashmere sweater, $1,752, and cotton trousers, $4389; Dolce & Gabbana suede loafers, $1599.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Hermès denim shirt, $1,647, and belted cotton chinos, $1,366.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Loro Piana cotton cardigan, $4,381, and linen shirt, $1,768; Todd Snyder linen trousers, $639; Zegna Triple Stitch leather sneakers, $1,768; Morgenthal Frederics sunglasses, $2,564; Berluti silk scarf, $1,221; Parmigiani Fleurier 40 mm Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Golden Siena in steel and platinum, $40,675.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Thom Sweeney cashmere and merino sweater, $956; Brunello Cucinelli linen shorts, $1045; Manolo Blahnik raffia and leather loafers, $1,438.; Leisure Society sunglasses, $1905; Zenith 37 mm Chronomaster Revival in steel, $13,987.

Photo: Brad Torchia

Kiton jean jacket, $6061; Officine Générale cashmere sweater, $932; Brioni wool trousers, $1,768; Ralph Lauren Purple Label leather belt, $562; Morgenthal Frederics sunglasses, $52081; Zenith 37 mm Chronomaster Revival in steel, $13,987

 

 

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This New York Jewellery Gallery Is Offering up a Treasure Trove of Vintage Watches

The Mahnaz Collection’s first formal collection of timepieces will include rare finds with fascinating histories

By Paige Reddinger 04/03/2025

There was a period when Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos found it hard to hold on to a watch. The prominent collector and dealer often would post pictures on social media of the uncommon, sculptural timepieces she purchased for herself. But every time, clients of her eponymous jewellery gallery—New York City’s Mahnaz Collection—would hound her into selling them.

“They found those photographs, and they are just diligent in bothering me,” she says with a laugh, adding that some would simply persist until she changed her mind about letting them go.

In response to that demand, this month her Madison Avenue space will begin offering its first formal collection of unique watches, curated with the same rigor and studious eye Ispahani Bartos has applied to sourcing rare jewellery. (Her specialty is the hard-to-find fare made by artists, designers, goldsmiths, and architects.) One coveted example is a gold-and-diamond pendant watch handmade by the late Italian-born avant-garde designer Andrew Grima, whose work was beloved by the British royal family. This example from his historic collaboration with Omega was made in the 1970s. Lesser known but no less noteworthy is the Spanish designer Augustin Julia-Plana, who created a gold-and-jadeite watch for his brand Schlegel & Plana, also in the ’70s. “He was a great jeweller and watch designer,” says Ispahani Bartos of Julia-Plana, who penned striking and visually creative work for everyone from Chopard to Tiffany. “He specialised in really unusual stones,” she adds, noting that he died far too young at age 41.

An 18-carat gold and jadeite watch designed by Augustin Julia-Plana, circa 1970.
Photographed by Janelle Jones/Styled by Stephanie Yeh

Ispahani Bartos knows something about legacy. Born in Bangladesh—when it was still called East Pakistan—she grew up in a culture steeped in traditions of wearing and appreciating jewellery. She recalls her grandmother giving her earrings made from yellow gold, turquoise, diamonds, and Burmese rubies at age 7. (Too young to wear them, she put them on her dolls’ ears for safekeeping. Both were lost when her family fled the violence of the country’s 1971 revolution; the ship carrying their belongings, she says, was sunk by an enemy carrier.)

When she was a teenager, her mother gifted her one of Omega’s Grima-designed watches, which she still owns. That early introduction to rare design influenced her own collecting journey, which turned into her full-time job when she opened her gallery in 2013.

“I didn’t focus on watches then, but increasingly, where I have an important jewellery collection where the jeweller also made watches, I started to feel like, ‘How can I not have that person’s watches?’ ” she says.
From left: Omega and Andrew Grima Winter Sunset pendant watch in 18-karat yellow gold, smokey quartz, and citrine crystal with Swiss manual-wind movement, circa 1968; Piaget bracelet watch in 18-karat yellow gold and tiger’s eye with Swiss manual-wind movement, circa 1970.
Photographed by Janelle Jones/Styled by Stephanie Yeh

That comprehensive approach befits Ispahani Bartos’s previous career and intellectual curiosity. After earning a Ph.D. in international relations, she served as a foreign- and security-policy expert for an array of global organisations, including the Ford Foundation and the Council on Foreign Relations.

