Aston Martin unveils 950PS Valhalla

Plenty more has changed at Aston since 2019 – new owners, new management, new boy in Formula 1 – but the ethos behind the Valhalla appears undiluted. Here is the showroom sibling to the ultra-expensive limited-production Valkyrie, Aston’s most extreme performance machine that was developed in conjunction with Adrian Newey and Red Bull.

Valkyrie inspiration in the Valhalla is as tangible as it was in the concept we saw in 2019, if executed a little more subtly. The design has “matured” we are told, particularly around the side sills and air inlets, but most important the journey from concept to showroom hasn’t altered its fine looks.

Would you know it was an Aston if there weren’t any Aston badges on it? Maybe not, but by the same token, despite it featuring some of Woking’s favourite things – top-exit exhausts, ram-air roof scoop, teardrop glasshouse and dihedral doors cut into the roof – you wouldn’t think it a McLaren either. First glance says it has nailed its own identity, and it is as much classy as it is aggressive.

In design it’s certainly nothing like what promises to be its closest rival, the Ferrari SF90, even though under the skin it is the Italian machine that provides the mechanical blueprint for the newest Aston Martin.

There are three motors: the familiar 4.0-litre V8 behind the seats and driving the rear wheels, plus a pair of electric motors, one on the front axle (essentially for short-distance electric-only running) and one on the back axle to top up performance. Total system power tops out at 950PS (699kW).

So not that much less than the V12 Valkyrie. Weight is up on that car, as you would expect of a machine that has to deliver signature Aston luxury, but at a target dry weight of 1,550kg is still commendable. Aston says the Valhalla’s power to weight ratio is unbeaten in its class. That’s backed up by performance targets that include a top speed of 217mph and a lap of the Nürburgring in under 6 minutes 30 seconds.

Although the twin-turbo V8 is familiar as the Aston version of the Mercedes AMG unit, it is used in the Valhalla in flat-plane crank form for what Aston says is increased responsiveness, as well as a higher 7,200rpm rev limit. Manipulating all this power is a new paddleshift eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and electronic limited-slip diff. As with the Ferrari, there is no reverse gear; going backwards is just a question of the front electric motor spinning the other way.

The body is largely carbon-fibre and an all-new central tub is all carbon, McLaren style. With its own F1 team now, Aston says there are plenty of F1 influences in the Valhalla, including the pushrod front suspension with inboard mounted springs and dampers – a solution which reduces unsprung mass and saves space.

Suspension at the back is multilink and springs and dampers are claimed to offer ride settings suitable for both road and track. Ride height is adjustable from not-much-at-all in track mode to enough to negotiate steep ramps and speed bumps thanks to a front axle lift system. The steering is electrically assisted, the brakes carbon ceramic and the wheels 20s front, 21s rear shod with Michelin rubber.

Visually there may appear nothing too aggressive about the car’s aero, but something somewhere works very well, generating 600kg of downforce at 150mph. Active aero elements include the rear wing, while underbody airflow is looked after by venturi tunnels.

We know the doors are forward-hung dihedrals but what confronts you on the inside is so far still under wraps. All Aston says about the cabin is that the seat bases will be fixed and adjustment for different sizes will be by moving the steering wheel and pedals. The driving position will put your feet higher than your behind – in the manner of an LMP1 or F1 car – although the firm is promising more room than the similarly-configured Valkyrie. Ergonomics will be entirely driver-focused with simple control layout and a central touchscreen.

There will be an array of safety and convenience features as well as the luxury accoutrements Aston buyers expect, but more than anything Aston says the Valhalla will be about a totally immersive driving experience. And the people who are going to help with that? Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenburg from the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula 1 team.

They have time to get stuck in… production isn’t expected before 2023.

Valhalla specifications

• 750PS (552kW) twin-turbo V8
• 950PS (699kW) powertrain total
• Eight-speed dual-clutch
• 600kg of downforce at 150mph
• 6m 30s Nürburgring lap time target
• 7,200rpm rev limit
• 204PS (150kW) twin electric motors
• 1,000Nm (740lb ft) of torque
• 80mph max on electric power alone
• Nine-mile electric range
• 200g/km predicted CO₂
• 217mph top speed
• 2.5 seconds for 0-62mph
• 1,550kg target dry weight