Aston Martin Valhalla: 1079 HP of Driving Heaven
Aston Martin has unleashed the final production version of the Valhalla supercar that’s built for battle against the McLaren W1 and Ferrari F80.
The mid-engined machine is described by Aston Martin as “a supercar of extraordinary scope.” So how does it live up that claim? Let’s dig into the detail.
With a thousand horses the bare minimum cost of entry to today’s supercar league, the Valhalla’s 1079 hp hybrid powertrain ticks the bragging rights box. Doing most of the heavy lifting is a four-liter flat-plane crank V-8 motor with a brace of turbos. Delivering 828 hp it’s the most powerful eight-cylinder ever fitted to an Aston. It drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual clutch transmission that incorporates and e-diff and an electric motor. An additional pair of e-motors drive the front wheels, with the total electrical output equating to an additional 251 hp.
The front axle motors mean the Valhalla can be driven in pure EV mode for around nine miles and also negate the need for a reverse gear as a quick polarity switch will spin the motors backwards for parking. The in-gearbox motor provides torque-fill between gearshifts to aid acceleration, and the independent operation of the front motors provides torque vectoring to assist with cornering.
The Valhalla is built around a carbon fiber tub, with a structure that’s said to be unique to Aston Martin. Aluminum subframes are attached and there’s push-rod front suspension with inboard springs and dampers at the front, while the rear end makes use of a five-link setup. DTX adaptive dampers are fitted all-round. Carbon ceramic disc brakes are installed, sized at 410 mm (16.14 in) up front and 390 mm (15.35 in) at the back, squeezed by six-piston and four-piston monobloc calipers respectively.
Additional braking power comes in the form a regenerative system for the hybrid setup and the car’s active aerodynamics. In Race mode the Valhalla’s front and rear wings shift position to immediately increase drag and shift the aero balance for improved stability. At 149 mph the Valhalla can produce 600kg (1,323 lbs) of downforce. On the flipside there’s a DRS (Drag Reduction System) to make the Valhalla slippery enough to top 217 mph flat out. With launch control deployed 0-62 mph takes just 2.5 seconds.
Moving on to the design, our own Sajeev Mehta has a deep dive here, so we’ll just pick a few highlights, like the forward-hinged dihedral doors that cut into the roof, the F1-derived snorkel and the top-exit exhaust. Buyers can choose to leave the entire body in exposed carbon fiber, which can be tinted in red, blue or green, while traditionalists can pick from an unlimited paint palette. Six motorsports-themed liveries are also offered.
Although rather roomier inside Aston Martin says the interior also takes cues from its Grand Prix racing cars with a wraparound “Amphitheater” cockpit. There’s a single carbon brace running the width of the cabin and the instrument panel and center display float atop it. Carbon is also used for the seats which can be trimmed according to taste with the aid of Aston Martin’s Q division.
Aston Martin intends to build 999 Valhallas starting from mid 2025 and priced around $800,000. That’s more than twice the amount of cars compared to the McLaren W1 and 200 more than the number of F80s Ferrari intends to make. The Aston is priced more keenly than the $2.1 million McLaren and $3.9 million Ferrari, but it packs less power and weighs more than both.
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