At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the British carmaker Aston Martin presented its AM-RB 003 concept vehicle to the public for the first time. This event occurred approximately three and a half years ago. In the summer of 2018, we were given our first look at the production version of the carbon-fiber-bodied vehicle, which was afterwards given the name “Valhalla.”
The vehicle was initially scheduled to begin arriving in customers’ garages during the second half of the year 2023. As the business continues to put the finishing touches on the mid-engine monster, the target release date has been moved out to the second half of 2024.
Aston Martin Valhalla Shifts in Power (and Other Aspects)
The last time we checked in on the 2024 Aston Martin Valhalla, Aston said that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V-8 engine that was derived from Mercedes-AMG produced 740 horsepower. In conjunction with a hybrid system operating at 400 volts and having electric motors mounted on both axles, the total combined peak output was anticipated to be 937 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Those are certainly very impressive figures, but at least one Aston Martin Valhalla has improved since I last looked.
According to Della Casa, the internal combustion engine (ICE) V-8 only recently produced 812 horsepower during a dyno run; when paired with the electric motors, the powertrain now reaches its maximum output of 1,012 horsepower. (At this moment, there is no updated value for the torque.) Also significant is the fact that the company is looking at revising the chassis so that it might perhaps accept dual front motors.
Aston Martin Valhalla design would improve the vehicle’s handling by providing torque vectoring on the front axle, which would be matched by the same feature on the rear axle. However, this mouthwatering alteration is still up for debate as work moves further.
It will have the distinction of being the first dual-clutch transmission to be fitted in a production model of an Aston Martin Valhalla and is a bespoke eight-speed unit from well-known supercar supplier Graziano. Its software is being tuned in-house by Aston to, as described by Della Casa, deliver the best driving experience possible in terms of the “experience and connection” between the hybrid system, transmission, and engine. This is being done in order to deliver the best driving experience possible.
Instead of the movable pedal box that was initially envisioned for the cockpit of the Valhalla, a box that is permanently installed will take its place. In order to make up for this, the driver’s seat that was previously fixed in show-stand versions of the car will now be free to slide. According to Aston, the more traditional design is better suited to a production car and can accommodate a wider range of driver sizes.
Aston Martin Valhalla Weighing In.
The weight-to-power ratio of the 2024 Aston Martin Valhalla will be further improved as a result of recent improvements made to the car’s carbon-fiber monocoque. These revisions were made in conjunction with an increase in the car’s power output. An enormous leap forward was accomplished not more than a month or so ago, according to Della Casa, when engineers were able to lower the weight of the framework from 331 pounds to less than 220 pounds.
The head of development has stated that the Aston Martin Valhalla is aiming for a curb weight of approximately 3,640 pounds. If this goal is achieved, the Aston Martin Valhalla would be approximately 200 pounds lighter than Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale hybrid. When it comes to the driving dynamics, this again becomes a significant benefit.
Aston Martin Valhalla Aero Update
Aston Martin predicted that the active aero package of the Valhalla, which was fitted with a drag-reduction technology, would produce around 1,322 pounds of downforce at a speed of 150 miles per hour. This is a significant quantity for any vehicle that is permitted to be driven on public roads, and Della Casa estimates that it will be greater than 1,433 pounds. However, he was quick to stress out that the figure is not definitive because Aston is still working to define the precise aerodynamic and performance characteristics it hopes to attain.
According to what he had said, “It’s a number we are examining; it might be more, it could be less depending on the last parts of design we are completing, particularly for the front.”
Della Casa wanted to make it clear that Aston Martin does not intend for the Valhalla to be a driver-punishing race car that just so happens to qualify for a license plate. On paper, the above bona fides make the Valhalla driving experience a “no s***, Sherlock” proposition in the context of outright performance.
Aston Martin Valhalla represents “a new area in the market,” despite the fact that it has extreme powertrain output, large aerodynamics, a Formula 1-style driving position with the driver reclined and legs flat, a minimalist interior, and pushrod front suspension with dampers mounted transversally inboard the chassis (the rear is a multilink setup, with two designs currently undergoing testing).
In his interview, Della Casa stated, “There are supersport cars or hypercars; we are selling a new segment that is both, a medium way—and not as a compromise.” “Although you can drive the vehicle in extreme comfort, it can be transformed into a “racing car” in an instant by lowering [the adaptive suspension] and having [a lot of] downforce.
It has the performance of a supercar but can compete with hypercars. Even when traveling at modest speeds, drivers need to keep their full attention on the road. At any speed between 40 and 60 miles per hour, you are going to have the sensation that you are driving something quite exceptional. Because of both its performance and its pricing, we are forming a new market category with it.
Aston Martin Valhalla Price
There is one aspect of the 2024 Aston Martin Valhalla that has remained the same, and that is the beginning price, which is “no less than $800,000.” Customers will be able to start placing orders for their vehicles beginning in 2023, with deliveries commencing in 2024; however, production will be limited to 999 units. At the very least, 999 operating examples are in question here.
Although Della Casa stated that there are no plans to develop any variants, according to Aston’s philosophy, owners should track this particular model. In addition, the purpose of the Valhalla is to “enable our typical customers to close the gap to a pro,” rather than to “establish the best time by a pro driver,” which is the aim of most other courses. They need to close that gap, and we think we’re going to develop a car that achieves that and helps them come very close to a pro driver. Our clients, who are mostly gentleman drivers, have expressed a need for this.
That reminds us a lot of racing in fast cars, if you ask us…
Renato Bisignani, who is in charge of global marketing and communications for Aston, said that the possibility that a car like this presents is “massive” and “immense.” “At this time, we are only concentrating on getting this car dialed in, but there is a solid plan to investigate the possibility of establishing a dedicated client race program. Alternately, it might morph into a [distinct kind of] application that focuses just on tracks.
You can really only accomplish this with a mid-engine car, [something] we haven’t done for the past 109 years,” he continued. “There is internal interest in this approach, and we’re growing that interest with new-to-the-brand customers.”
In the meantime, some of the 999 Aston Martin Valhalla have not been purchased, which is something of an anomaly in the market for expensive limited-edition automobiles today. From what we have observed up to this point, it is reasonable to predict that this will not be the case in the upcoming months once the final production specifications have been established and demo drives have begun.