Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider makes a roadster from the V12 hybrid hypercar

Aston Martin has revealed a special edition of its most potent hypercar, with the Valkyrie Spider slicing off the roof to make things even more exclusive. Based on the Valkyrie coupe, this new version – making its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2021 – keeps the carbon fiber structure and 6.5-liter V12-based hybrid drivetrain, but opens up the top.

The result, Aston Martin claims, is only a tiny compromise in performance overall. You still get an 11,000+ rpm redline from the V12, along with 1,139 horsepower.

With the top open, maximum speed is 205 mph. However Aston Martin has also developed a custom lightweight roof panel, which latches onto the tub at the rear and the windshield surround at the front. It has two hinged polycarbonate roof windows, which work with the now-front-hinged dihedral doors that tilt forwards.

Once in place, that roof panel allows the Valkyrie Spider to hit over 217 mph, Aston Martin promises. The result is the fastest, and most extreme, open-top and road-legal car from the automaker so far, heavily leaning on its experience developing LMP1 technology.

The carbon fiber structure itself has been modified, to ensure rigidity, and there's a high-downforce aerodynamics package. That includes full-length Venturi tunnels – running either side of the cockpit floor to feed into the rear diffuser – and which help the supercar reach over 3,000 pounds of downforce at 149 mph when in track mode. Their presence also means Aston Martin didn't need to add extra aero work to the upper body, retaining the sleek lines.

Inside, the driver sits nearly centrally, with 6-point harnesses for them and the single passenger. Unsurprisingly, sight-lines out of the low, sleek roadster aren't exactly great; this isn't a car you'd want to have to navigate through a parking lot. Aston Martin fits front and rear parking sensors, and a camera system, to maximize your chances of avoiding scuffs to the handsome wheels.

Only 85 examples of the Valkyrie Spider will be built, Aston Martin says, and if you were inspired by seeing it today to try to put in an order you're in for some disappointment. The automaker has more demand than there are cars planned, it says, and will be beginning customer allocations soon. Both left and right hand drive versions will be made.

Should you be one of the 85 lucky ones, you'll have to wait until the second half of 2022 before the first deliveries begin. In fact, right now there's still no development prototype, it seems, with Aston Martin still using simulation tools to get the changes from the "standard" Valkyrie locked down.