Aston Martin has been teasing and talking about its mid-engined Valhalla hybrid supercar for a couple of years now. The pre-production prototype even had a role in that James Bond movie that was supposed to come out, like, a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, when No Time to Die finally does release in October, however, 007's silver, squintier-eyed Valhalla will look a bit dated because Aston has now unveiled its finished, street-ready version.
For realsies and at long last, this is the Aston Martin Valhalla that will go on sale to the well-heeled general public and—unsurprisingly for a 900-plus horsepower British supercar—it looks kinda stunning. Rocking bigger headlights, a front grille resembling that of the Vantage, and just generally a more production-appropriate appearance than the prototype, the final Valhalla looks more recognizably Aston and, in my eyes, is better for it.
AMG-Derived Power
Behind the cabin sits a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo, flat-plane crank V8 that revs to 7,200 rpm, makes 740 hp on its own, and exclusively powers the rear axle. Throw the Valhalla's two electric motors into the mix and total output becomes an eyebrow-raising 937 hp and 738 pound-feet of torque. One of those e-motors assists the internal combustion engine in moving the rear wheels while the other is dedicated to the front.
Now, we know what you're thinking. "Given the two companies' partnership, would that twin-turbo flat-plane V8 be a Mercedes-AMG-sourced unit, by any chance?" As presumptuous as that might be, it's not unfounded. Turns out, the Valhalla's 4.0-liter and even its electrification system are indeed "derived" from the engine out of the AMG GT Black Series and AMG tech, respectively, but have apparently been sufficiently modified for the Valhalla enough that Aston feels confident calling the powertrain "bespoke."
In any case, that AMG-derived engine is hooked up to an all-new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that's also said to be "bespoke" and features an electronic limited-slip differential. Active aero is good for 1,322 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. The resulting straight-line performance is a zero-to-62-mile-per-hour run lasting just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph.
Grand Prix Engineering
Chassis, aero, and electronics tech have been honed through the company's Formula One operation, with a new carbon fiber tub sitting at the core of it all. F1-style pushrod front and Multimatic adaptive rear suspension keep things where they are when the track gets twisty. A brake-by-wire system clamps down on carbon-ceramic stoppers while Michelin tires created specifically for this car measure 20 inches up front and 21 inches in the rear.
Aston also says it's targeting a Nürburgring time of less than 6:30, which would beat the Manthey Porsche 911 GT2 RS—the current production car record holder at the Nordschleife—by quite a wide margin. Publishing targeted 'Ring times you haven't actually achieved yet seems like a questionable move, PR-wise, but there you go. Speaking of targeted stats, Aston is also aiming for a dry curb weight of less than 3,417 pounds.
While we're on the subject of things that are up in the air, the Valhalla features a top exit, active exhaust system. That alone makes this car unquestionably cool.
Despite the F1 engineering and lofty Nürburgring goals, Aston says the Valhalla will not be a soulless tech-fest. The marque insists it was built with driver enjoyment very much in mind.
Dihedral doors open up with old Ford GT-style roof cutouts that make the Valhalla easier to get in and out of. Like the newer Ford GT, however, the seats are fixed to the chassis and the pedals and steering column move back and forth to suit the driver. The footwells have been raised to make the Valhalla's driving position feel more like that of an F1 car.
When you aren't necessarily driving your Valhalla for pleasure, however, it sounds like it'll be fairly livable. Believe it or not, this car features an EV mode that delegates all movement duties to the electric front axle, effectively making it a front-wheel-drive car. Under electrical power only, the Valhalla can travel up to 80 mph and has an official range of nine miles. Available in left or right-hand-drive, this Aston's got dual-zone climate control and the latest advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) such as active cruise, forward collision, and blindspot monitoring. Aston Martin annoyingly hasn't released any pictures of the inside but a new infotainment system runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It's been a long journey and we're glad to finally see the Valhalla in its final, production spec but there's still much to learn. We still don't know what the interior looks like, how much it'll cost, and, of course, how it actually drives. But we're definitely looking forward to finding out.
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