Originally known as Project Nebula and AM-RB 001, the Aston Martin Valkyrie was conceived back to when Red Bull Racing and Gaydon-based Aston Martin were joined at the hip. Masterminded by the one and only Adrian Newey, the V12-powered thriller will be joined by another Newey-designed hypercar in 2024.
The British automaker promises to start production of the Valhalla this year, although it remains to be seen if Aston Martin will uphold its promise. Truth is, the V8-powered bruiser continues testing five years after the Valhalla premiered in 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Limited to 999 road-going cars, the Valhalla will spawn a track-optimized special edition dubbed AMR. The acronym stands for Aston Martin Racing. For the time being, it's not clear if the Valhalla AMR is a track-only monster à la Valkyrie AMR Pro. Another big question mark hovers over powertrain modifications.
Pictured with five-lug wheels rather than center-lock wheels for the Valkyrie AMR Pro, the Valhalla AMR prototype spied by the carparazzi at Germany's most famous of racetracks also flaunts Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high-performance rubber. The more prominent front lip spoiler and side skirts help the Valhalla AMR stand out from the regular specification, with the prototype further showing two polycarbonate sliding windows.
In the name of downforce, Aston Martin changed a few things out back as well. Similar to the standard Valhalla, the Aston Martin Racing uses a flat-plane crankshaft V8 produced by the mad professors in Affalterbach. It's the third application of the M178 LS2 engine after the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and the spicier Track Series.
Photo: Baldauf
The 4.0-liter mill is joined by two electric motors rather than three for the SF90 series from Ferrari, the Lamborghini Revuelto, and the Huracan-replacing Temerario. In stark contrast to the seven-speed automated manual tranny of the Valkyrie, the Valhalla uses a dual-clutch transmission with eight forward ratios.
Aston Martin claims 998 horsepower and 217 miles per hour at full chatter, meaning 1,102 metric ponies and 350 kilometers per hour. Not bad for this particular setup, but it's a bit underwhelming as well. On the other hand, the carbon-fiber tub will ensure a lower dry weight than that of the 2026 Lamborghini Temerario.
1,550 kilograms (1,690 pounds) is the target, while Lamborghini's V8-powered supercar is listed with 1,690 kilograms (3,726 pounds). The completely new Temerario is down on power, though, with the Ranging Bull of Sant'Agata Bolognese quoting 920 cv/907 hp.
Be that as it may, there's no competition between these hybridized exotics. The Aston Martin is a limited-production model as opposed to a regular production for the 2026 Lamborghini Temerario, and we also have to remember that Aston Martin has reportedly slashed the original asking price of £1 million.
Hearsay suggests anything between £600,000 and £700,000 before options, which is almost three times as much as the Huracan's replacement. Considering the far more limited numbers and the additional capability of the Valhalla AMR, it's an educated guess to expect a starting price in the ballpark of £1 million.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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