You wouldn’t expect a bumpy ride from an Aston Martin but at times, the wait for the highly-anticipated Valhalla has seemed to be nothing but. 

It was first released as a concept car called the AM-RB 003, with plans for it to sit below the Valkyrie flagship - but five years later, Aston Martin’s audacious hybrid supercar is yet to hit the market.

So, what do we know so far - and when are we going to finally see it hit the streets?

It’s Aston Martin’s First Stab at a Hybrid Supercar

The Valhalla is a step into the dark for Aston Martin for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s the first series production mid-engine supercar in their 108 year history - as opposed to the front or front-mid engines of say, the DB12 or the Vantage.

It is, of course, also their first hybrid supercar. With McLaren’s offering of the Artura (a neat combination of the words art and future) already on the road, Aston Martin has a bit of catching up to do. Indeed, our European counterparts Ferrari and Lamborghini are already ahead of the game - so it will be interesting to see how the Valhalla competes.

Yes - It Was In No Time To Die

You’ll remember that in the final scene of Spectre, Bond drives his DB5 off into the sunset. Fittingly, in the beginning of No Time To Die we see the DB5 beautifully nestled afront an Italian backdrop. 

Perhaps the most futuristic Aston Martin to feature in the film though is in fact nestled in a wind tunnel behind M, as he has a serious phone conversation. It’s only a passing cameo, but we’re sure that keen Aston Martin fans would have spotted it!

The Performance Will Be Blistering

The Valhalla will feature a Mercedes-AMG M178 LS2 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood, in conjunction with two electric motors, generating a cool 998 horsepower. We’re expecting to see 0 - 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, with a reported top speed of 217 mph.

What about electric performance? In EV mode, the hybrid system will send all the power to the front wheels, allowing the car to reach speeds of 80 mph for a range of 9 miles.

Red Bull Will No Longer Have a Hand in the Project…

The original Aston Martin Valkyrie was known by both the codename AM RB 001 and Nebula. The former is of course a nod to the collaboration of Aston Martin and Red Bull; the latter a more inconspicuous acronym for Newey (the British F1 engineer), Red Bull and Aston Martin.

Initially the aim of the collaboration was to develop a track-oriented car that was usable - nay, enjoyable - as a road car. However, Aston Martin later parted ways with Red Bull Racing, who are no longer involved in the project.

But Aston Martin’s F1 Team Are Closely Involved

Of course, Aston Martin have their own F1 team. According to Claudio Santoni, the engineering director at Aston Martin Performance Technologies: 

“It is a great advantage for a car manufacturer to have access to the unique skills and knowledge of a Formula 1 team. F1 engineers are constantly pushing the boundaries in the pursuit of performance and have developed rapid problem-solving tools. With this knowledge ‘in house’ we can seamlessly bring F1 expertise to road car development.”

The Valhalla is Still Heavily Inspired by F1

The F1 inspired interior of the Valhalla

According to Aston Martin, the Valhalla’s under-body aerodynamics are greatly influenced by Formula 1 technology - although there will of course be less limitations for a road-faring car to comply with certain F1 limitations that are in place to limit downforce.

You can also expect an F1 style seating position with the drivers heel raised by a false floor, and a front wing that can lie flat to reduce drag at high speed - much like the DRS systems used by F1 cars whilst overtaking. 

In short - yes, you’ll feel like a Formula 1 driver.

You’ll Struggle to Get Your Hands On One

We’re still yet to hear much from Aston Martin about when we can expect to see the Valhalla on our streets. The model underwent it’s first testing at Silverstone in late 2023, meaning that the 2024 release is still a possibility.

With that said, the Valhalla will set you back a cool $800,000 and has a limited production run of 999 cars, some of which will be destined for the U.S. or abroad as they will be left hand drive. So it’s probably as good a time as any to get your order in now!