Some five years after Aston Martin first told us it was working on a mid-engined supercar called Valhalla, we have the full technical specifications and images of the finished product. Developed in partnership with Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT - responsible for the firm’s F1 team), the Valhalla will be a plug-in hybrid with race-bred techology and up to 1,079hp.
Yet it can run on battery power alone?
Technically, yes, and it’s the first Aston to get an official electric range, but as it’s just 14 kilometres on a full charge of its battery pack, it’s clear that the electrical components are there more for performance than saintliness. When in EV mode (or when reversing), the Valhalla uses two front-axle electric motors to drive the car, at up to 140km/h. Though not specifically mentioned in the press release, this probably makes it the first Aston that operates with front-wheel drive.
Not that we expect many owners to do that for very long. There’s a third electric motor built into the new eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox, and that works in conjunction with the petrol engine to drive the rear wheels. The engine is a bit special, too. It’s a twin-turbocharged V8 of 4.0-litre capacity and it uses a flat-plane crank.
Aston quotes system maximums of 1,079hp and 1,100Nm of torque. Those figures make the performance data - including a top speed of 350km/h and 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds - entirely credible
It’s more than just a dragster though, right?
We certainly hope so - and the signs are good. Carbon-fibre bodywork drapes a carbon tub, befitting any modern race car, helping keep the dry weight down to 1,655kg - that means a power-to-weight ratio of 652hp per tonne, comfortably exceeding that of the McLaren 750S and Ferrari 296 GTB, for example.
The Valhalla’s curves have been shaped as much by the wind tunnel as by Aston’s designers, but the aerodynamic measures put in place by AMPT are largely hidden when the car is at a standstill in its default configuration. It features active aerodynamics in the form of front and rear wings, which vary their angle depending on conditions and the driving mode to balance the car’s downforce and drag. Up to 600kg of downforce is produced in total, though the rear wing only comes out to play when the driver selects the Race mode.
Does it feel like a race car inside as well?
That entirely depends on how you specify your Valhalla, as the sky is the limit as ever with Aston Martin when it comes to personalisation. Saying that, we doubt the core driving position is up for discussion, as the feet are raised up just as in an F1 car, while the two seats are one-piece carbon-fibre items. The extremely flat steering wheel clearly references motorsport as well, and the Valhalla has unique digital instrumentation behind, along with long solid gearchange paddles. The rest of the interior is quite minimal in appearance, making much use of carbon fibre, and it appears beautifully made. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the tactile drive and mode selectors in between the front seats that made their debut on the Aston Martin DB12 last year, and there’s a fully functional touchscreen infotainment system as well.
Aston Martin will begin deliveries of the Valhalla in the second half of 2025 and just 999 examples will be sold.