AMERICAN REVOLUTION

US supercars have always trailed the Europeans... does the Corvette ZR1X finally have the firepower [and finesse] to scalp Britain's finest - the new Aston Valhalla?

- WORDS JETHRO BOVINGDON

Two minutes into an informal presentation about the new Aston Martin Valhalla in a pit box at the Circuito de Navarra in northern Spain, the word 'rivals' is used. I can't remember the context, but that word begs an obvious question. So, I ask it. "What exactly is a rival for this car?" There's a momentary pause before a very punchy answer...

Quite where the Valhalla sits is a topic I've been grappling with since reading the press info and having followed this car's story since it was first unveiled at the Geneva Auto Salon in 2019 as the AM-RB 003. The world has changed a great deal since then, of course. Aston Martin has its own F1 team now, so there's no need for a Red Bull collaboration. It's even poached Red Bull's greatest asset, a certain Adrian Newey. But there's also been a global pandemic, Aston Martin's superb range of road cars have failed to convincingly turn the company around and it's fired two CEOs.

More importantly, the Valhalla has ditched the proposed all new in-house V6 engine in favour of AMG's flat-plane crank twin-turbocharged V8 from the GT Black Series. It works in harmony with two electric motors located on the front axle and a third housed within a new eight-speed DCT. The total output is 1,064bhp and 811lb ft, with the V8 generating 817bhp and the electric motors a further 248bhp. A 6.1kWh battery provides a range of up to 14km (nine miles) at speeds of up to 80mph. Aston Martin claims a top speed of 217mph and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds.

The chassis is carbon fibre and engineered by AMPT (Aston Martin Performance Technologies), the consultancy side of the F1 operation. It features a lower section produced by a more automated Resin Transfer Moulding process, combined with the more familiar pre-preg upper section. Aluminium subframes are used front and rear. AMPT was also heavily involved with the Valhalla's active aerodynamics and it boasts 600kg of downforce from 240-350kph (149-217mph).