Aston Martin Valhalla review

It’s hard to overstate just how impressive the Valhalla is on road and track. Yes, they have experience of the Valkyrie, but that’s a whole different animal and owed much to technical partners Red Bull and Adrian Newey in particular. The Valhalla really is a new start and yet it feels brilliantly realised and has real breadth of talent.

On the road it feels insanely quick, of course. But it also balances a sense of drama and excitement with just enough restraint to ensure the Valhalla feels wildly potent but really usable. The ride is excellent (in fact, Sport feels a bit too relaxed – Sport Plus is better); the engine isn’t intrusive at low speeds but doesn’t feel harsh or like it’s breaking its neck to rev out to the limiter, and although the driving position is more laid-back than a ‘normal’ car (and calls to mind racecars) it’s actually really comfortable. A proper Aston in that respect.

In Sport Plus mode you get the full force of the hybrid powertrain and some great sound effects, too. There isn’t the purity and intense excitement of a Revuelto, but Aston has cleverly embraced the various turbocharger and intake noises to create a really layered and intriguing soundtrack.

Even better, the chassis really does have fantastic agility and the car feels alert and light on its feet. There’s huge grip, braking force and acceleration but the fundamentals of driving fun aren’t lost under the high loads. Turn in and the rear seems to take on a bit of yaw naturally, pinning the front-end to the road and magically shedding hundreds of kilograms. It really does feel light and responsive. Better yet is that the rear e-diff is keen to lock-up and brings really progressive manners. It’s just an incredibly intuitive car to drive.

Perhaps for some the steering will be a little light on detail and it does take a period of acclimatisation to fully dial into. There isn’t the natural weighting and perfectly rendered detail of a McLaren 750S, for example. But pretty soon it all clicks.

Finally an Aston with a dual-clutch gearbox!  

Yes! And it’s a pretty good one, too. First up, the V8 is not the most exciting engine in a car at this level. Despite the flat-plane crank it only revs to 7,000rpm in a world where Lamborghini’s V12 goes to 9,500rpm and their twin-turbocharged V8 spins freely to 10,000rpm. On track, you really rely on the shift lights as it’s all too easy to snag the abrupt limiter. Even so, no question it delivers the goods and should be super reliable, too.

The ‘box is interesting. Like all dual-clutch systems it’s very quick and they’ve tried to give it a little kick without making something that feels too brutal or contrived. However, it doesn’t have the laser-guided precision of a Ferrari ‘box. Let’s say you mostly don’t notice it, rather than it being a really integral part of the car’s dynamic appeal, as in F80 or Testarossa. If you do hit the limiter it also seems to deliver a really harsh shift. Paired with the aforementioned abrupt rev limit, it’s a big, stuttering interruption to the otherwise searing pace.

We love the driving position, though. Laid back and with a narrow but somehow not with a claustrophobic view out. The braking stability is superb, and the balance is sweet. It feels so neutral – which means responsive and pointy – but also really secure.

The front e-axle has been beautifully tuned. Aside from the stunning traction, you’d barely know it was there and the torque-vectoring is clearly effective but extremely subtle. The Valhalla feels natural and even when you start playing around and trying to induce oversteer, the behaviour is predictable and feels very rear-driven. The e4WD really is about as good as it gets.