Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar is confirmed to produce 1000hp (986bhp) from the petrol element of its hybrid powertrain. The output figure is produced by a Cosworth-developed 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 at a dizzying 10,500rpm.
Drive-My visited Cosworth’s Northampton base during durability testing for the engine, which is touted as being the ultimate 12-cylinder motor. As well as designing the V12, Cosworth will build the 150 units that will be fitted to road-going Valkyries, plus an as-yet undisclosed number for the track-only AMR Pro version. The firm’s managing director, Bruce Wood, confirmed that the four-figure horsepower target was agreed before the first prototype was built. The power unit weighs just 204kg and will be bolted directly to the car’s carbon tub, with the gearbox and suspension hung from it, as on a race car.
It has been designed for a 62,000-mile lifespan based on routine maintenance and features port fuel injection rather than direct injection so it can meet emissions standards without particulate filters.
The engine will be augmented by an electric motor that sits between it and a single-clutch gearbox designed by Ricardo, with a Formula-1-inspired energy recovery system harvesting kinetic energy under braking. The total combined output has yet to be confirmed, but a since deleted tweet by Cosworth claimed the overall figure is 1130bhp.
