On paper and in the paddock, the Aston Martin Valhalla oozes intimidation factor. Just look at the thing, with its aerodynamic profile that’s simply captivating in the carbonfibre – the car’s core tub and body panels are made of the stuff. It looks even more serious in its specifications; its rear wing offers DRS, air-brake functionality and 600kg of downforce between 149mph and a 217mph vmax.
Then there’s its powertrain. The mid-mounted AMG 4.0-litre V8 – which is related to that of the old AMG GT Black Series – deploys a flat-plane crank, hot-in-vee turbos plus all manner of new tuning for an 817bhp peak and a stupendous torque curve. It’s allied to three electric motors – one at the rear, two up front – for a 1064bhp total and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds.
The Aston Valhalla is four-wheel drive, but with a supreme bias to the rear, while the front axle deploys torque vectoring to help translate those blockbuster numbers into something driveable. I could wax lyrical on just its chassis and tech, but it’s far more pertinent to skip to the end result. That this is one of the sweetest-balanced, most enveloping cars I’ve driven in a good while, regardless of its power or where its engine is positioned.
Starting out on track (albeit a damp one), its rapacious appetite for revs and gears – and the soaring numbers on the digital speed readout before me – articulate how outrageously fast it is. Yet the Aston Martin engineers have pulled the absurd trick of making such pace feel within your grasp, of allowing your brain to keep up. I canter through the drive modes, loosening some of the stability control’s grasp, but it remains trustworthy in corners.
You sense the smart vectoring at the front axle, helping you claw precisely out of turns, but its vehemently rear-biased power delivery still needs cautious hands on a wet circuit. The feel brimming through the Valhalla’s controls make it easy to keep your wits about you, though. The powertrain’s vast potential doesn’t overwhelm the steering, braking or suspension – kerbs can be ridden with abandon – and there’s the inescapable cohesion of a well drilled team working to a precise target. Several of this project’s engineers came from McLaren Automotive; I reckon anyone who drives an Aston Valhalla will infer as such before hearing this fact.
On a typical launch event such as this, you’d get your baseline impressions on the road and then experience your moments of astonishment on the track. Here it’s the opposite. It’s of no surprise that the Valhalla swallows circuits whole, smooth surfaces working with its active aero in impressive union. Yet it’s in the hustle and bustle of the real world – where the Aston’s AWD is a gift, its throttle improbably linear and its damping supple – that your jaw slackens most.
There’s even good visibility despite its slim screen and your outstretched legs calling to mind an LMP1 prototype. Accept its supremely limited luggage space (there’s no boot at either end) and you have a car in which you could genuinely go on a road trip.
The Valhalla is limited to 999 examples and priced from £850,000, with Aston Martin anticipating over half of buyers will spend more on a bespoke Q division makeover. An extraordinary price. But on this first impression, it’s an extraordinary car.
Read how we specced our own bespoke Aston Valhalla here.
