The Aston Martin Valhalla: A Modern Performance Spectacle Unveiled
“So, what’s the verdict?”
That’s the question every automotive critic hears after driving an Aston Martin Valhalla, the marque’s nearly $1.1 million, 1,064-horsepower hybrid hypercar. But in today’s hyper-competitive luxury automotive market, the age-old tradition of supercar reviews has become less of a critique and more of an exploration into the surreal.
When four friends and colleagues asked about the Valhalla, I found myself pausing. “Exactly as you’d expect,” I replied, knowing full well that this sounds dismissive. However, it’s only understandable if you’ve experienced the pinnacle of automotive engineering here in the 2020s.
A Decade in the Making
Seven years. It sounds like a lifetime, especially with the surreal isolation of the pandemic years that warped our perception of time. That’s how long it’s been since the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, where Aston Martin unveiled the AM-RB 003, later rebranded as the Valhalla, a nod to Norse mythology.
The original name reflected the automaker’s sponsorship ties to the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. A lot has changed since then. Aston Martin and Red Bull severed ties after the 2020 F1 season when new owner Lawrence Stroll rebranded his Racing Point team as the iconic British marque. More importantly, the automotive landscape was shifting rapidly, and so was Aston.
Internal changes were chaotic, and the Valhalla’s powertrain—initially planned as an in-house-designed turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6—was replaced by a hybridized Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series-derived twin-turbo V-8. Aston gave it larger turbos, a new intake manifold, stronger pistons, and different camshafts, boosting output by nearly 100 hp and 50 lb-ft. It’s the only car to feature this specific engine.
When I sat in a mockup at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours, marveling at the F1-inspired reclined seating, the projected specs had jumped to a combined 1,012 hp and an undisclosed torque figure. Aston insisted it wasn’t finalized, but it was more than enough to make me whisper, “Please, let me drive it, whenever it’s ready.”
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The Aston Martin Valhalla: A Modern Performance Spectacle Unveiled
“So, what’s the verdict?”
That’s the question every automotive critic hears after driving an Aston Martin Valhalla, the marque’s nearly $1.1 million, 1,064-horsepower hybrid hypercar. But in today’s hyper-competitive luxury automotive market, the age-old tradition of supercar reviews has become less of a critique and more of an exploration into the surreal.
When four friends and colleagues asked about the Valhalla, I found myself pausing. “Exactly as you’d expect,” I replied, knowing full well that this sounds dismissive. However, it’s only understandable if you’ve experienced the pinnacle of automotive engineering here in the 2020s.
A Decade in the Making
Seven years. It sounds like a lifetime, especially with the surreal isolation of the pandemic years that warped our perception of time. That’s how long it’s been since the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, where Aston Martin unveiled the AM-RB 003, later rebranded as the Valhalla, a nod to Norse mythology.
The original name reflected the automaker’s sponsorship ties to the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. A lot has changed since then. Aston Martin and Red Bull severed ties after the 2020 F1 season when new owner Lawrence Stroll rebranded his Racing Point team as the iconic British marque. More importantly, the automotive landscape was shifting rapidly, and so was Aston.
Internal changes were chaotic, and the Valhalla’s powertrain—initially planned as an in-house-designed turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6—was replaced by a hybridized Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series-derived twin-turbo V-8. Aston gave it larger turbos, a new intake manifold, stronger pistons, and different camshafts, boosting output by nearly 100 hp and 50 lb-ft. It’s the only car to feature this specific engine.
When I sat in a mockup at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours, marveling at the F1-inspired reclined seating, the projected specs had jumped to a combined 1,012 hp and an undisclosed torque figure. Aston insisted it wasn’t finalized, but it was more than enough to make me whisper, “Please, let me drive it, whenever it’s ready.”
Worth the Wait… (Mostly)
Based on Aston Martin’s timeline, I didn’t expect another three and a half years to pass. But the production version’s hardware exceeded those earlier expectations.
The flat-plane-crank, dry-sump, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 produces 817 hp. Paired with two Aston-designed radial-flux permanent-magnet motors on the front axle and a third integrated into the new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox (an Aston first), the Valhalla delivers a staggering 1,064 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque.
The hybrid system includes a 560-cell battery pack—engineers say it’s a standard AMG unit—immersed in dielectric oil for rapid cooling. As Chief Engineer Andrew Kay explained, “We can 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 with an 8.7-mile EV-only range and an 80-mph top speed.
…But Something Changed Along the Way
Purists might debate whether to call the Valhalla a “supercar” or a “hypercar.” Aston Martin markets it as their first mid-engine supercar, which is accurate given the existence of the Valkyrie. However, the Valkyrie is barely a street car. With a starting price north of $3 million and only 285 units produced, the Valhalla’s million-plus MSRP and 999-unit production run seem almost pedestrian by comparison.
