IGNITION
Aston Martin’s second model in its mid-engined revival sits under the Valkyrie, but it could prove to be even more significant to the company
Featuring the new mid-engined Aston Martin Valhalla, the next generation BMW 2 Series, the Porsche Macan facelift, Huracan STO launches in India, Rimac and Bugatti join hands, MercedesBenz's EV plans and all the latest launches this month
SIX MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS. A time that would make Aston Martin’s first ever series-production mid-engined supercar, the Valhalla, the fastest production car around the Nurburgring by over eight seconds. Aston-ishing. But, for the moment, that number is just a target. The Valhalla you see here is still not the final production version, though it is very very close. We first got a look at the Valhalla at Geneva in 2019 where it was showcased as a concept alongside the Valkyrie and the Vanquish — the three-pronged mid-engined future for Aston Martin. But from that concept to this nearproduction unit, quite a lot has changed.
The clean, clutter-free skin of the concept has been replaced by one that, even at first glance, looks more purposeful. There’s a massive active splitter up front, above which now sits the veined Aston Martin grille feeding air through to a vent in the bonnet, almost like an S-duct. There are large cutouts behind the wheel arches, similar to the Valkyrie’s but not as scandalous, that allow air to be channelled down the side where there are a myriad of streaks, vortex generators and intakes. There is also a massive roof scoop up top, but like we saw with the Valkyrie, a large chunk of the aero trickery actually happens under the car. This is hinted at by the huge Venturi tunnels sitting below the active rear wing. The result is a targeted downforce figure of over 600kg at 240kmph. For reference, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale generates 390kg at 250kmph. There’s a good reason for us to benchmark the Valhalla against the SF90.
They’re two of the most advanced V8-hybrid series-production supercars.
Yes, while in its concept stage the Valhalla was supposed to have a V6-hybrid powertrain that would be developed by Aston Martin itself, budget constraints called an end to that plan. Now, sitting under the carbonfibre cover is a 740bhp four-litre twin-turbo V8 with a flatplane crankshaft. Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because it is the same engine found in (no, not the SF90) the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Aston Martin says that the engine has been reworked from the one found in the Black Series, featuring air-to-air charge-cooling and a custom lightweight top-exit exhaust system. And while the V6 has been replaced, the hybrid status remains. There are a pair of e-motors, one on each axle, that produce 201bhp,
bringing the total up to 941bhp and 1000Nm. Mated to the engine is an eight-speed DCT which has been developed specifically for application in the Valhalla. It gets an e-reverse which uses the electric motor for backing up, removing the need for a mechanical reverse gear, plus there’s an e-diff and a pretty cool party trick: the DCT is said to be able to run two gears simultaneously — one with the e-motor and the other with the ICE. As to what this unlocks in the real world, we’ll only know once we get behind the ’wheel.
Aston Martin claims a 0 to 100kmph time of just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 350kmph at full chat. The Valhalla also has an electriconly mode but with a range of just 15km and a top speed of 130kmph, it is probably only so your neighbours don’t wake up every time you take your Valhalla for a spin.
What they might hear squeaking though are the ‘Carbon Ceramic Matrix’ brake discs with brake-by-wire. And the Valhalla will run staggered wheel sizes — 20-inchers at the front, 21 at the rear with bespoke Michelin Cup 2 rubber. These are linked to push-rod front suspension with springs and dampers that are
THE FOOTWELLS ARE RAISED FOR AN F1-INSPIRED DRIVING POSITION, THOUGH IT WON’T GO AS FAR AS THE VALKYRIE
inboard mounted to reduce unsprung weight, and there is a multilink setup at the rear. The suspension gets Multimatic’s variable spring rate and Adaptive Spool Valve dampers which enable adjustable ride frequency for a blend of road and track performance. The Valhalla also gets a Track Mode which is said to reduce ride height for better downforce but perhaps more relevant to India is the standard front-axle lift system so you don’t leave bits of carbonfibre at every speed hump that you encounter.
On the inside, well we don’t know much of what’s going to be inside the Valhalla but Aston Martin says that the seat will be mounted directly to the chassis, with an F1inspired driving position that will be similar to the Valkyrie’s but not as committed. Features include dual-zone air conditioning and an infotainment screen – albeit a tiny one. On the safety front it gets Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, active cruise control, blind spot monitoring and a rear view camera.
The Valhalla is an important car for Aston Martin. It may seem like it is nothing but a Valkyrie with the wick turned down but the Valhalla is the halo for the future of Aston Martin. While the limited-run Valkyrie will get everyone hot in the pants, it is primarily the tech from the Valhalla that will trickle down to future models such as the Vanquish. It isn’t going to be cheap though. In fact, we expect the Valhalla to be significantly more expensive than the SF90’s sticker price of `7.5 crore. Gulp. But to be fair, the Valhalla also looks like a significantly cooler machine, right?