Aston has been on a roll of late, with a fantastic new Vantage, the return of a mighty V12-powered Vanquish, and a DBX 707 that finally feels as special to be in as it does to drive. The foundations are now there, then, for an out-of-this-world Aston flagship. We’ve known about it for some time - but here, at last, is the eye-popping reality: the 1,079hp Valhalla.
Pretty cool, huh? Let’s talk about the powertrain first. Because not only is the Valhalla the first mid-engined, series production car in Aston Martin history, it is also the first plug-in hybrid. It pairs a flat-plane crank version of the 4.0-litre hot-v turbo V8, revving to 7,000rpm and producing 828hp thanks to new turbos boosting to 3.0 bar, with a 560-cell High Performance Battery (exact kWh size to follow) and three electric motors: a P2.5 unit in the eight-speed dual clutch and a brace on the front axle as part of a bespoke P4 Front Electric Drive Unit. Together that means 1,079hp and 811lb ft, with a maximum contribution from the EV side of 251hp and 632lb ft. The Valhalla is anticipated to reach 62mph in 2.5 seconds, and 217mph flat out. No Aston short of a Valkyrie will even be close to rivalling this.
The new eight-speed transmission is interesting as a DCT, given autos are found in the rest of the range currently. Aston is promising ‘split-second shift times and a thrilling shift character’. Additionally the DCT boasts E-boost, Torque-Full and Loadshift tech, the former two filling in any gaps of the ICE’s delivery (not to mention ramping up shift drama when required) and the latter monitoring energy requirements to use the incorporated P2.5 motor most efficiently. Its behaviour will be adjusted along with a host of other dynamic parameters - suspension stiffness, active aero, steering - through the drive modes. The Valhalla will always start in Sport, with Pure EV, Sport + and Race also offered. Electric driving - in a mid-engined Aston supercar! - is handled entirely by those front motors, which also deal with reverse and some torque vectoring, with nine miles and 80mph possible.
Predictably then, it’s very much a performance-enhancing hybrid system rather than a range-extending one, Aston making no mention of anything so prosaic as charge times or rates in its press release. It’s much keener, understandably, to specify how cleverly the car and harvest kinetic energy to feed back into the battery and keep it juiced. The Valhalla employs two forms of regen, both Cat B for the front motor which is via the brakes (and will provide the majority) as well as Cat A for the rear when lifting off. It seems unlikely that drivers will ever be without charge when the Valhalla is being driven as intended, basically. The regen is also in cahoots with the torque vectoring, which is a proper head scrambler; Aston says energy recouped by that front motor under braking can then be redeployed to aid cornering. It believes the ability to distribute ‘wheel individual regenerative torque across the front axle’ is a ‘further technical triumph’, and we’re not going to dispute that.
Obviously, a powertrain of such enormous potential wouldn’t be much good without a chassis to handle it, and the Valhalla certainly sounds like it’s designed to stack up. The torque vectoring is again said to be central to that, evolving the Integrated Vehicle Dynamics Control introduced in the DB12 with further acronyms: Electric All-Wheel-Drive Distribution (E-AWDD) is the big one, with Integrated Power Brake (IPB, a by-wire system enabling ‘seamless’ regen) and the E-TV torque vectoring. The drive modes again will adjust the behaviour of those systems, as well as the ESP settings; fully on makes the Valhalla as accessible as possible, with Race then tailoring the E-TV for ‘more extreme driving’ and maximum agility. ESP Off then ramps it up to ‘the highest levels of lateral acceleration’ with the driver left to their own devices and assisted by a hydraulically-actuated rear diff.
