► New Valhalla supercar specs revealed (again)
► Production version is a plug-in V8; roughly £850,000
► 1064bhp, 0-62mph in just 2.5 seconds
Well over 2000 days – that’s how long it has been since Aston Martin first unveiled the AM-RB 003 concept car. We even saw a production car V1 in 2022, by that stage named Valhalla. But finally, finally, the actual car is here. Still called Valhalla, it’s a plug-in hybrid V8 mid-engined supercar that is quite unlike any other Aston series production car.
What is it?
A marked change for Aston Martin. Never before has the company built a ‘proper’ mid-engined car – let’s gloss over the compromised Valkyrie – and nor has it ever done a plug-in hybrid before. It’s also the first use for this particular V8, a 4.0-litre twin turbo unit that starts life at Mercedes-AMG but is, Aston insists, bespoke to the British firm. It is, in its words, ‘not a crate motor’.
What the Valhalla has done is create a car that allows Aston to shout about its twin pillars of luxury with F1-inspired technology. By moving the frame of reference away from simply front-engined GTs, admittedly of varying degrees of focus, all of a sudden Lawrence Stroll’s Aston eco system starts to make more sense.
Give me some figures…
The headline numbers are impressive. 1064bhp and 811lb ft put it on a par with other exotica like the Ferrari SF90 XX, in Aston’s case derived from a combination of a flat-plane crank V8 and 6kWh battery powering three e-motors (two on the front axle, one at the rear within the transmission). The engine is good for 817bhp and is mated to an all-new eight-speed dual clutch gearbox. Pace is 217mph and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds.
Aero? Plenty. 600kg of downforce from 150mph, thanks to a combination of a retractable rear wing and further active wings at the front. The Valhalla also borrows Aston’s F1 knowhow for a DRS function and the rear wing can double as an air brake. The clever bit is that it will maintain that downforce level all the way up to the car’s maximum speed thanks to the wings gradually adjusting their trim to bleed out of the excess downforce as the speed rises.
Eco? Ish. Thanks to the small battery, EV-only running is possible, for just over eight miles and up to 80mph. Supercar makers seem to be split on this strategy, some opting for EV-only running and others insisting that it leads to too many compromises. Ferrari even does both, with the SF90 and F80. Either way, Aston’s set-up should allow it to make the most of the low-inertia twin turbos in combination with the e-motors, delivering instant torque and allowing for torque vectoring on the front axle.
Unlike Ferrari or Porsche, there’s no e-motor housed within the turbo itself.
Is it a track-only, one-trick pony?
It’s definitely more circuit-focused than other Astons, but, according to Simon Newton, director of brand performance, it also rides well. ‘It has traditional Aston free travel in its primary context so it breathes with the road… [and] it also stands out with very good isolation from impacts.’
There’s double wishbone pushrod suspension up front (inboard springs and dampers make the air cleaner in that area) and the rear is a multi-link set-up. Billstein dampers all-round that link to the other systems like the aero and powertrain, to ensure that the car remains as stable as possible. No twin-valve dampers here, because, as Newton points out, ‘ours is a very performance-orientated system. Twin-valve dampers are more if you want ride comfort.’
What about inside? What does my £850,000 get me?
Alonso’ seating position. The Valhalla comes with one-piece carbon fibre seats and a laid-back, F1-style seating position to make the most of the link to the Aston F1 team. Even the steering wheel draws links from it.
It’s from within here that you can cycle through the various drive modes – Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Race. Note no ‘normal’. Default is Sport while Race puts the rear wing in maximum attack mode.
Anything else?
Just 999 will be made, starting from Q2 next year. There is still availability but Aston reports that sales are going well.