Only 150 people will ever own an Aston Martin Valkyrie – such an exclusive club to be in, whose members the British automaker pleaded to get on the road with its masterpiece. And rightfully so, because at three million euros (or around $3.5 million at today’s exchange rate), every mile counts. As it turns out, all it takes is 274 miles for one German owner to give up on the 1,139-horsepower hypercar and ultimately sue Aston Martin.

Sebastian Kunze (not his real name) acquired the Valkyrie in 2022. According to the German publication Handelsblatt, ever since Kunze received the hypercar, it has been plagued with issues. Its high-voltage system reportedly failed, with warning lights appearing early in its life. There is visible damage to the rims, too, allegedly acquired during transport to service the vehicle. The car’s “Rocket Locker,” which prevents it from sagging and resting on its wheels when hydraulic pressure is off, is said to have been removed without the owner’s consent.

A Near-Miss With An Ambulance Caused By Another Fault

But perhaps the biggest issue was when the owner almost hit an ambulance on August 27, 2024. According to the lawsuit, the Valkyrie’s headphone-based alert system, which uses external microphones to feed ambient sounds to the driver, malfunctioned while on the road, causing the owner to not hear the emergency transport due to the extremely loud engine sound. Remember, this is just about an F1 car for the road with an 11,000-rpm V12 bolted to the chassis, so yes, it’s near-deafening.

“I’m fed up with Aston Martin,” Kunze said during the first hearing last week, Handelsblatt reports, citing that the Valkyrie had more defects “than all my other cars combined.” Because of the swath of issues Kunze experienced, he’s demanding a reversal of the purchase, which the automaker refused. It also argued that if Kunze were to return the car, he would have to pay a 55,000 euros ($63,200) usage fee for 274 miles.

The Issues Are Not Defects

Aston Martin’s defense? The alleged issues are not defects, but rather unique characteristics of an ultra-high-performance hypercar. With a required gearbox rebuild every 31,000 miles, it certainly is one-of-a-kind. On the issue of scratches on the rims, the British marque said that they are “typical signs of wear or marks that arise from improper wheel replacement,” pointing out that the owner insisted on changing the wheels himself.

There’s also an issue of jurisdiction, with Aston Martin arguing that the dispute should be under British jurisdiction. Kunze’s lawyers argued back that European consumer protection regulations allow for legal action at the buyer’s place of residence.

As of the time of writing, the owner and Aston Martin were given six weeks to submit further documentation. An out-of-court settlement was also offered, with the automaker offering two other vehicles for the Valkyrie. Kunze rejected the offer.

Source: Handelsblatt H/T Carscoops