The Normally Aspirated V12 at the Heart of the Valkyrie’s 1,160-HP Hybrid System

Designed by a team led by Formula One mastermind and Red Bull Racing chief technical officer Adrian Newley, Aston Martin’s new crown jewel was revealed in 2017.

Resembling more a Le Mans prototype rather than a road-going sports car, the Valkyrie’s bodywork uses one of the most aerodynamically efficient designs in the industry, generating 1,814 kg (4,000 lbs) of downforce at high speed.

But the most exciting feature of this insane hypercar is hidden underneath the carbon fiber exterior. Mounted in a mid-rear position is a V12 the likes of which had never been seen before on a road-legal production vehicle.

Developed from scratch by Cosworth, it is the heart and soul of the tremendously powerful hybrid powertrain of the Valkyrie.

The legendary British engine experts need no introduction, developing some highly successful motorsport-oriented units throughout their history but even for them, producing this powerplant was an overwhelming task.

That’s because Newey, who personally briefed the development team about the specifications, required a lightweight naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder that could produce 1,000 hp.

Evoking the spine-tingling, high-revving Formula One engines of the ‘90s but benefitting from the state-of-the-art technologies of the 21st century, the 65-degree V12 displaces 6.5-liters with a certified peak power output of exactly 1,000 hp (746 kW; 1,014 PS), at 10,500 rpm and a maximum 740 Nm (546 lb-ft) of torque at 7,000rpm.

This engine sets new standards for a road-worthy, emissions-compliant vehicle, with a redline of 11,100 rpm, which makes it the most powerful and high-revving naturally aspired V12 to ever feature on a production road car.

Weighing only 206 kg (454 lbs), the unit is a structural part of the Valkyrie, connecting the front wheels to the back and eliminating the weight of an additional subframe.

Keeping weight down and making sure it was strong enough to be part of the vehicle’s structure was a huge challenge, especially since Cosworth engineers actively avoided the use of the latest alloys, which are so new their properties over time are unproven.

Apart from the main castings, most of the engine’s internal components are machined from solid material, like titanium, which was used to manufacture the F1-spec pistons and connecting rods.

To make the car even more awe-inspiring, the engineering team added a KERS-style boost system, similar to those used by modern-day Formula One cars.

The cutting-edge hybrid system contains a powerful bespoke electric moto developed by Integral Powertrain Ltd and the lightweight battery pack comes from the Croatian experts at Rimac Automobili.

As a result, the car benefits from an additional 160 hp (120 kW; 162 PS) and a further 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) of torque, which pushes the overall output to 1,160 hp (865 kW; 1,176 PS) and the peak torque to 900 Nm (663 lb-ft).

Weighing in at just 1,030 kg (2,271 lbs), the car has a power-to-weight ratio that surpasses the intended 1:1, helping it accelerate to 60 mph (96 kph) from a standstill in just 2.6 seconds.

Aston Martin has limited the production of Valkyrie to 150 units, which cost no less than $3 million each; don't worry, all of them sold out before production even commenced.

Like the policy used by Ford with the new GT, the company’s former CEO, Andy Palmer, announced that owners who intended to buy and sell the car quickly to make a profit would be banned from buying any further special edition models from Aston Martin.