Cars

Aston Martin Valkyrie hits harder than Thor's hammer

Aston Martin Valkyrie
Aston Martin Valkyrie Aston Martin Valkyrie

FIRST, they called it the Aston Martin AM-RB 001. But because that sounded like a strain of bird 'flu, Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies have given their hypercar collaboration a proper name: Valkyrie.

That's Valkyrie as in Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and the "choosers of the slain" of Norse mythology. This, then, is a serious name for a very serious car.

As well as its famous DB prefix, Aston Martin has a tradition of naming its cars with words starting with the letter V - the company's Vantage name was first used in 1951, and others include Virage, Vanquish and Vulcan.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, said Valkyrie perfectly captured the drama of what is not only the ultimate Aston Martin, but also the ultimate expression of hypercar design, engineering and performance.

"Aston Martin model names have deep meaning," he said.

"They need to inspire and excite, and tell a story and enrich a narrative that stretches back some 104-years.

"The Aston Martin Valkyrie is an incredibly special car that demands an equally remarkable name; an uncompromising car that leaves nothing in reserve.

"The connotations of power and honour, of being chosen by the gods are so evocative, and so pertinent to a car that only a fortunate few will ever experience."

That's Valkyrie as in Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and the "choosers of the slain" of Norse mythology. This, then, is a serious name for a very serious car

The Valkyrie itself looks otherworldly, as a carbon fibre V12-engined hypercar penned by Adrian Newey, widely regarded as Formula One's greatest ever designer, surely ought to.

The price tag will be between £2 million and £3 million, and Aston Martin will build between 99 and 150 road cars and a further 25 track versions.

Its 6.5-litre V12 engine will be built to a bespoke specification by Cosworth and is thought to be capable of producing an F1 car-rivalling 900bhp - all this in road legal car... An F1-style energy recovery system will also be on board.

Aston Martin claims a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, an engineering and performance high watermark that means each horsepower has to motivate just 1kg.

Newey, whose F1 cars have won multiple championships, said the project had gathered together the 'best of the best' of the automotive industry.

"Much like Formula One, designing, engineering and building a car like this is a massive team effort.

"To achieve great things you need to surround yourself with the best people.

"Experience, creativity, energy, diligence and perfectionism are absolute must-have qualities in every area of the project.

"Having great technical partners such as those working with us is both reassuring and motivating.

"Together we aim to produce an innovative piece of engineering art."

Mission accomplished, by the looks of it; the first cars are due with customers next year. Mercedes-Benz is working on a similar car, also drawing on its F1 expertise.