Aston Martin's 937-hp Valhalla plug-in hybrid supercar debuts in production form
The production Valhalla ditches the concept's V6 for an insane flat-plane-crank V8 and it looks even better, too.
Aston Martin has experienced a lot of turmoil recently, from the cancelation of planned models and engines to the restructuring of the Formula One team and the appointment of ex-AMG boss Tobias Moers as CEO. It seemed like Aston's upcoming lineup of mid-engine supercars were on the chopping block. Turns out that's not the case, as Aston just unveiled the production version of the Valhalla supercar on Thursday and frankly, it's blown us away.
The biggest deal is the powertrain. When the concept was unveiled in 2019 Aston said the Valhalla would use a new twin-turbo V6 engine developed in-house, but that got shelved. Instead, the production Valhalla has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. Aston says the engine is bespoke, but it's likely a version of the V8 used by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. It produces 740 horsepower and has a 7,200-rpm redline, with power sent to the rear axle. Aston describes the engine as the "most advanced, most responsive and highest-performing" V8 the brand has ever used and an exhaust system with active flaps and top-exit tailpipes promises its bark will match its bite.
The production Valhalla remains true to the 2019 concept.
Augmenting the V8 is a plug-in hybrid system consisting of one electric motor at the front axle and another at the rear. The Valhalla can hit 80 mph on electricity alone and it has an electric range of 9 miles. In EV mode power is only sent to the front wheels, but in other drive modes the electric boost constantly varies between the axles -- meaning the Valhalla has all-wheel drive -- with the ability to send 100% of power to the rear. Total output is a whopping 937 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, and Aston says the Valhalla will accelerate 62 mph in 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 217 mph. The company says it's aiming for a Nürburgring lap time of 6 minutes and 30 seconds, which would be a new record.
The Valhalla uses an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that was designed and developed specifically for Aston. Instead of a traditional reverse gear it uses the electric motors to back the car up -- which saves complexity and weight -- and it also has an electronic limited-slip differential at the rear axle. Aston says the electric motors and the V8 are able to run different gears simultaneously, which provides super-quick responses and acceleration.
Under that carbon-fiber deck is a crazy hybrid powertrain.
Like the Valkyrie, the Valhalla uses a new carbon-fiber tub and Aston says the car has a target dry weight of under 3,417 pounds. It has an F1-style pushrod suspension at the front with a multilink setup at the rear; the front springs and dampers are mounted inboard, which gives the front end a cool look while reducing weight and improving packaging. The adjustable Adaptive Spool Valve dampers are from Multimatic and Aston says the car's suspension "dramatically" lowers in Track mode. (It's got a front-axle lift, too.) The brakes are carbon-ceramics and the Valhalla has 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rears that are wrapped in Michelin tires made specifically for this car. The electric power steering is said to provide "immediate and intuitive" responses, with Aston adding that an "uncorrupted" connection between driver and car was the goal.
When it comes to the Valhalla's styling, there have been some major changes, though it's still super close in spirit to the concept and looks even more stunning. The front end is cleaner, with bigger headlights and a larger vaned grille that's more classic Aston in style. Additionally, the hood vents were relocated to the base of the windshield. The lovely tapered greenhouse loses the rounded windshield top, but it still looks like it could have been nabbed from an LMP1 race car. There's a series of new gills that runs from the side windows all the way down the tail and the exhaust tips and roof scoop were redesigned.
The production car's side profile is more complex.
The side view is a lot more complex but even better looking, with the production Valhalla gaining an awesome spear-like line running off a new fender vent. The side skirt looks a little cleaner, while the internals in the side scoops are more complicated. But the biggest changes are at the back, where the Valhalla looks a lot more production-ready. It still has a massive diffuser but it's even more wild-looking, with more lines and elements than before. The license plate is housed lower down, with the upper section of the back gaining new mesh grilles and an Aston Martin script. There's an active rear spoiler, too. Along with other active elements at the front and a sculpted underbody, Aston says the Valhalla generates 1,322 pounds of downforce, with the carbon-fiber body having been aerodynamically optimized with inspiration taken from F1.
There is one major problem with the production Valhalla's styling, though. The concept car is prominently featured in the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die, which was originally set to come out last April. It was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so now it won't be out until this November. That means that by the time the movie's out, the concept Valhalla's styling will be outdated as the production car has now been revealed. But hey, I'm sure Aston won't complain -- that's still good publicity for the mid-engine supercar.
The rear end looks a lot better.
Aston hasn't released any photos of the interior yet, but we do have some new details. It will be available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations, and it has more interior space than the snug Valkyrie. You get in via forward-hinged butterfly doors that have cutouts in the roof and the low driving position is like that of an F1 car. The pedals and steering column are adjustable, while the seats are fixed to the chassis. A central touchscreen runs a new (thank god) infotainment system that also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . It's even got dual-zone climate control.
There are some other features that should make the Valhalla a lot more liveable day-to-day, too. The LED matrix headlights are adaptive and have automatic high-beams, and a surround-view camera system is optional. The Valhalla also comes with adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and forward-collision warning.
Development of the Valhalla is being helped by Aston F1 drivers Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel. Aston isn't saying anything about when the Valhalla will go on sale or how many will be built. (The original plan was for just 500 units, but that was years ago.) We don't know how much it will cost, either, though you can expect a price tag well into the six-figure range. There's also still no word on whether the cheaper, less insane Vanquish supercar will still happen, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.
