Aston Martin Valhalla supercar gets 1,064bhp from mid-mounted V8 and three electric motors
You don’t have to die in battle to get one ... you just need £850,000
The almighty and game-changing — for its parent company, at least — Aston Martin Valhalla supercar is finally nearing completion, so the British brand has given us a rundown of the final technical spec.
Named after the mythical hall of Norse mythology, where warriors who died in battle went to live in the afterlife, the Valhalla follows in the tyre treads of the extraordinary Valkyrie (the beings who guided the chosen souls to Valhalla) in using Formula One technologies and methodologies for the road, and it marks a series of firsts for Aston Martin.
For a starter, this is the first mid-engined supercar that has gone into full series production for Aston Martin — the Valkyrie was a limited-build creation. Valhalla is also the company’s first plug-in hybrid (phev).
And the Valhalla has the honour of using both Aston’s most powerful-ever V8 fitted to any of its cars, as well as being the first to deploy the firm’s latest eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Extreme numbers
Despite the existence of the 1,160bhp Valkyrie with its Cosworth-developed and hybridised V12 powertrain, the spec of the Valhalla has improved during its development to the point where it’s almost challenging its even more exotic relation.
Sitting in the middle of the Valhalla is an 817bhp 4-litre twin-turbo V8 (in a flat-plane crank configuration, for the technically-minded). Assisting this are three electric motors, two driving the front wheels and one assisting the rears, which generate the remaining 247bhp for a grand total of 1,064bhp and combined torque (twisting force) figure of 812lb ft.
Drained of all fluids, the Valhalla weighs 1,655kg and the result is a 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds, with a 217mph top speed.
F1 aerodynamics
Beyond that, the Valhalla’s sleek-looking bodywork incorporates active aerodynamics, courtesy of Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT), the consulting arm for Aston’s Aramco Formula One team.
When the Valhalla is travelling at 149mph and above, it generates as much as 600kg of downforce, which is the equivalent of a Mk1 Mini pressing down on top of the car, and it maintains that all the way to its maximum velocity by reducing the angle of its front and rear wings as the speed increases.
Aston has also fitted the supercar with integrated vehicle dynamics control (IVC), a system of electronics which monitors all of the suspension, brakes, steering, active aero and the powertrain, to give the Valhalla what the company says is “optimal” performance in a wide variety of circumstances.
While its primary remit is going very quickly and thrilling its driver, as a phev the Valhalla has a big enough battery and powerful enough motors to travel on electric power alone — the first Aston capable of such a thing. Mind you, the electric motors’ primary purpose is for performance and Valhalla will only manage 8.7 miles before it exhausts its battery reserves, and the top speed in Pure EV (one of four drive modes, with the default being Sport) is 80mph.
Carbon body and forged wheels
Returning to its F1 links, the Valhalla has a rigid and lightweight carbon-fibre tub (chassis) designed and engineered by AMPT, along with single seater-derived pushrod front suspension with inboard-mounted springs and dampers.
The front and rear subframes of the car are aluminium, while the track-spec carbon-ceramic brakes are 410mm front and 390mm discs, with a “brake-by-wire” control system.
Visually, thanks to its active aerodynamics and big moveable rear wing, the Valhalla has sleek styling and a pair of supercar-correct dihedral doors — those are the ones which open upwards. It has further head-turning features, such as an F1-inspired roof snorkel that channels cooling air to the engine, and top-exit exhausts.
For those wanting the maximum of showmanship from their Valhalla, the carbon-fibre bodywork can either be painted (in one of six liveries from Aston Martin’s various motor sport exploits) or left as exposed carbon, and the car sits on a set of 20in front, 21in rear wheels made of forged aluminium.
F1 cockpit
If the exterior and drivetrain of the Valhalla draw inspiration from F1, so does the cabin. There are two single-piece carbon-fibre bucket seats, with the steering wheel’s shape further informed by pinnacle series in motor sport.
A carbon brace runs the width of the cabin, forming the main wraparound dash architecture on which is mounted the digital instrument cluster, with the main central touchscreen situated alongside it. Aston calls this driver-encompassing aesthetic the “Amphitheatre”.
As with any Aston Martin, the Valhalla can be subjected to full personalisation to each customer’s specific requirements via the firm’s Q bespoke service.
Just 999 examples of the Valhalla will be built, with first deliveries expected in the second half of next year. The pricetag is estimated to be in the region of £850,000, which is a lot of money for sure, but less than the originally slated £1 million, and far less than the £2.5m Valkyrie, which actually offers a similar level of performance (on paper).
Related articles
- If you were interested in the new Aston Martin Valhalla, you may want to read our review of the new Aston Martin Vanquish
- You might also like to read what Will Dron had to say about the DB12
- Also check out the Aston Martin Valiant, a 734bhp track-focused sports car developed for Fernando Alonso
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