A prototype for Aston Martin's upcoming Valhalla has been spotted at Germany's Nürburgring racetrack, in what is likely to be some of the final testing for the plug-in hybrid supercar.
The Valhalla is due out later this year as the new flagship of the Aston Martin lineup. The car is meant to fill the void left by the Valkyrie, though the Valhalla isn't quite as extreme as the Adrian Newey-designed hypercar. Its production volumes will also be a lot higher.
Fans will recall the Valhalla first debuted as far back as 2019, as the AM-RB 003 concept at that year's Geneva auto show. The “RB” was a nod to Aston Martin's technical partnership with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, which was helping to develop the supercar.
However, the partnership ended in 2021 when Aston Martin launched its own F1 team, and since then Aston Martin Performance Technologies, the engineering and consulting division of the Aston Martin F1 team, has picked up where Red Bull left off.
The Valhalla's styling and powertrain have also changed since the reveal of the AM-RB 003 concept. There are new headlights, a wider grille, larger side intakes, and a larger extendable rear wing. The rear design of the car has also been completely renewed, likely to accommodate the change in powertrain.
While the AM-RB 003 was shown with a plug-in hybrid powertrain utilizing an in-house V-6 that has since been canceled, the Valhalla packs the same Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 used in the Vantage and DB12 sports cars.
The V-8 pairs up with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to power the rear wheels, while two electric motors sit up front and independently power the front wheels. Aston Martin has previously announced a combined peak output of 998 hp for the setup, or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph.
Other performance features include carbon-fiber construction for the body and central tub, active aerodynamics, and suspension with F1-style push rods complete with inboard mounted springs and dampers, specifically Multimatic's Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers.
Aston Martin is expected to build a total 999 Valhallas, and the volume may be lifted if an open-top option is launched. Originally just 500 were planned. As a result of the extra volume, pricing is expected to come down from the previous 1 million British pounds (approximately $1.3 million), though Aston Martin has given a final figure.
A mid-engine Vanquish concept was shown alongside the AM-RB 003 concept at the 2019 Geneva auto show, but plans for that car have been dropped and the Vanquish name now thought to be set for the V-12 powered DBS successor also due later this year. Prototypes for the DBS successor have also been spotted testing.
