Aston Martin Valhalla prototype 2025 review – 1064bhp hypercar takes aim at Ferrari
After years of development, we get behind the wheel of Aston Martin’s plug-in-hybrid mid-engined hypercar on track in prototype form
This is our first opportunity to drive the Aston Martin Valhalla, in pre-production prototype form. This is not Aston Martin’s first mid-engined car – there’s been the Valkyrie and the (one-off) Bulldog. Nor is it its first car with a carbonfibre chassis – there’s been the One-77, Vulcan and aforementioned Valkyrie. But it will be Aston’s first series-production mid-engined car, its first plug-in hybrid, its first with an electrified front axle, its first to enter a whole new market segment for the brand.
So it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect when we arrive at Stowe, the small infield circuit within Silverstone where Aston Martin has a permanent research and development base. The Valhalla we’re driving here is an ‘off-tool’ prototype (hence its graphical camouflage), physically and dynamically representative of customer-spec cars. Software is yet to be finalised, and Aston Martin says this car’s interior is not entirely representative of final production spec, though it’s very close. More on the Valhalla from inside its cockpit shortly, but first, a recap of its basics.
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Aston Martin Valhalla: in-depth
The Valhalla was first shown in public in initial concept form all the way back at the 2019 Geneva motor show. It’s undergone an on-again-off-again development phase since, including an extensive redesign and reengineering, a switch from an in-house V6 to an AMG-sourced V8, and four different CEOs in the Aston Martin boardroom. Production will be limited to 999 cars. Price starts at £850,000, with many customers expected to spec bespoke ‘Q’ personalisation options. Production is underway now, and first customers will take delivery towards the end of 2025. Aston Martin says that currently half of the 999-car production run has been sold; it expects the rest of the cars to be allocated by the end of 2025.
The Valhalla’s carbon tub has been created in collaboration with Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT), the consulting arm of Aston’s F1 team. Suspension is by inboard springs and dampers at the front (partially exposed, as a neat design detail), multilink at the rear. The Valhalla adopts passive suspension (albeit with adaptive dampers) rather than an active system as per the Valkyrie.
The 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine is closely related to that of the AMG GT Black Series, albeit with altered internals. It has a flat-plane crank as opposed to the cross-plane layout of the V8s found in other Aston Martin models. The engine develops 817bhp on its own, and is supplemented by three electric motors: two at the front, and one at the rear, incorporated into the transmission: the first dual-clutch gearbox to be fitted to an Aston Martin. There is no physical link between the front and rear axles, and the twin motors at the front enable torque vectoring to aid lateral agility as well as traction, plus work together with the rear motor for torque-fill duties. Total power, from the engine and all three motors in harmony, is 1064bhp.
Before driving the Valhalla prototype, we take a few sighting laps in an Aston Martin Vantage to become refamiliarised with the twisty, technical Stowe layout. It’s an instructive drive, as although the Valhalla is a totally different package from the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, aluminium-chassis Vantage, Aston Martin has sought to give the new car’s touchpoints and dynamics a feel consistent with existing models in its range.
Behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Valhalla
Clambering aboard the Valhalla is an experience like no other Aston, however. Its butterfly doors are hinged in such a way as to allow a very wide opening, and take a large section of the roof with them. That gives you a large aperture to enter the car: you sort of step into it, as opposed to awkwardly ducking under a low door as you would in a McLaren, for example.
The seats are canted back in a reclined position; not quite as extreme as that of the Valkyrie, but a similar lay-down-torso, elevated-feet driving position. Your feet are slightly higher than your hips to allow for the best possible aerodynamics. Behind the Aston Martin grille, neatly integrated into the Valhalla’s low nose, are motorised, active front wing elements. The rear wing is motorised too, lying flush with the body in the Valhalla’s typical driving modes. In Race mode, it’s lifted upwards dramatically by 255mm, and rearwards slightly too, for optimum airflow. The rear wing’s angle is adjusted continuously to achieve a stable aerodynamic balance, in conjunction with the front wing. Under braking, the rear wing also stands upright as an air-brake.
