More Details on Aston Martin’s V6 for Hybrid Valhalla
Aston Martin says its in-house built V6 ICE planned for the hybrid powertrain of the upcoming Valhalla hypercar will be Euro 7 compliant.
The gasoline 3.0-liter motor is expected to meet the stringent new emissions standards to applied to all new vehicles for European markets expected to come into effect sometime after this year. The standard is some six-times more restrictive than the present Euro 6 standard bring average engine emissions down for 130g/km to just 95g/km.
Aston Martin’s Valhalla is expected to be market ready in 2022 but the engine is also destined for deployment in a new range of mid-engined sportscars. Codenamed TM01, in commemoration of the automakers’ illustrious engineer of the 50s and 60s, Tadek Marek, the engine has already undergone a series of extensive testing on the dyno, as the team make progress towards creating the luxury British brand’s first in-house designed engine since 1968.
In parallel to the ICE testing, the carmaker is developing a new range of hybrid systems hoping that the complete unit will become the most powerful in the Aston Martin range when on sale. The final power and torque figures for each application of this powertrain will be determined by the desired characteristics of each product it serves and confirmed at the time of launch.
As a result of lessons learned from the automaker’s first mid-engined hypercar, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the decision was made to develop the engine with a ‘hot V’ structure was clear from the start, with the configuration allowing for this compact engine to weigh less than 200kg (440-lbs). Naturally, the engine will be positioned directly behind the driver’s cabin and equipped with a dry sump system to guarantee the lowest possible centre of gravity.
Joerg Ross, powertrain chief engineer said: “This project has been a great challenge from the start. Putting a team together to deliver what is going to be the future power of Aston Martin has been an honour. From the very beginning, we have had the freedom to explore and innovate in a way that we have not been able to do so in a very long time. Most importantly, we wanted to create something that is befitting of the TM01 nameplate and create something that would have impressed our predecessor and pioneering engineer, Tadek Marek.”
Aston Martin president and group CEO, Andy Palmer added: “Investing in your own powertrains is a tall order but our team have risen to the challenge. Moving forward, this power unit will be integral to a lot of what we do and the first signs of what this engine will achieve are incredibly promising.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
