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The Aston Martin Valhalla: A Masterclass in Modern Hypercar Engineering
“So, how was it?!”
It’s the question everyone asks after you’ve experienced the latest ultra-high-performance car, and perhaps no car warrants it more than Aston Martin’s $1.1 million, 1,064-horsepower Valhalla. But these days, reviewing these hypercars feels less like traditional journalism and more like a descent into absurdity. When friends and colleagues asked me about the Valhalla after my drive, I found myself hesitating before giving a simple, “Exactly what you’d expect.” It’s only a meaningful response if you’ve personally witnessed the 2020s evolution of supercar engineering.
A Long Time in the Making
It feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s been seven years since the 2019 Geneva Motor Show unveiled the AM-RB 003 concept. The name eventually evolved to Valhalla, drawn from Norse mythology—the afterlife hall for heroic warriors and a nod to Aston’s traditional V naming scheme.
A lot has changed since then. Aston and Red Bull Racing parted ways after the 2020 F1 season when Lawrence Stroll rebranded Racing Point as Aston Martin’s F1 team. Crucially, the automotive landscape was transforming, and Aston was undergoing massive internal shifts. The hybrid powertrain, initially conceived as an in-house 3.0-liter V-6 inspired by the LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder, was pivoted to a production-ready hybrid system based on the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Aston enlarged the turbos, optimized the intake, strengthened the pistons, and revised the camshafts, boosting the output by nearly 100 hp and 50 lb-ft. The Valhalla stands alone as the exclusive home for this enhanced engine.
When I sat in a mockup at Pebble Beach in August 2022, fascinated by the F1-inspired reclined and elevated seating position, the projected power figures had climbed from 937 hp and 738 lb-ft to 1,012 hp. Even back then, Aston confirmed these were still prototypes, but the performance potential was undeniable. I just wanted to drive it, whenever it was ready.
Worth the Wait…
Based on Aston Martin’s initial development timeline, I didn’t expect another three-and-a-half years to pass before getting behind the wheel. But the production hardware exceeded those early promises.
The flat-plane-crank, dry-sump, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 generates a staggering 817 hp. When combined with 248 hp from two Aston-designed radial-flux permanent-magnet motors—one on the front axle and a third integrated into the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (an Aston first)—the combined output reaches 1,064 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque.
Along with the motors, the hybrid system features a 560-cell battery pack, cooled by immersion in dielectric oil. This liquid-cooling strategy allows for rapid energy cycling, a crucial advantage for track performance. As Chief Engineer Andrew Kay explained, “We’re able to push energy into the battery and cycle it out very quickly. This is very good for track use, in particular.”
Unlike the original concept and its Valkyrie sibling, the production Valhalla is a plug-in hybrid, capable of pure EV mode for up to 8.7 miles and a top speed of 80 mph.
…But Something Else Happened Along the Way
The supercar/hypercar terminology is often debated, and here, Aston Martin refers to the Valhalla as its first mid-engine supercar. However, given the Valkyrie’s existence, the marketing language becomes restrictive, forcing the use of “super” rather than “hyper.” While semantics, it speaks volumes about the evolution of performance cars.
The Valkyrie, essentially a road-legal race car, commands a $3+ million price tag and a limited run of 285 units, making the Valhalla’s $1 million+ price and 999-unit inventory seem almost pedestrian by comparison.
Absurd as that statement may sound, it reflects the reality of the 2020s automotive landscape. Car enthusiasts among Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are accustomed to seeing million-dollar machines flooding their social feeds. These cars constantly redefine performance benchmarks for power, torque, acceleration, and lap times, paired with tech specs and bespoke options that outstrip the length of the Nürburgring 24-hour circuit.
For older enthusiasts, it’s easy to recall the shockwave sent by the $800,000, 627-hp McLaren F1 in 1993-94. Or even the Bugatti Veyron just 20 years ago, widely considered the first million-dollar, 1,000-hp hypercar.
Today? Since the Valhalla concept debuted, we’ve driven cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which has about half the horsepower and less advanced hybrid tech but utilizes racing-derived aerodynamics and components that demand pro-level driving skills to maximize its performance on a track. Its suitability as a road car, given its setup, is debatable.
Stepping up in price, construction, and tech, MotorTrend has recently tested the Ferrari F80, the 849 Testarossa, the Czinger 21C VMax, and even the more “conventional but dizzyingly fast” Porsche 911 Turbo S. Not to mention the hybrid Corvette ZR1X with 1,250 hp, a machine few predicted would arrive when the Valhalla was conceived as a collaboration between Aston Martin and Adrian Newey.
Just Drive It
With so much going on in modern performance cars, the adage “comparison is the thief of joy” feels more relevant than ever, especially when comparing supercars and hypercars. It’s also apt because orchestrating a head-to-head comparison test between these vehicles—other than the ZR1X—is virtually impossible. Ferrari, in particular, remains resistant to lending us cars for head-to-head battles.
No matter. Given how high the dynamic limits are, it’s more satisfying to drive something like the Valhalla on its own merits and appreciate the experience it provides.
On the Road
The overall experience in a car like this truly matters. It’s no longer acceptable for a car to be pleasant on the road but handle like crap on the track, or vice versa. Aston Martin has long understood this. Angus MacKenzie’s previous test of a near-production Valhalla at Silverstone already confirmed its balance of road manners and track capability.
While Angus drove only on the short Stowe layout at Silverstone, Aston provided a 50-minute road loop for this review. Looking at the Valhalla’s Le Mans-inspired design and low stance, you might expect a compromised daily driver, but it’s surprisingly refined. The only significant drawback is the lack of luggage storage—no frunk, as that space is taken up by three high-temperature radiators, the electric motors, and a racing-style, pushrod-actuated inboard suspension.
This suspension layout is partly due to the F1-style driving position. You sit so low that a conventional suspension would raise the roofline, obscuring the view. There’s no seat-angle adjustment, so you must adapt to the position. With the seats bolted to the monocoque tub, there’s no electric motor for forward-back adjustment. Instead, you use a leather strap between your legs to adjust your reach to the pedals.
You quickly get used to the driving position—it’s not as extreme as it looks—and within two miles, you realize the Valhalla-specific Bilstein DTX active dampers and overall suspension setup provide a comfortable ride for a modern megacar. The Spanish road route was challenging but not flawless, yet the difference between the Sport and Sport+ suspension settings was minimal, providing usable flexibility. Race mode introduces a harsher ride that you’d likely tire of during daily driving, but it’s manageable, especially on well-maintained, high-speed roads.
The square steering wheel feels nice, but the molded crease on the back of the grip, designed for better grip, might not suit everyone. The steering feel is intuitive, maintaining a pleasant weight that’s neither too light nor too heavy across the drive modes.
When I found a long, empty stretch of country road, I stopped the car, stood on the brake and throttle, and launched the Valhalla as hard as possible. After a slight initial wiggle from the rear as the tires hooked up, it was simply a matter of going. Aston claims 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds, so expect 0-60 in around 2.4 or 2.3 seconds. The speed is comparable to other cars in this class, but the impressive flat torque curve means 90% of the 811 lb-ft peak is available from 2,500 to 6,700 rpm. It just keeps pulling.
If there’s a criticism, it’s the lack of high revs—the redline is set at 7,000 rpm. The sound, a mix of electric motors, turbos,
