Valhalla Aston Martin Valhalla (a.k.a. Project 003)

[Centurion]

Magnificent. Ferrari red looks wrong on most supercars. The Valkyerie wears it extremely well and the colour shows off the fluidity of the design.

 

[Grosser]

Goodbye in-house V6, hello German V8 muscle.
Aston Martin originally unveiled the Valhalla as the AM-RB 003 concept back in March 2019 when it also introduced the Vanquish Vision concept. It's May 2021 and the production versions of those two supercars have yet to be revealed, but at least we now have some significant news. In an interview with Motor Trend, CEO Tobias Moers announced a radical engine change for the dynamic duo.

Even though Aston Martin had been working on its own twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine, the final specifications of the Valhalla and Vanquish will use AMG's reputable twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. Versions of the same powertrain developed by the engineers in Affalterbach are already found in the DB11 and Vantage sports cars as well as the DBX SUV.

Why the sudden change? Moers admitted it would've been extremely difficult for the in-house V6 to meet the Euro 7 emissions regulations due in 2025. Although technically possible to make the 3.0-liter unit comply with the incoming stringent laws, it would've required making a major investment. Aston Martin's head honcho went on to say the money can be put to good use elsewhere, specifically in electrification.
The Valhalla remains the "Son of Valkyrie" and will borrow some of the tech from the flagship hypercar while being significantly more affordable. Production will be limited and Motor Trend reports it’s going to take the shape of a rear-wheel-drive hybrid. The electric motor is expected to sit between the combustion engine and the gearbox.
As far as the Vanquish is concerned, Moers says it will morph into a McLaren Artura competitor by becoming a "broadband mid-engine sports car." An all-wheel-drive derivative is allegedly in the works, courtesy of an electric motor driving the front axle.
In other news, Aston Martin's CEO reiterated customer deliveries of the Valkyrie are going to commence in the latter half of 2021 when the DBX will get an inline-six, mild-hybrid derivative. Next year, the SUV will spawn a high-performance version to take on the Lamborghini Urus and is expected to have 650 horsepower at the very least. Moers also said the DB11, DBS, and Vantage will all be freshened up in the coming years.
What Has Aston Martin Been Up To Lately?

The days are likely numbered for the V12 engine as although Aston Martin says it's trying to make it cleaner to meet tougher regulations, there's a slim chance it will survive in the Euro 7 era. The company will gradually switch to plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles, likely benefitting from AMG's expertise.

Aston Martin Valhalla and Vanquish officially switching to AMG V8

Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers has announced the V6 turbocharged engine the company was working on has been ditched in favor of an AMG-sourced V8.

uk.motor1.com

 

[Bridster]

I think that the car getting cancelled is most likely, followed by using a V8 from the GT .

This means they don't have the money to develop anything. Not the electronics to work with MB systems, not the engine to meet emission compliance,

First of all - smug face .

But second of all, when I said that they likely don't have money to get the engine emission compliant, I certainly didn't mean Euro 7 . We don't even know what the Euro 7 rules will be and Aston Martin don't know either. There is no technical reason why a 3L turbo V6 shouldn't be able to pass emissions - it's just that they are so strapped for cash, or so bad, that they can't see it ever happening no matter what the Euro 7 rules turn out to be.

 

[Bridster]

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[Centurion]

Marvelous design. Absolutely marvellous.

My concern is deliveries in the 2nd half of 2023 for £700k~. That's a two years for a car that will be twice as expensive as an SF90 or Aventador successor.

My other reservation is that the next AMG GT and possibly DB10, could be powered by the same drivetrain.

 

[TopspeedPT]

4.0l V8 TT: 750PS @ 7200RPM
Electric motors: 204PS
Combined power: 950PS and 1000Nm

Eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission
Electronic limited-slip differential
Fully electric reverse mode
Electric range: 15Km and limited to 130Km/h
1550Kg (dry)

Downforce: 600Kg @ 241Km/h
0-100Km/h: 2.5s
330Km/h
Nordscheleife target: 6:30

 

[Wunderkind]

Awful! Looks like a big Lotus Exige.

 

[Bridster]

It's really hard to say anything about this car in light of how the Valkyrie project has gone. The Valkyrie had the benefit of being associated with the Red Bull F1 team and Adrian Newey, but even then the specs got diluted and the car still hasn't been delivered. If we look at Aston Martin alone, they really don't have the reputation for engineering excellence that would make me believe they are gonna do anything extraordinary with the Valhalla. Their GT cars - while good looking and good handling - were always miles behind other brands technically and performance wise. The Aston Martin Vulcan - despite being made from CF, costing over £1M, being for track only and using slicks - ended up being slower than a lot of road cars. If we are being honest, Aston Martin are kinda incompetent. Maybe the Valkyrie coming out and being awesome could change that opinion, but since that could be seen as a result of Newey's design rather than AM being great, I am not even sure about that.

