AUTONEWS

Aston Martin Valhalla Plug-In Hybrid Supercar Unleashes 1064 HP In Final Test

Aston Martin's Valhalla is inching closer to production; we've already seen the supercar in final production form, but now Aston Martin is showing off the mid-engined plug-in hybrid vehicle undergoing road- and track-testing in the United Kingdom and Spain. These tests are meant to button down final details in steering setup, damper calibration, active aerodynamics, etc. for what might be one of the most dramatic Astons to ever grace Mother Earth, following in the footsteps of the rarer Valkyrie hypercar.

As the first mid-engined Aston Martin supercar ever built, the Aston Martin Valhalla is a huge step (and gamble) for the British marque. For what it is, the brand new architecture brings hypercar-like looks and performance in a supercar form factor and price point. No doubt, the Valhalla may form a new niche for itself even if it's unlikely to draw Ferrari F80 and McLaren W1 hypercar customers away. (After all, if you can afford an F80 or W1, you probably (a) have no need for a "lesser" Valhalla, or (b) you could buy all three.)

To build anticipation for the car, Aston Martin released photos of Valhallas in various catching liveries hammering down roads and test tracks. In the two photos we have here, the vehicles are painted in Podium Green plus a Lime Green stripe, whereas the other is Verdant Jade accented with Valkyrie Gold hues—both eye-catching in their own right.

These road exercises aren't merely marketing stunts, but serious business where Aston Martin engineers (with the help of Darren Turner, three-time Le Mans class-winner and development driver) dial in final settings for the suspension, steering, active aeros, braking calibration in wet and dry conditions, and so on. The car is all the better for it especially considering the competition it'll face in the hi-po hybrid supercar category, primarily the Lamborghini Revuelto, McLaren Artura, and Ferrari SF90 Stradale.

Internally, the "baby" Valkyrie holds a mid-mounted 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat crank V8 that by itself shells out 817 horsepower. But remember, this is a hybrid, so the Valhalla has three electric motors joining the fun—two in the front and another in the gearbox. Combined, the output is set at 1,065 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. Zero to 62 mph can be dispatched in 2.5 seconds, topping out at 217 mph.

The Valhalla is expected to begin production in Q2 of this year. The run will be limited to 999 units with prices starting at around $800k.

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