Aston Martin goes hybrid with new Valhalla concept at Monterey
Aston Martin brought out their Viking-inspired Valkyrie and Valhalla hypercars to The Quail show at last week’s Monterey Car Week, giving the $1.5 million Valhalla its North American debut in the form of an actual running prototype.
Until now, we’ve only seen the Valkyrie-derived Valhalla in static form at the Geneva Motor Show. That car was likely just a “pushmobile” concept. Aston Martin is calling the Valhalla on display at The Quail a “dynamic concept” and released video of both the Valhalla development mule and the Valkyrie being road tested on the Silverstone track in the UK. The use of the home track for the British Grand Prix is appropriate, as the two cars are being developed with the collaboration of Red Bull Technologies, which constructs the Aston Martin-sponsored Red Bull racers in Formula 1. F1 designer Adrian Newey has also had a hand in the design of the new Astons.
While the Valhalla will be more practical than the Valkyrie, that may be a matter of degree, as the Valhalla itself is no grocery-getter. The two vehicles will share advanced technology, including shape-shifting, active-aerodynamic body panels, as well as active suspension, active ride height, and shared control systems. The hybrid Valhalla is powered by a twin-turbo V-6 engine designed in-house by AM and a battery-powered electric motor, with a combined power rating of over 1000 hp. Aston Martin says that the Valhalla “will surpass” the performance figures of other hypercars, which typically come with at least two more cylinders on the internal combustion side of things. The hybrid, track-only Valkyrie has a V-12 engine and 1160 total horsepower.
The Valhalla’s power will be routed to all four wheels via an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission and a limited slip differential. Aston Martin is aiming for a top speed near 220 mph, with a 0-60 mph time under 2.5 seconds.
Your chance to buy either car new from the factory may have already passed, as the 150-unit run for the $3.2 million Valkyrie is already sold out and Aston Martin is describing the 500 Valhallas planned as “oversubscribed.” If you’re the kind of affluent car enthusiast who doesn’t like when makers of exotic cars play favorites or establish a pecking order for favored customers, prepare to be annoyed. Aston Martin explicitly says that it will “handpick” the “lucky customers” who will be graced with access to the final Valhalla production slots.
