Spec-tacular

One of the thrills of buying a car like the Valhalla is that you can spec it just how you want. ALEX GOY does precisely that at Aston Martin HQ

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Speccing any car is a joyous thing, but the experience enters an altogether higher plane when it's an Aston Martin hypercar. Or so you'd think. But what's the reality? How does that process pan out in practice for a buyer in the rarefied world of exclusive Aston Martins?

To find out, today I'm speccing a Valhalla - the 1000bhp mid-engined plug-in hybrid hypercar that will be launched later this year. Production is limited to 999 examples and personalisation is an integral part of the package. You can go to your nearest dealer and spec away there, if you want. Or you can travel to Q New York, Japan's House of Aoyama or, as I have, Aston's Gaydon HQ to spend time with a dedicated design team to perfect your car.

“When clients join us at Gaydon, they'll be met by one of our brand specialists, get a tour of the factory, see the production line, and then come in here and spec their car,” says Tom Barker, Aston product manager.