Aston Martin Announces the Valhalla. Again.

Despite their insistence on “V” names, Aston Martin should have called this car the “Deja Vu.”One way it deserves the name is because the Valhalla is remarkably similar to their most recent limited edition supercar, the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is a prototype-racer-inspired supercar, initially made in collaboration with Red Bull’s Adrian Newey, with a forward cockpit design, powered by an over 1,000 horsepower hybrid mid-engined powertrain, with a seven-figure price tag. The Valhalla is all of those things too.The core differences in specs are that it’s four-wheel drive, it has slightly less horsepower – only 1,076 horsepower compared to the Valkyrie’s 1,160 horsepower – and it uses a 3.9L Mercedes V8 rather than the Valkyrie’s screaming Cosworth-designed V12.Aston Martin Valkyrie. Courtesy of Aston MartinIt’s also less expensive, starting at around a million dollars compared to the $4.5M of the Valkyrie, and is supposed to be more drivable in the real world, which is handy as the Valkyrie is so undrivable that several American buyers have canceled their purchases, or sold them on immediately to others. For the unfamiliar, the car is so loud that you are forced to wear noise-canceling headphones when driving it, and it’s so difficult to work on that all American cars need to be shipped to New York for even the most minor repairs. Yes, LA owners of Valkyries must ship their cars to New York for a tire change.In other words, it’s very similar to the Valkyrie but also basically an admission that they overdid it on that first model and probably should have tamed it down a bit. The problem, however, is that it also makes the Valhalla significantly less special, and I doubt they will sell out their “limited” 999 car run.2024 Aston Martin Valhalla. Courtesy of Aston MartinIn the past, Aston could largely coast on the good looks of their cars, but the Valhalla is an awkward design. From the side, it looks like a racecar in a not particularly flattering way; the front is an uncomfortable blend of elegant top and headlights with a gaping silver grill, which looks like a child with braces grimacing; and the rear looks the best, with wide arches and an enormous long diffuser, but it’s hardly unique. The front is like an uglier, wider version of the Gordon Murray T.30, and the rear is a slightly better version of the Mercedes AMG One.It’s not ugly, and the right color can make it look pretty enough in Aston Martin’s configurator, but it’s also not that striking or interesting either. It’s a poorly resolved design, particularly if you compare it to Aston’s most famous limited edition car, the stunning 200TK Aston Martin One-77.Aston Martin One-77. Courtesy of Aston MartinThe main reason this car should be called the Deja Vu is because this is the third time Aston Martin has announced it. It was revealed for the first in 2019, when Aston Martin claimed they were going to make three mid-engined supercars, ultimately killing the car below the Valhalla; then again in 2021, when they showed a dramatically redesigned version, which brought it closer to the DB12 design language; and now again at the end of 2024.When the first car was unveiled, the assumption was that it would reach production in late 2021. Then, a new design was shown that year, and it was announced that this final version would reach customers at the end of 2023; then 2023 went by, and nothing happened. Presumably, they didn’t get enough customers for that version, and the feedback from potential buyers was that the design needed to look closer to the Valkyrie; and with this new update, Aston Martin is hoping they’ve addressed that.Maybe they will sell enough of them that they’ll actually build the car. But, if not, I look forward to seeing the new design refresh in 2026, with an announced, certain production timeline to begin in 2028. Maybe.

Aston Martin Announces the Valhalla. Again.

Aston Martin Announces the Valhalla. Again.

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