Aston says there is a ‘suite’ of six-axis inertia measurement sensors throughout the Valhalla, which monitors available grip and divvies up torque as appropriate. Standard tyres, interestingly, are a regular Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S, 285-section front and 335-section rear on forged 20s and 21s. But don’t expect many of the 999 customers to plump for those when there’s a magnesium wheel available, which saves 12kg of unsprung weight from a 1,655kg dry (with lightweight options, obvs) mass. They come on the Michelin Cup 2 tyre, too, for those who really want to make the most of their Valhalla. Brakes are carbon ceramic, 410mm up front and 390mm behind, combining to create the largest brake assembly on any Aston sports car. It’s a by-wire system, with huge effort apparently expended on making the pedal feel spot on, balancing regen with friction. ‘Engineered for the rigours of track use and finessed for the nuanced demands of road driving, Valhalla’s brakes are a spectacular blend of power and precision’ is the promise.
Aerodynamic grip will of course be hugely important to the Valhalla’s overall performance, too. The headline figure is ‘in excess of 600kg’ at 149mph, which is maintained all the way to the 217mph maximum (itself achieved with some DRS help). Understandably, Aston says there’s plenty of F1 influence to the Valhalla’s aerodynamic makeup, extending to the design of the carbon tub with input from Aston Martin Performance Technologies and a lower section weight of 74.2kg. Clearly this isn’t a Grand Prix car, though, so there’s the notable additional benefit of being able to use a host of active elements. They’re all hydraulically actuated, the rear T-Wing rising by 255mm on rams in Race mode and serving as an air brake as well. The front wing extends at the same time for ‘maximum downforce with full range of movement’, so the DRS will engage automatically when the Valhalla decides it can relinquish some of that purchase for speed.
Aluminium subframes hang off the carbon tub, with suspension via an evolution of the game-changing Bilstein DTX dampers used in the Vantage and Vanquish. At the front end there are pushrods and inboard mounted springs to benefit air flow, with a more conventional five-link axle at the rear. An ‘exceptional range of performance across Valhalla’s various dynamic driving modes’ is promised.
Even knowing that little lot would make the idea of the Valhalla a hugely exciting prospect - but just look at the thing. True beauty, of course, is for each beholder to judge (and we’ve not seen the car in the flesh) yet surely this is how most people would hope a mid-engined Aston looks, some familiar brand hallmarks like the lighting signatures and grille design neatly melded with a much more exotic silhouette. The Race mode rear spoiler setting in conjunction with the diffuser most certainly brings the drama, too. And the dihedral doors, of course. Which are more than just doors, in fact, with airflow from the front arches sent along them and down the flanks to assist the engine and the oil coolers. So they’re door turning vanes now.
Additional features of note include the snorkel (again functional, helping out intercoolers), the panels either side to fill it up with dino juice or electricity, plus four exhausts: two up top like a Longtail McLaren, and two either side of the underbody venturis. “As Aston Martin’s first mid-engined supercar Valhalla presented a rare opportunity to create something fresh”, said Marek Reichmann, adding: “This striking new aesthetic reflects the unique synergies between Aston Martin’s exemplary approach to design and Aston Martin Performance Technologies’ mastery of materials and aerodynamics.” Not that the showing off aspect of supercar ownership has been forgotten, either, as the Valhalla can be had painted, in exposed carbon, or with red, blue or green tinted carbon fibre finish. There are liveries available on top.
The interior, to finish. Again, predictably, there’s some tangible F1 influence, with footwells raised high for a ‘hip-to-heel’ seating position, a squared-off wheel and shift lights just like Fernando’s weekend wheels. But it’s still an Aston Martin, so Q can kit out your Valhalla in pretty much any material required, and there’s a central touchscreen for key information. ‘The Amphitheatre line’ is a new Aston design language theme for interiors, here brought to life with that gorgeous carbon brace across the cabin and an instrument panel on top.
So that, for now, is the Valhalla - nothing less than the “ultimate driver’s supercar” according to Aston CEO Adrian Hallmark. And additional evidence that its maker, creatively at least, is in rude health. First deliveries of the 999 are due in the second half of next year. The configurator is now live, on the other hand, for those of you daydreaming with us.
1 / 21