Of course, that’s absurd in the real world. But it highlights the absurdity of the current high-performance automotive market. Young drivers are now accustomed to seeing million-dollar cars flood their social media feeds, spitting out unheard-of power figures and complex tech specs.
For those of us who aren’t Gen Alpha, it’s hard to forget the shockwave sent by the $800,000 McLaren F1 in 1993–94, or the Bugatti Veyron a mere 20 years ago—the car generally considered the first 1,000-hp hypercar.
Today? Since I first sat in the Valhalla prototype, we’ve driven the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a track-focused beast with half the horsepower and advanced aero that requires a professional racer to maximize. Its suitability as a daily driver is debatable.
Stepping up in price and tech, MotorTrend has sampled the Ferrari F80, the 849 Testarossa, the Czinger 21C VMax, and even the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Hell, you can now buy a hybrid Corvette ZR1X with 1,250 hp, something nobody predicted when the Valhalla was just a dream in Aston Martin and Adrian Newey’s eyes.
Just Drive It
Considering the insane competition, “comparison is the thief of joy” feels more relevant than ever. It’s also irrelevant since Ferrari rarely provides us with cars for head-to-head tests.
But for the Valhalla, it’s better to appreciate it on its own merits.
In the world of million-dollar sports cars, driving dynamics are everything. You can’t have a car that’s thrilling on the road but terrible on the track, or vice versa. Angus MacKenzie, our Senior Editor, had already sampled a production-ready Valhalla and found it to be a winner.
On the Road
Unlike Angus, who only drove it on the Silverstone Circuit, Aston gave us a 50-minute road loop in Spain. Don’t let the Le Mans Hypercar appearance fool you—the Valhalla is surprisingly comfortable for a machine this extreme. The only sacrifice is luggage space, replaced by three high-temp radiators, electric motors, and a racing-style pushrod suspension system.
The F1-style seating position is extreme, but you get used to it quickly. The seats are bolted to the carbon-fiber monocoque, with no power adjustment. Instead, you pull a strap between your legs to slide forward and back.
You quickly adapt to the driving position, and within two miles, you realize the Valhalla-specific Bilstein DTX active dampers provide a comfortable ride for a megacar of this caliber. The Spanish roads weren’t perfect, but the suspension offered minimal differentiation between Sport and Sport+ modes—a welcome trait seen in other Astons like the Vantage. Race mode introduces a harsher ride you might tire of in daily driving but that’s thrilling on a fast, sweeping road.
The square steering wheel feels good, though the molded crease on the back might not suit everyone. The steering feel itself is intuitive, with a perfect weight that’s neither too light nor too heavy.
Finding a long, empty stretch of country road, I launched the Valhalla. After a slight rear-end wiggle as the tires hooked up, it was simply go time. Aston claims a 0–62 mph time of 2.5 seconds, so figure on 0–60 in 2.4 or 2.3. The speed is thrilling but not shocking—it’s expected in this class. The engine’s impressive torque curve means 90% of the peak 811 lb-ft is available from 2,500 rpm to 6,700 rpm. It just keeps pulling.
If there’s a disappointment for enthusiasts, it’s the 7,000-rpm redline and the noise. The powertrain produces a cacophony of electric motors, turbos, induction, and exhaust. It’s loud enough to be satisfying when you floor it, but it won’t win any awards for sonic purity.
Valhalla on the Track
The Valhalla truly shines on the track, in this case, Spain’s Circuito de Navarra—a 2.7-mile course with a good mix of corners, braking zones, and elevation changes. This is where the hybrid system’s torque vectoring, aerodynamics, and massive brakes come alive.
You must use Race mode. Not because it’s named that way, but because of how the hybrid system operates. In Sport+ on the road, the Valhalla dumps massive amounts of electric boost, draining the battery quickly. The brake-by-wire system recharges it, so you’re ready for the next burst of acceleration.
However, on track, with constant throttle application, Race mode meters the electric assist. It holds back up to 15% state of charge to prevent battery depletion. Chief Engineer Kay explained, “In Sport+ on a track, you will get more noticeable reduced performance after a lap or two… but Race mode never does that—it’s overall the most efficient and usable.”
This matches my experience. Race mode manages the battery so you can focus on driving without constantly fiddling with buttons or worrying about your strategy.
As Angus reported previously, the Valhalla feels as benign as a Vantage for experienced drivers. He suspected the car’s performance would translate to faster, flowing circuits, and he was right.