New Aston Valhalla Spider officially unveiled
Behold the most powerful drop-top Aston ever - and a finally a 1,079hp Valhalla with some storage
The carbon-tubbed supercar without a roof is truly the best of both worlds: all the joy of driving exposed to the elements, with none of the associated problems of torsional stiffness (or lack thereof). There’s no reason not to go for it, really, both as a buyer and a manufacturer. But it never really appeared to be part of the Aston Martin Valhalla plan, despite the carbon architecture, with 999 to be made and initially no official mention of any kind of roadster.
Until now, that is. While there will still only be one less than a thousand units, it’s reckoned that around a quarter of Valhallas will now be made without a roof. Seems a strange way of doing it - but there we go. Whatever the case, the Spider now qualifies as Aston’s fastest, most powerful open car as well. All the vital bits are unchanged: same 1,079hp combo of twin-turbo V8 (supplying 828hp of the total) with a trio of electric motors supplying 251, and same eight-speed DCT, as well.
It’s a supercar roadster in the old school sense, too, perhaps reflecting that a Spider wasn’t always part of the Valhalla plan. Look elsewhere for an electrically actuated retractable hard top, as here the decision must be made before you set off; no roof, a limited-to-124mph fabric roof, or an optional carbon hardtop. A static cover is also included to protect tritone semi-aniline leather from any drizzle. But if you leave without a roof, the Valhalla doesn’t get it back until returning home, because even the newly introduced storage in the sills is only enough to hold the new wind deflector. Little wonder the West Coast is expected to be the biggest market.
What a Valhalla Spider might lose in convenience it certainly makes up for in performance. Without the usual roof-associated gubbins, it weighs just 25kg more than a Coupe at 1,680kg dry with lightweight bits; the top speed remains 217mph, roof on or roof off, and it still generates more than 600kg of downforce (with the carbon cap on). Perhaps more than any other Spider, Spyder, Roadster or Speedster, this ought to mirror the hardtop experience to the millisecond.
There are changes, but by convertible standards they are minor. The ESC and active aero devices have been reworked to keep behaviour consistent regardless of the roof arrangement, and the snorkel is altered for the different airflow: it’s now a slightly different shape and sits 35mm taller. Note perhaps the hardest working wind deflector in the business, keeping air away from those inside yet also feeding the snorkel and diverting the rest where required. It’s the only part of the new roof setup that can be stored in the car; folding up its three constituent parts and storing them in the new stowage apertures won’t take long at all…
Despite appearances, too, this is actually a more accommodating Valhalla than the Coupe, now with a new Touring seat as standard (some more powerfully built customers struggled with the original carbon seat, which remains optional) as well as new doors. Again, there had been some suggestions that the dihedral items required a bit too much effort to open and close, so now they don’t. A redesign of the glass should mean it isn’t too tricky to clamber in with a roof on.
Not that that’s ever likely to happen, surely. At the preview event for the Valhalla Spider, it was only ever shown with the roof off, which must be the intended use. Despite Adrian Hallmark’s claim that the Spider is capable of “preserving the aesthetic beauty” of the Coupe, there is something perhaps a tad disjointed about the appearance. The spec probably didn’t do the show car many favours. But with so much going on behind the driver and passenger in a Valhalla, taking the roof away leaves them looking a little exposed at the front end. Even by mid-engined standards, it seems quite cab-forward. Maybe out of the studio, on the road, and in a different colour scheme might help. But it would be hard to call it a hand-biting beauty for the moment. Attention-grabbing, for sure, with aero features, exhausts, size and stance to spare.
Probably that won’t matter a jot to those spending a million quid on the Spider. This is an even more exclusive version of the most thrilling production Aston Martin ever, one that actually promises even more exhilaration behind the wheel thanks to the missing roof. That it might not be the prettiest thing ever won’t be an issue.
Hallmark added that the Spider gives the Valhalla “expanded opportunities for enjoyment and engagement that can only be found in an open-cockpit supercar. High speed or low speed. Rain or shine. Roof on or roof off. Road or track. Valhalla Spider ticks every box.” First deliveries are going to kick off in Q3 next year, so even though this probably represents the final few, you’ll be seeing plenty more of the Valhalla for a while yet. The configurator beckons - and don’t forget a lucky dip for tonight…
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