Aston Martin have been hyping their upcoming mid-engine supercar, the Valhalla, with several juicy details, but the juiciest has to be the reveal that both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are helping shape its development.
Aston Martin have been very vocal about how much their Formula 1 team has been involved in the development of the Valhalla. The consulting arm, dubbed Aston Martin Performance Technologies, is responsible for synthesising what Aston have learnt on the track and translating it to the road whether that results in improved handling, aero, or materials.
This is where the F1 drivers come in, the pair will be calibrating the supercar’s handling traits, while the driving position takes cues from the AMR23 F1 car. Though the AMR23’s influence isn’t limited to the driver position as the underbody and active aero philosophy takes direct inspiration from it and so the Valhalla can allegedly generate 600kg of downforce at 150mph (241km/h). The aero takes inspiration from technology like DRS, particularly on the front wing which can either lie flat or angled up for more downforce. There’s also a multi-element rear wing.
Powering this is a twin-turbo flat-plane V8 paired with three electric motors that combined can pump out just under 1,000bhp (745kW). Two motors sit on the front axle which benefits the car twofold by providing all-wheel drive as well as reducing the gearbox weight as those two motors can put the car in reverse. The third e-motor is found inside the gearbox “providing additional power to the rear wheels” as well as acting as a starter for the V8.
This is all contained by a carbon fibre monocoque designed and engineered by Aston Martin Performance Technologies said to be strong, stiff, and lightweight.
“Our target for Valhalla is to produce a supercar that will set best-in-class standards for performance, dynamics and driving pleasure,” said Carlo Della Casa, Aston’s product development director. “Having open access to the knowledge within the AMF1 team has been a huge advantage for us as we develop this incredible car.”
Aston Martin say that a prototype will be revealed before the end of 2023, while the actual build will take place in 2024.
