James Bond usually has access to the latest toys and technology. But the coronavirus pandemic and a change of heart by Aston Martin’s new boss mean the Aston Martin that stars in the next Bond film will be out of date when it reaches silver screens.
Aston Martin provided early examples of its upcoming Valhalla supercar for use on set in No Time to Die, the next chapter in Bond’s story. Initially set for release in April 2020, the film has been delayed to October 2021 at the earliest.
That is inconvenient for Aston Martin, as a hero car shown in the movie now has little relevance to showroom examples. The Valhalla has adopted a new look and engine first penned with styling borrowed from the range-topping Aston Martin Valkyrie and powered by an F1-inspired V6 turbo engine.
In the same way, Aston Martin’s Formula 1 team borrows engines from Mercedes-Benz, the Valhalla is powered by the wildest engine offered by the German brand’s AMG department. New Aston Martin chief executive – and former Mercedes-AMG boss – Tobias Moers made the most of connections within Germany to get access to Benz’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.
Powered by a particular version of the Mercedes V8 previously reserved for the wild Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, the Valhalla has 550kW of boosted petrol power.
Electric motors driving the front wheels boost the total output to about 700kW and 1000Nm, a touch less than the 735kW boasted by Ferrari’s SF90. But the Aston should prove lighter and faster, thanks to a carbon-fiber body and more aggressive aerodynamics.
While the original show car looked outlandish, the production model is readily identifiable as an Aston Martin thanks to a front grille shape and finish closely linked to the latest DBX crossover.
A snappy eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, special Michelin tires, and carbon-ceramic brakes help deliver world-class performance. The brand says its machine can lap Germany’s Nurburging circuit in about 6 minutes and 30 seconds, which would make it the fastest production car on sale by some margin. Total prices and specifications for the limited model have not been confirmed for Australia, but we wouldn’t expect any change from $1 million.