Aerodynamics are at the heart of the Valhalla’s design, though to a lesser extent than the extreme, uncompromising Valkyrie: it’s a car inspired by the Valkyrie’s approach rather than a development or continuation of it.
The cockpit has a stripped back, race-car-ish atmosphere; a sort of deluxe Le Mans car vibe. Slim composite surfaces, with minimal trim nor carpeting. This particular car has a great deal of forged carbonfibre trim: on the underside of the doors, the steering wheel, the dashboard, the slim centre console and beyond. Customers, however, will be able to spec a vast array of finishes via Aston Martin’s Q personalisation arm. There’s not a physical main rear-view mirror since there is no rear window – instead there is a solid bulkhead behind the seats, and a camera view is displayed on the main interior mirror surface instead.
Some of the switchgear is shared with other Aston models, in particular the selector and switches for the transmission and the enjoyable tactile collar-like twist control for the driving modes. There are four driving modes: Pure EV, Sport, Sport+ and Race. In pure electric mode, the Valhalla is front-wheel-drive, and can travel at motorway speeds – up to 80mph or so – powered by the e-axle alone. Electric range is yet to be officially confirmed pending homologation, but expect it to be a low figure, potentially around the nine-mile mark; this is a car about performance rather than extended zero-emissions driving.
Sport, which utilises the whole hybrid powertrain, is the default mode on start-up. Given our time with the car is limited, and we’re on a circuit, we prioritise Sport Plus and Race, which both enable the full 1046bhp power output. Each mode alters the settings and calibration of the Torque Vectoring, the hybrid system integration, damper stiffness and active aero surfaces.
Pull-away is as smooth as you’d expect of a hybridised car. Despite the enormous power output, the Valhalla is a confidence-inspiring car that is easy to adapt to. Naturally it’s tricky to draw conclusions on ride quality on a smooth-surfaced test track but the Valhalla’s suspension rides the kerbs remarkably smoothly, at low and high speeds.
You can feel the front e-axle engage on the exit of slow corners but it doesn’t dominate proceedings – this still feels very much a rear-wheel-drive car in nature. In fact, in the rate of its steering response and feedback through its touchpoints, it really does carry a little bit of the character of the Vantage, despite being a totally different car.
Feedback through the brake pedal is excellent, despite juggling the demands of regenerative braking. It’s a brake-by-wire system, and when you hit the brakes, it divides deceleration actively between the front electric motors and the composite brake discs. The front motors can be employed even during full ABS braking, and braking force can be distributed unequally across the front axle if required, via the torque vectoring system. There is a second element of regeneration from the rear e-motor, when the driver lifts off the throttle.
Despite the reclined driving position, I find myself craving a bit more support for my upper body from the carbon-shell bucket seat, and slide it a touch closer to the wheel.
The wheel itself is an unusual rectangular shape. With a relatively quick rack, there’s no need to move your hands from a quarter-to-three position during normal driving. While using a lot of lock manoeuvring at parking speeds, however, or later experimenting with sliding the car, I find myself grabbing fresh air and craving a conventional round wheel. A couple of times I accidentally catch buttons on the wheels’ spokes, and change the digital display ahead. In Race mode, it has a clear, minimal display which prioritises the rev counter as a motorsport-style strip.
The Valhalla is certainly quick, although since the power delivery is so linear, there’s a little less shock and awe than I’d expected. Acceleration is a smooth, sustained shove, rather than a dramatic sledgehammer wallop. I’d expected 1046bhp to make Stowe feel like a kart circuit but there is the space here to stretch the Valhalla’s a little; the straights are long enough to get into fifth gear at points.
There’s surprisingly little engine sound; it’s difficult to gauge how loud or otherwise the Valhalla is since I’m wearing a tight-fitting crash helmet with in-built radio cans over my ears, which mutes things considerably. But I was expecting a little more V8 rasp and rumble.