She still employs the deep preparation she once used in the aid of diplomacy, researching every piece that comes into her hands, creating extensive and beautiful catalogs for the collections, and crafting museum-style exhibitions to present them to collectors. And this work, she says, takes ages. She’ll soon debut an Italian collection whose catalog she has been researching and preparing for nearly a decade, and her vault currently houses some Ettore Sottsass–designed watches she has been holding back for the right moment. “We tend to build collections all the time, collections we don’t show for years,” she says. Which means you never know what pieces might be hiding in the Mahnaz Collection—or the yet-to-be-told stories that may accompany them.
At top from far left: Omega De Ville Emerald bracelet watch designed by Andrew Grima in sterling silver with a tropical dial; Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse in 18-karat gold; Jaeger-LeCoultre Mystery watch in 18-carat gold and diamonds; Cazzaniga watch in 18-carat gold, diamonds, and sapphires with movement by Piaget; Gilbert Albert watch in platinum, 18-carat gold, and diamonds with movement by Omega. The pieces, made between the 1950s and ’70s, all have Swiss-made manual-wind movements. 

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Penfolds Saves Best For Last with Show-Stopping Release with Creative Partner NIGO

Penfolds has just dropped their limited-edition 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, a mouthwatering wine you need to nab now.

By Belinda Aucott-christie 28/02/2025

Though Penfolds holds many wonderful wines in its star-studded suite, their latest collaboration with NIGO is earmarked as a sure-fire collector’s item.

Retailing for $395 a bottle, the Penfolds 65F by NIGO is expected to sit snugly alongside the likes of Grange and Bin 389 as a standout single-vintage wine connoisseurs will vie for in years to come.

This prize wine isn’t just delicious and highly collectible, it looks the part. It features branding by artistic director and creative visionary NIGO, the founder of cult streetwear brands A Bathing Ape and Human Made, a pal of Pharrell Williams and current creative director of French fashion house Kenzo. For the box and packaging NIGO was inspired by the towering 65-foot chimney that prevails over Penfolds South Australian home, Magill Estate.

Penfolds archival material served as NIGO’s inspiration for the inclusions within the gift box and on the wine label. A chalkboard wine tag with coinciding chalk pencil pays homage to the chalk boards used in the original working winery at Penfolds Magill Estate and allows the opportunity for personalisation of the wine if used as a gift. The bottle label features a design which takes inspiration from the pressed bottle labels from the 1930-50s, and the tissue paper wrapping the bottle has been adapted from the Penfolds logo style used in the early 20th century. NIGO’s signature playful design style is emphasised with a chimney smoke wine stopper.

Inside it’s a classic embodiment of the way South Australian winemakers blend cabernet sauvignon with shiraz to stunning effect.

As a result this wine has a mouth-watering palate with plenty of fine grain tannins and silky mouth feel. A nose enriched with spicy nutmeg, cardamom and cassis is layered over blueberry compote and lush fig on a palate. There’s lots of blueberry soufflé, gamey tones and just a hint of fennel seed, with more complexity to come as the years fly by.

All the base wines were sourced from grapes grown in South Australia’s top wine regions of Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. And while the 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is being released now, it will continue to reward cellaring for years to come.

Penfolds first announced NIGO as its Creative Partner in June 2023, with the global release of One by Penfolds. This was closely followed by the launch of Grange by NIGO (the first takeover of Penfolds flagship red wine) in February 2024, followed by Holiday Designed by NIGO in October 2024.A classic for the ages.

Penfolds 65F by NIGO Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021 is available globally from Thursday 27 February 2025 (RRP AUD$395.00 for 750ml). Available via Penfolds.com, at select Dan Murphy’s stores nationally and select independent retailers.

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