Plug-in hybrid hypercar is no track-day toy, says chief designer; at least 20 examples confirmed for Oz from early 2024
The Aston Martin Valhalla could have been just another cookie-cutter mid-engined hybrid hypercar in the Ferrari-Lamborghini-McLaren mold.
Instead, according to its designer Marek Reichman, the $1.8 million, 700kW plug-in hybrid ‘Son of Valkyrie’ will be an authentic Formula 1-inspired hypercar from the famous British sports car brand.
Speaking at its Australian debut, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer rejected any suggestion the Valhalla is just a weekend trinket for the super-rich.
“It’s definitely not just a track-day toy,” Reichman told carsales.
The Valhalla has landed Down Under for a pre-sale promotional tour including a visit to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, complete with ‘F1 Green’ paint that also dips into Aston’s 109-year heritage.
“You see it’s an Aston Martin, not just because it’s green and wearing a wing. It has the language of an Aston Martin,” said Reichman.
“Aston Martin is always about beauty. It’s about highlighting performance.
“This car is all about the driving. It’s not just a track toy, it’s the beginning of a journey linked to Formula 1.”
Aston Martin is not discussing exact details about Valhalla sales in Australia, but it’s safe to assume less than 20 local owners will start to get their cars from the early months of 2024.
“There will be some owners in Australia. It’s a couple of hands-full,” confirmed Patrik Nilsson, director of operations for Aston Martin Asia-Pacific.
But he said production would take place later than previously expected next year.
“Deliveries will start in Q3 in 2023. I think they will be landing here in Australia in the beginning of 2024.”
Nilsson also confirmed the mid-engined Valhalla is already attracting Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers to Aston brand.
“We would have probably 30 per cent conquest. A lot of the people looking at the car are new to the brand. They are coming from Italian brands,” he said.
The Valhalla, which translates to ‘the hall of the fallen’ in ancient Norse mythology, is Aston’s third mid-engined model after the limited-edition Valkyrie V12 hypercar, which entered production in November 2021, and the upcoming Vanquish supercar.
The Vanquish was first revealed in 2019 and will be a full-time production model, but has been delayed to 2025 and will reportedly adopt a new name rather than take the name of a traditional front-engined Aston model.
Aston will build only 150 coupe, 86 spider and 40 track-only AMR Pro versions of the super-radical Valkyrie, a track-focussed hypercar intended to match the performance of a modern F1 grand prix car – and the long-awaited Mercedes-AMG ONE – but with a two-seat cockpit and a V12 engine.
The Valhalla is the brother/sister to the Valkyrie and is also a sold-out limited-edition model, with only 999 units being made.
Aston already has sell-out success in the DBX 707 super-SUV, which is touted as the world’s most powerful SUV with a 520kW AMG-sourced V8, as it pushes deeper into the top-end of high-performance motoring.
The Valhalla and the Vanquish were both planned to employ an in-house-developed 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain, but under the direction of ex-AMG boss Tobias Moers will now also share the 4.0-litre twin-turbo Mercedes-AMG V8 (M177) in a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Technical details of the Valhalla’s plug-in hybrid powertrain are well known. Combined with two electric motors, the V8 PHEV delivers total power output of 699kW and no less than 1000Nm of torque – enough for a 2.5-second sprint to 100km/h.
While the Valhalla essentially inherits its V8 from the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, the ‘entry-level’ Vanquish will employ the lesser configuration from the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance sedan, making it a rival for the Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren Artura.
Revving to 7200rpm, the V8 produces 552kW and sends drive to the rear axle, while a pair of electric motors – one mounted at the front axle and the other at the rear – contributes a further 150kW for the combined 699kW.
In pure-EV mode – which is available up to 130km/h for a maximum range of 15km – power is sent directly to the front wheels, while in other driving modes the battery power is split between the front and rear axles.
Aston says that in certain situations 100 per cent of battery power can be sent to the rear axle, “supplementing the full force of the ICE V8 for maximum performance”.
The transmission is an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox controlled by paddle shifts and including e-reverse (which removes the need for a conventional reverse gear) and an electronic limited-slip diff on the rear axle.
The benchmark performance figures are impressive, to say the least. Tipping the scales at 1550kg (dry), the Valhalla can devour the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 2.5sec, on its way to a 330km/h top speed.
Aston is also gunning for a sub-6:30 lap of the Nurburgring, which would make the Valhalla quicker around the 20.8km northern loop than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ.
But Reichman, in Australia for one of his regular visits to the AGP, is far more focussed on the design.
“Australia is a true car lover’s country. That’s really important when you’re a car designer,” he said. “You can show beauty, but you can also show performance.
“The very muscular design is important to show the power. It wouldn’t be an Aston Martin without an Aston Martin grille. But it’s a grille like no other, it’s part of the aero of the car.”
He also points to car’s the giant rear diffuser, which is a more elegant solution for downforce than a hanging a hulking rear wing over the tail.
Patrik Nilsson Director of Operations Aston Martin APAC (left) and Marek Reichman Chief Creative Officer
“It allows us to still have the clean line and proportions at the back of the car.”
And there is also the three-inlet airbox above the roof, to feed air both to the engine as well as the cooling package.
“It’s very unique and takes a lot of its inspiration from Formula 1,” he said.
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Keyword: Aston Martin Valhalla makes Aussie debut