AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
ULTIMATE EXPRESSION
ASTON MARTIN
ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE V12 TURNS
THE HYPERCAR ENGINE UP TO 11,100
• New naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre 65° V12
produces 1000bhp
• Maximum RPM – 11,100
• Developed in conjunction with Cosworth
using proven F1 knowledge, materials and
methods
• Engine is fully-stressed element of the
chassis, yet weighs just 206kg
• Hits all programme targets for emissions
compliance and durability
With development of its new V12 progressing
apace the time is right to reveal some closely
guarded secrets of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s
extraordinary powerplant. Developed in
conjunction with longtime technical partner
Cosworth, the new V12 had to satisfy a
simple, yet extraordinary brief: to create
the ultimate expression of the internal
combustion engine.
The programme called for a normally
aspirated engine from the very beginning,
for while turbocharging has absolutely come
of age and offers significant and widespread
58
PECM Issue 37
benefits - especially in a road application -
the greatest driver’s car of the modern era
demands an internal combustion engine that
sits at the absolute pinnacle for performance,
excitement and emotion. This means the
uncompromising purity of natural aspiration.
The resulting engine is an absolute
masterpiece. Displacing 6.5-litres the 65° V12
sets exceptional new standards for maximum
rpm and specific output with a certified peak
power output of 1000bhp (or 153.8 bhp-per-
litre) at a mind-blowing 10,500rpm, before
continuing on to a maximum rpm figure of
11,100: figures that are unprecedented for
a naturally-aspirated, emissions-compliant
road car application. Peak torque is 740Nm
at 7,000rpm. With these peak outputs
purely delivered by the ICE (Internal
Combustion Engine), Aston Martin Valkyrie’s
performance figures will be further boosted
by a battery hybrid system, details of which
will be revealed later in the development
programme.
Cosworth’s F1 expertise is also evidenced in
the Aston Martin Valkyrie engine’s weight,
which also set new standards. Given the
engine is a fully stressed element of the car
(remove the engine and there is nothing
joining the front wheels to the back!) and
the level of technology in the combustion
system, keeping weight down was a huge
challenge. Especially as the programme
actively avoided use of extreme materiel
alloys which are so new that material
properties over time are unproven.
Aside from the major castings - block,
cylinder heads, sump and structural cam
covers - the majority of the engine’s internal
components are machined from solid
material. These include Titanium conrods and
F1TM-spec pistons. Not only does this allow
the use of material with ideal properties,
but the ultra-fine machining process means
greater consistency and components
optimised for minimum mass and maximum
strength. The result is an engine that weighs
just 206kg.