Driving in manual mode, rather than auto, I occasionally find myself accidentally running into the rev limiter, and there’s a momentary delay for power to resume; the latter is a software blip which Aston Martin says will be rectified before production.
Unlike the Valkyrie, the engine is not a stressed member of the chassis (the Valhalla has aluminium subframes front and rear, the V8 being cradled in the latter) and as a result vibrations are not overwhelming. In fact, the Valhalla’s engine mounts actually underwent some modification during development, to deliberately allow a little more vibration through to the cockpit.
The Valhalla feels even keener in Race mode, although Stowe isn’t the right setting to experience the 600kg and beyond of downforce the Valhalla can actively generate and sustain from 149mph all the way up to its electronically limited 217mph top speed. Hitting the brakes, you can see the rear wing stand upright in the rear-view camera. It's a precise, linear car in every respect. An undramatic car, even. That’s a compliment rather than a criticism; but I do wonder if some customers might crave a little more drama.
That said: one of the biggest surprises of the day is just how approachable the Valhalla is for such a powerful car, and just how hard you can drive it as a result. There are multiple stages for traction and stability control. As per the Vantage, switching off the latter turns the drive mode collar into a dial to scroll through nine stages of traction control assistance. It’s an intuitive system giving you a chance to adapt to the performance with a gentle, unintrusive safety net to help you.
Aston Martin encourages me to switch all of the systems off, to feel how approachable the Valhalla can be even without electronic assistance. I’m initially apprehensive to do so given the 1000bhp-plus output but the Valhalla really is a car which you can grab by the scruff of the neck and sling around. It’s not a snappy car; it’s progressive. It has an unusual feel, unlike many other cars I’ve driven; you feel the torque vectoring effect at the front axle but it’s very much a rear-drive car in character.
Exiting corners with some oversteer, there’s the unusual feeling of the Valhalla sliding at the rear but still being driven forward by both axles. You can carry an immense amount of momentum in this car.
While customers can choose track-focused Michelin Cup 2 tyres (with a bespoke AML construction for the Valhalla), this car is on the second, more road-friendly choice, Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres (again, bespoke AML developments). They lend it even friendlier characteristics at the limit, and still generate seriously impressive lateral grip and traction.
More than most cars, it will be intriguing to see how the Aston Martin Valhalla feels on the road. Despite its track-focused look and leaning, it feels like it will be a seriously capable car on road. Obvious rivals are difficult to pin down. Lamborghini’s Revuelto has a similar three-motor hybrid powertrain make-up albeit with a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12. It has a similar power output and top speed but a less downforce-led design, less exclusivity as a car for continuous production rather than a limited edition (priced from around £450,000), and a more road-biased focus – though we’ve discovered in testing that it’s also hugely fun, challenging and rewarding on a circuit, too.
Price and rivals
Ferrari’s SF90 was priced at around £390,000 and is now out of production (though a successor has not been ruled out) and likewise featured a twin-turbo 4-litre V8 and three electric motors, with limited luggage space – the hardcore c£700,000 XX variant with 1016bhp is the closest car to the Valhalla in terms of on-paper specs. It’s a car that polarised opinion and the Valhalla may do likewise – it will be intriguing to experience it in finalised form, on the road.
The non-hybrid, £1.2m Praga Bohema also offers a carbon structure, serious downforce and a reclined driving position but it’s a more extreme, more track-focused and road-compromised experience.
On the basis of this brief first encounter, the Valhalla has a character all of its own. You can read the full Aston Martin Valhalla prototype drive in the next issue of evo magazine, out on 3 September 2025.
Aston Martin Valhalla specs
| Engine | V8, 3982cc, twin-turbo plus three motors |
| Power | 1064bhp |
| Torque | 811lb ft |
| Weight | 1655kg (dry) |
| Power-to-weight | 653bhp/ton (dry) |
| 0-62mph | 2.5sec |
| Top speed | 217mph (limited) |
| Basic price | c£850,000 |
