Aston Martin Valhalla: what we know about the ‘baby’ Valkyrie

Aston Martin has confirmed that its next mid-engined hypercar will be called Valhalla. The car, which will cost a cool £1m, will be a cheaper version of the firm’s racing-focused Valkyrie.

Positioned as a direct rival to the McLaren Senna and the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Valhalla is an ultra-lightweight hypercar that has been designed with the help of Adrian Newey, the legendary Formula 1 engineer behind Red Bull Racing’s four world championships.

The hypercar, formerly known as the AM-RB 003, is essentially a baby version of the forthcoming Valkyrie. It has a lot of the Valkyrie’s technology, including its carbon fibre bodywork, but has a smaller engine and a more subtle design.

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It’s also rumoured to be the star car of the next James Bond movie, which has just begun production, the Daily Mail reports.

There’s a couple of years to go before Aston Martin takes the covers off the production-ready model. In the meantime, here’s what we know about the mid-engined hypercar:

Price and release

Around 500 examples of the Valhalla are set to reach production, each costing £1m, says Auto Express. This might sound expensive but the Valkeyrie, whose price has not yet been revealed, is likely to be double that.

The British carmaker unveiled the Valhalla prototype at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but fans will have to wait until 2021 to see the hypercar in production form.

What does “Valhalla” mean?

Like the Valkyrie, the Valhalla name derives from Norse mythology.

Valhalla is the name of a great hall located in Asgard, one of Norse mythology’s nine worlds. Those who died in combat were led by Valkyries – female figures who chose which soldiers died in battle and which ones lived – to the hall of Valhalla.

Design

At first glance, most people would be hard pressed to spot the difference between the Valhalla and its big brother, the Valkyrie.

The Valhalla has the Valkeyrie’s “pronounced haunches,” as well as its wide, exposed front bumper and large rear diffuser, says Auto Express. The ultra-thin cabin is also a mirror image of the Valkyrie, as is its twin-exhaust system that exits through the engine cover.

The Valhalla’s ultra-lightweight carbon fibre bodywork is similar to that of the Valkyrie. This has been honed by the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team to help drivers slash seconds off their lap time at the race track, according to the automotive news site Motoring Research.

But there are some key visual differences.

The Valhalla has a notably lower nose than the Valkyrie’s, while there’s more bodywork around the front wheel arches on the new model.

The British marque has also kitted out the Valhalla with a luxurious interior, cementing the car as a more road-focused model than the Le Mans-inspired Valkyrie.

Engine and performance

Aston Martin has yet to confirm the specs of the Valhalla, but it’s widely believed that the hypercar will produce around 1,000bhp.

According to Autocar, the Valhalla will be powered by a new twin-turbo V6 engine that’s paired to a hybrid system. Given the expected power output of the Valhalla, we anticipate that the hybrid system will be used to boost the combustion engine’s power, rather than improve its fuel economy.