MAKING IT YOUR OWN

If you’re truly, honestly intending to buy an Aston Martin Valkyrie, there’s a special process you’ll have to go through. Nestling in a special room inside the firm’s Gaydon HQ is a very complete-looking mock-up of a Valkyrie, surrounded by drawers neatly fitted with trim samples, and wall displays of little car-shaped paint samplers, to allow buyers to understand what they’re getting.

When I called, I was met by CGI artist Stuart Boote, who effortlessly drove a super-configurator to portray my paint and spec preferences, and colour/trim designer Alka Bradford, who showed what was possible and steered me away from obvious mistakes.

Fearing that a loud treatment would overpower the car’s subtle shape, I opted for an Arden Green (lightweight) body paint, dark silver cant rails and visible suspension bits, track carbon (chequered) treatments for the lights and instrument panel, gunmetal for the wheels and machined titanium switchgear inside the cabin with ‘e-grip’ black Alcantara providing the minimalist upholstery.

For my track pack panels, we changed to Stirling Green, a metallic colour that refers to great cars of Aston history and the famous racing driver who helped create it. With the new magnesium wheels and their carbon covers, it looked magnificent. Which made it a shame, I thought, that this was only ever going to be a saved configuration in a computer.