Aston Martin begins testing updated Valkyrie hypercar for 2027 WEC and IMSA

Aston Martin is working on a number of updates for its Valkyrie LMH ahead of the car's third campaign in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2027

On Monday and Tuesday, the British manufacturer and its partner The Heart Of Racing carried out an initial rollout of the updated Valkyrie at the Hinton Airfield in the UK. This was followed by a first full-fledged test at the Silverstone circuit on Wednesday.

The non-hybrid prototype can be seen driven by works drivers, including Harry Tincknell, in a series of images released by the team.

Aston Martin painted the test car in a semi-camouflage livery, featuring green, black, light blue and blue chequered patterns. 

Aston Martin Valkyrie, Silverstone test

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

“Valkyrie – The Sound of Evolution” is the caption chosen by the Anglo-American team, a reference to the naturally-aspirated V12 engine - the sound of which became an instant hit with motorsport fans.

It's unclear what changes have been made to the car that made its championship debut in 2025. But team principal Ian James and Aston's senior management previously revealed that they would be using evo joker(s) to upgrade aerodynamics and other areas, once they had the necessary data to understand where to focus in order to unlock the Valkyrie's potential.

This is also indicated by the fact that Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing will continue testing in Austin on 9 September (where Ferrari and Genesis will also be on track) and in Aragon on 15 September, before carrying out three days of further running between October and November at the Windshear wind tunnel, where data and specifications for all the prototypes are recorded for final homologation.

Aston Martin Valkyrie Silverstone test

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin currently sits sixth in the WEC's manufacturers' standing, just one point adrift of its more experienced rival Alpine. In IMSA's GTP class, it sits fifth and last on the table by the virtue of campaigning only a single car.

The Valkyrie is set to face additional competition in the WEC next year with the arrival of Ford and McLaren, while Acura's impeding exit is set to leave just four manufacturers in IMSA's top class.