Aston Martin is an iconic British brand that has a long history of making luxurious high-performance cars for both motorsports and folks looking to flaunt their riches and status. They're also famed for their stunning design, and many consider their cars as artistic excellence and the new Valhalla is no exception. This hybrid road-racer is the first of its kind, designed for practicality that offers a unique form of driving experience and usability. The new Aston Martin Valhalla will also be the first street-legal car to include the Nexcel sealed oil system, which ensures consistent engine performance.
Aston’s first series production mid-engined supercar has the power to outperform any other car on the street, thanks to a sophisticated hybrid turbo V8 engine and an F1-inspired dual-clutch transmission. Moreover, the British supercar got input from the Aston Martin Cognizant F1 team and its drivers, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll, and is a direct competitor to the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and McLaren Senna. So, without further ado, here are the 10 most incredible facts about the new Aston Martin Valhalla.
10 AM-RB 003: Built Together With Red Bull Racing
The AM-RB 003 was the initial code name for this mid-engine supercar prototype. It's the culmination of Aston Martin's active collaboration with Red Bull Racing, as well as Adrian Newey, Red Bull's CTO, undeniable design brilliance.
The prototype was assigned the code "003" since it was the third car in the partnership, following the Valkyrie and the Valkyrie AMR Pro. Red Bull contributed with aerodynamics and base structure to bolster the car's artistic value. Furthermore, this gawky code was switched for a more traditional name, which is now known as Valhalla, a warrior’s paradise in Norse mythology. The name also continued Aston’s long tradition of naming cars with the letter "V."
9 Inspired by Formula-One
The hybrid road-legal sports cars have been heavily inspired by Formula-One race cars. It represents Aston Martin's engagement in F1, with several leading technologies, such as the aerodynamics, chassis, driving posture, and electronics, being adopted and customized for mass production. The computational fluid dynamics server farms and wind tunnel of F1 have had a big influence on the Valhalla's wildly designed appearance.
F1-style pushrods with inboard mounted dampers and springs, including Multimatic's dynamic suspension spool valve adjustable dampers, are also employed in the suspension, in addition to the design and structure influences.
8 Son of Valkyrie
Don't worry if you lost out on an exclusive slot for the iconic Aston Martin Valkyrie; there is some solace for Aston Martin aficionados. The all-new Valhalla is a mass-market Valkyrie, which is true since it incorporates numerous technologies that were first used in the Valkyrie. The car's project name was even dubbed "Son of Valkyrie." It's a more inclusive version of the Valkyrie, with a phenomenal, exciting look and performance that rivals motorsport yet is accessible to all drivers.
The Valhalla, like the big daddy Valkyrie, is pretty much entirely built of lightweight carbon fiber that has been molded for optimum aerodynamic benefits, and the majority of downforce is created by tunnels underneath the car, resulting in the seamless, sleek shape on top. It also employs a front keel design similar to the Valkyrie. Despite taking styling cues from its forerunners, it maintains its own distinct personality.
7 The New Aston Martin Valhalla Is Different From the Concept
You'll quickly notice a significant difference if the 2019 concept and the freshly unveiled Valhalla are parked side by side. Both in terms of design and engine, this new Valhalla differs substantially from the concept. The front is now beefier, the overhang is a bit more shark-nosed, and the rear haunch is much more formidable.
Due to the transformation to a bigger V8 engine, the wheelbase is now somewhat longer and the cockpit is pushed forward in comparison to the concept. Furthermore, the diffusers have been increased in size, and the wing has been widened.
6 Functional Front Grille
Many people actually presumed that the front grille of this rebooted Valhalla was just aesthetic, but it turned out that the front grille, in addition to its visual attractiveness, also had an aerodynamic purpose. Yes, you read it correctly; it is functional; it splits and separates the air when it hits the car. However, it is also undeniable that the front grille quickly identifies it as an Aston Martin.
5 The V6 Engine Is Swapped With a Mercedes-AMG V8
With the appointment of ex AMG head Tobias Moers as Aston's new CEO, the car has taken a daring new approach, both in terms of styling and under the skin. The marque's first in-house-built 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine was expected to power the hybrid supercar at first. Moers, on the other hand, was unimpressed by the V6's state of development, which was supposed to power Valhalla and its sibling Vanquish with hybrid assistance.
Instead, he turned to a recently updated technology-sharing deal between Aston Martin and his former company, Mercedes-AMG, which saw the incorporation of a more powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with an intriguing flat-plane crank arrangement, making it the most sophisticated, responsive, and powerful V8 engine ever installed in an Aston Martin.
4 Sensational Hybrid Powertrain
Valhalla's all-new plug-in hybrid powertrain is incredible, with an electric motor on each axle and a specially built twin-turbo V8 engine mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that churns out 737 horsepower. Each of the electric drive motor units has a 150kW output, although not at the same time.
A 150kW/400V battery hybrid system adds another 200 horsepower to the total output, amounting to an astounding 937 horsepower. Plus, it will also be capable of a top speed of 80 mph and a zero-emission driving range of 15 km in its EV-only mode.
3 Aims Six Minutes and 30 Second Lap Time at Nürburgring Nordschleife
Valhalla's introduction perfectly illustrates Aston's commitment to creating fantastic mid-engined driver-focused exotic cars. Nevertheless, Aston Martin anticipates the Valhalla will lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in about six minutes and 30 seconds, a staggering 13.3 seconds faster than the existing record set by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS with the "Manthey Performance Kit" earlier this year, making it the quickest series production car ever around the Green Hell. Fortunately, thanks to its 937-hp hybrid powertrain, which can rocket to 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 217 mph, it is doable.
2 Limited Production Run and Pricing
The Valhalla is now scheduled to arrive in the second half of 2023, with both left-and right-hand drive options, boosting its appeal across global markets. This British performance machine was originally intended to be a 500-piece limited edition with a $1.3 million price tag.
However, due to numerous alterations from the design, the Valhalla has now doubled and limited production to 999 units while dropping the cost to a six-digit price tag of roughly $800,000.
1 Will Feature In Upcoming James Bond Film “No Time to Die”
Aston Martin has a long-standing relationship with the James Bond franchise, which certainly appears to be irreplaceable. Including its line-up models, Aston Martin has also built a number of one-of-a-kind cars at the request of directors and producers that never made it to the showroom.
The alliance is so strong that Aston Martin has appeared in at least a dozen 007 flicks and the association continues to grow with the upcoming movie, “No Time To Die,” which will feature four famous Aston Martins from the past, present, and future, as Bond returns to active service to execute a treacherous assignment. Along with the DB5, the DBS Superleggera, and the V8 Saloon, the Valhalla will make its silver screen premiere in this latest Bond film.