Aston Martin Valhalla 2024: change of course
Aston Martin continues its turn towards the engines in the rear central position. After the Valkyrie, it’s now the turn of the Aston Martin Valhalla 2024 to emerge, but with major changes compared to the initial concept.
In 2020, Aston Martin unveiled the first prototype of the Valhalla, an exotic car with typically English sleek lines interpreted in the Aston Martin. At the time, we were talking about a racing car that would be equipped with an Aston Martin-designed hybrid V6 and especially a price that would hover around 1.3 million US dollars. Now that Tobias Moers has taken Andy Palmer’s place as Managing Director, the concept is moving in a much different technical direction.
Superb English style
In terms of design, we maintain the essence of the car, but the changes remain substantial. At the front, the radiator grille incorporates thin horizontal bands of chrome specific to the brand. The base of the hood, at the junction of the windshield, has also been completely revised, as is the less angular shape of the headlights which operate 100% on LEDs.
At the rear, we stay closer to the original prototype with very thin lights made up of ten LED tips. The idea is taken from the legendary Vulcan and Victor. The fin hugs the wings while we notice the absence of bezel. Rather, there are two snorkel type exhaust pipes. To improve the flow of air under the car, an imposing diffuser is needed as a bumper.
Tobias Moers sums up his thinking on the Valhalla: “Preserving the essence of an exceptional concept vehicle is vital when it reaches production transition. With Valhalla, we not only stuck with the idea of ​​building a world-class exotic, we exceeded our goals. “
Minimalist interior
For the moment, the manufacturer has not unveiled an image of the interior. However, we can expect to find there a minimalist spirit as in the prototype. Aston Martin promises the most complete equipment with a variety of accessories such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto as well as a variety of driver assistance and assistance technologies.
Plug-in hybrid exoticism
The Valhalla is made almost entirely from carbon fiber. This reality allows it to have an expected mass of only 1,550 kilos. To drive the car, Aston Martin abandoned the idea of ​​integrating its own V6 hybrid. Unsurprisingly, we turn once again to the AMG partner. The two manufacturers have been working together for several years now and we must not forget that Moers is the former boss of AMG.
The result is a 4.0-liter V8, but assisted by two electric motors on each axle. It is also the same hybrid system that we will see shortly in the new generation of the Mercedes-AMG C63. The V8 alone has some 750 horsepower and even goes so far as to incorporate a flat crankshaft for greater responsiveness. This power is reserved exclusively for the rear axle.
Being a hybrid, we also get the presence of electric motors powered by a 150 kilowatt / 400 volt battery system. These offer an additional 204 horsepower which brings the total horsepower count of the Valhalla to 950 horsepower. In terms of torque, the measurement is 738 pound-feet (1,000 newtons). Power is sent to the wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Aston Martin announces a 100% electric range of 15 kilometers with the possibility of driving up to a maximum of 130 km / h in electric mode. By opening all the engines, 0-100 km / h will be a matter of 2.5 seconds and the expected top speed of 330 km / h.
The first copies of the Aston Martin Valhalla will be delivered at the end of 2023, so there is still quite a bit of time before we can see the car. There is good news, however, that production will no longer be limited to just 500 units. Other good news, and it is major, the price goes from 1.3 million to “only” $ 800,000 US! It is still a “saving” of half a million dollars!
