While everyone else is going electric, Aston Martin is putting a wildly powerful V12 internal combustion engine in the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar.
Aston Martin revealed on Wednesday that instead of switching to electric like the rest of the world, they're giving the Valkyrie a new, naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 1,000 horsepower and rotates 11,100 per minute -- without turbochargers. And why not? The hood's got to contain something that befits that $3 million price tag.
Displacing 6.5-litres, the V12 sets exceptional new standards; a peak power output of 1000bhp at a mind-blowing 10,500rpm, before continuing on to a maximum rpm figure of 11,100: figures that are unprecedented for a naturally-aspirated, emissions-compliant road car application pic.twitter.com/pXabBEQGiR— Aston Martin (@astonmartin) December 12, 2018
In early October, Aston Martin Group CEO and President shared an audio clip of the Valkyrie's engine with a caption that revealed the engine will be a V12 that is naturally aspirated. The sound of the engine roaring is stunning, to say the least, and now we know what's behind that intense rev.
The sound of “THE” GREAT British car company! Thank you @Cosworth @redbullracing #AstonMartinValkyrie #NaturallyAspirated#V12 pic.twitter.com/HmEICj29uH— Andy Palmer (@AndyatAston) October 3, 2018
This V12 was developed with Cosworth, the name behind engines that make their way regularly to the Formula One World Championships. It relies on the "purity of natural aspiration" -- hence the lack of turbocharging. This is the first time such numbers have been achieved for a naturally-aspirated, emissions-compliant road car.
The peak torque, 740Nm at 7,000rpm, as well as other numbers, will be boosted even more with the integration of a battery hybrid system, details of which Aston Martin will reveal at a later date.
Taking all this into account, it's quite a feat that this V12's weight totals 206 kg (about 454 lbs), especially since the company bypassed newer, lighter alloys whose long-term properties have yet to be determined, in favor of known and reliable materials.
Though this Valkyrie will be road legal, it would also fare pretty well on the track. In fact, Palmer goes as far so say that he doubts that it will "ever be surpassed." Considering that the auto industry as a whole is shifting away from ICEs, and since we have yet to see an electric model properly compete performance-wise, he may be right about this one.
The hypercar will put owners back $3 million. The launch date has yet to be revealed, but if we're lucky, it'll make its debut in 2019.
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