Valhalla

Segment
Coupe

The Aston Martin Valhalla has had a troubled birth. For a start, it was supposed to get a bespoke V6 hybrid, but when former CEO Tobias Moers arrived at the company a couple of years back, the V6 didn't even exist. Aston Martin also could not decide on a design for the car, and its original look was heavily revised last year when a new concept was revealed. That new concept dropped the imaginary V6 in favor of a Mercedes-AMG-sourced V8 with hybrid assistance, but it was not the complete product. Fortunately, it appears that progress is being made, as Aston has now teased the production version of the car in an emotive video looking back on its motorsport endeavors.

At this point, we're expecting that the car will be powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 featuring a flat-plane crank, which Aston says is the "most advanced, responsive, and highest performing V8 engine" ever fitted to an Aston Martin. This revs to 7,200 rpm and generates 740 horsepower, all of which is channeled to the rear axle. Then, a 150-kilowatt battery hybrid system consists of two electric motors, one per axle. This supplements the engine's output with another 201 hp, bringing the grand total to 937 hp and up to 738 lb-ft of torque. Not the most powerful ever, but more than enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

A new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission will handle the shifting duties and is said to have been developed specifically for a hybrid powertrain. It will naturally come with a limited-slip differential, although this will be electronic and not mechanical to save weight. Further reducing the effect on the scales will be the fact that the transmission will not feature a reverse gear. Rather, the electric motors will help you back up. 0-62 mph is promised to be dispatched in only 2.5 seconds and the top speed will be 217 mph. Hopefully, the production version will be unleashed soon and we can confirm if those figures are accurate.