Better late than never, the Valhalla is almost ready for prime time. It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since Aston Martin showed the AM-RB 003 concept. Before the Gaydon-based marque hits the start button on production in the second quarter of the year, the “baby” Valkyrie undergoes final validation testing. AM is ironing out any remaining issues by analyzing prototypes during various evaluations conducted in Spain and at home in the UK.
Aston Martin took a prototype of the Valhalla to the IDIADA proving ground, located halfway between Barcelona and Tarragona, next to the Mediterranean coast. The 1,065-horsepower plug-in hybrid machine had to conduct high-speed runs and take part in handling tests on dry and wet circuits. The Valhalla shipped to Spain helped AM finalize the active aero, steering, and thermal braking system settings. A different prototype, pictured here on UK roads, is being used to sign off damper calibration.
Photo by: Aston Martin
At the heart of the Valhalla is Aston Martin’s most powerful V-8 engine ever. Loosely derived from the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter mill with a flat-plane crankshaft churns 817 hp. It sends power to the road via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission with a built-in electric motor serving as a starter and generator to juice the battery. While the gas engine sits behind the driver, dual electric motors generating a combined 248 hp are mounted at the front to give the Valhalla an all-wheel-drive setup.
As some of you will recall, the original concept from 2019 had a smaller V-6 engine developed in-house by Aston Martin. However, the subsequent production model will rock a V-8 borrowed from Affalterbach and modified specifically for the new supercar. Echoing the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, the Valhalla can be driven in front-wheel drive when in EV mode. You won’t go too far before the combustion engine kicks in, as Aston Martin quotes an electric range of only 8.6 miles. In EV mode, the top speed is limited to 80 mph. Fire up the V-8, and you can hit an electronically governed 217 mph after reaching 62 mph in two and a half seconds.
The 3,648-pound dry curb weight is not too shabby considering the brawny V-8 and three e-motors. It rides on large 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels coupled with a pushrod suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and adaptive Bilstein dampers. Although there’s plenty of aero trickery, the Valhalla isn’t overly designed, adopting instead a cleaner design with smoother surfaces.
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Source: Aston Martin
As some of you will recall, Aston Martin had planned to build a third mid-engine supercar. However, the Vanquish Vision Concept will sadly not morph into a production model. The Vanquish name has since returned, but only for a front-engined V-12 coupe and convertible duo.