All that we have so far are targets and promises. They target 6:30 lap time, they target 1550kg weight (which wouldn't even be that great), they target late 2023 deliveries. But, do they have any working prototypes yet? No. So it's all just their hopes and dreams at the moment. And as we've learned from the Valkyrie, it might very well happen that the car is gonna be delivered late (if at all) and with performance that is not at all what was promised.

 

[Centurion]

It's really hard to say anything about this car in light of how the Valkyrie project has gone. The Valkyrie had the benefit of being associated with the Red Bull F1 team and Adrian Newey, but even then the specs got diluted and the car still hasn't been delivered. If we look at Aston Martin alone, they really don't have the reputation for engineering excellence that would make me believe they are gonna do anything extraordinary with the Valhalla. Their GT cars - while good looking and good handling - were always miles behind other brands technically and performance wise. The Aston Martin Vulcan - despite being made from CF, costing over £1M, being for track only and using slicks - ended up being slower than a lot of road cars. If we are being honest, Aston Martin are kinda incompetent. Maybe the Valkyrie coming out and being awesome could change that opinion, but since that could be seen as a result of Newey's design rather than AM being great, I am not even sure about that.

All that we have so far are targets and promises. They target 6:30 lap time, they target 1550kg weight (which wouldn't even be that great), they target late 2023 deliveries. But, do they have any working prototypes yet? No. So it's all just their hopes and dreams at the moment. And as we've learned from the Valkyrie, it might very well happen that the car is gonna be delivered late (if at all) and with performance that is not at all what was promised.

Are you saying that Aston Martin is like Land Rover, a fashion brand?

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

It doesn't look as alien as the previous concept. It's a shame that the in-house V6 was tossed aside, but that V8 is not something to sneeze at.

That said, while I am optimistic, I can't help but feel very, very.....very cautiously optimistic about this whole endeavor.

 

[Centurion]

It doesn't look as alien as the previous concept.

It's brilliant how the Aston Grille works on anything from supercar and SUV to mid-engined hyper cars. The original concept, Project 003 was a bit too nondescript for my liking.

 

[Bucketslash11]

i feel like the old concept was better because it didn't hold anything back, at least the Valkyrie got to the point of no return so that Mercedes couldn't scale it back

why ditch all the creative aerodynamics and the tight F1 packaging solutions of Adrian Newey?

 

[Centurion]

that V8 is not something to sneeze at.

My only concerns is that the muscle car rumble of cross plane crank engine won't sound sexy in a mid engined car.

 

[Bridster]

My only concerns is that the muscle car rumble of cross plane crank engine won't sound sexy in a mid engined car.

Then you are in luck! Because the engine they are planning to use is the flat plane V8 from the AMG GT Black Series .

 

[klier]

What is this car? I don't understand it at all. Also not where to place it next the Valkyrie and other super/hypercars.

 

[Matski]

I think Aston Martin need another "DB7 moment", and I'm not sure the Valkyrie or Valhalla are quite it.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I think Aston Martin need another "DB7 moment", and I'm not sure the Valkyrie or Valhalla are quite it.

I somewhat agree considering mid-engine isn't exactly A-M's forte. Unfortunately, front-engined GTs don't create the buzz and desire as it once did.

I like what I see with the Valhalla, but despite some of the technical advantages it has (CF tub) or seemingly has (advanced aero) over its closest rival, the SF90, the projected price may be difficult to swallow. And considering there's some behind the scene tumult over at Gaydon necessitating changes like abandoning a bespoke powerplant for one from AMG, that does take some sheen off the project.

 

[Grosser]

Where do they get that brand new 8 speed DCT?
Also, can anybody name me some TT V8 engines with a flat crank other than AMG 4.0l? Want to compare engine sounds

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Where do they get that brand new 8 speed DCT?

Per Carfection vid, Graziano. Like the SF90, reverse is done by e-motor.

 

[Jo_Sta7]

As a design exercise, I think this is fantastic. Truly, one of the most beautiful cars I’ve seen maybe ever. I don’t much care for the Valkyrie. This is much better (to me). If this car existed, in working condition as advertised today, I’d pay $800k-1mm for it. But in 2-3 years, I’m not sure. I don’t know what else will exist and from what I’m told the 720S replacement will be a 4wd hybrid making around 900 hp with a dry weight just 100 kg more than the 720S. And it will cost around $400-450k with options. Tough to see how one can justify 2x as much for this car or 1.5x as much as an SF90 unless it really delivers.

Astons haven’t delivered on the performance front for years though. Look at the performance of the DBS Superlight (lol). All that power and nothing to show for it. You’d struggle to run sub 11.5 1/4 in that car.