This is the V12 engine that will go into the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and if you hit the play button on the accompanying YouTube video, you’ll get to hear it being put through its paces. Developed in conjunction with the British carmaker’s longtime technical partner, Cosworth, the engine was created using proven F1 knowledge, materials and methods.
The brief from Aston Martin was simply “to create the ultimate expression of the internal combustion engine,” with key requirements being for it to be naturally aspirated and be able to accept hybridisation technology.
What materialised is this 6.5 litre, 65-degree V12 unit you see before you, which is capable of revving up to 11,100 rpm. According to Aston Martin, the mill has a peak power output of 1000 hp at 10,500 rpm, or about 153.8 hp per litre. Meanwhile, peak torque is 740 Nm at 7,000 rpm.
Keep in mind that these figures are before any form of hybridisation is implemented, although the company will only provide more details later in the development programme. More impressively, the engine is emissions-compliant for road car application.
Aside from making power, the engine is also a fully-stressed element of the chassis, so should you remove the engine from the car, there is nothing joining the front wheels to the back. This required the use of complex materials to keep the weight down, with most of the components being machined from solid material.
The company says the only major castings made for the engine are the block, cylinder heads, sump and structural cam covers. Everything else like the titanium conrods and pistons are made using an ultra-fine machining process for greater consistency and optimisation for minimum mass and maximum strength.
“Being asked to create a naturally aspirated V12 engine fit for what will surely be one of the most iconic cars of all time is an immense source of pride for Cosworth,” said Bruce Wood, managing director at Cosworth.
“Decades in F1 taught us to expect a pretty demanding specification from someone with Adrian Newey’s unsurpassed track record, but when we started talking about specifics of power, weight, emissions compliance and durability combined with ever harder and sometimes conflicting targets, we knew this would be a challenge like no other,” he added.
“To anyone with a drop of petrol in their blood, a high-revving naturally aspirated V12 is the absolute pinnacle. Nothing sounds better or encapsulates the emotion and excitement of the internal combustion engine more completely,” chimed in Andy Palmer, president and group CEO at Aston Martin Lagonda.
“Despite the apparently insurmountable challenges it presented, there was never any question that the Aston Martin Valkyrie would make do with anything less. From the outset the team at Cosworth were unflinching in their commitment to achieving benchmarks which pushed the boundaries of the possible. The result is a quite extraordinary engine. One which I doubt will ever be surpassed,” he ended.
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