Autotrader: Aston Martin Valhalla Review: Is It Worth £1,000,000?
Posted by hi_im_bored13@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 60 comments
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_l1nbw5vD8
"The Aston Martin Valhalla is one of the most ambitious cars the brand has ever built. A £1 million mid-engined plug-in hybrid hypercar combining Formula 1-inspired technology with extreme performance. But does it actually deliver, and is it really worth the money?"
Bit that stuck w/ me was towards the end where Rory (host) asked why does this cost so much? Aston dude answered "If you look at it vs. its competitors, & its really a hypercar, its great value. We're packing active front-axle torque vectoring, carbon monocoque, aero technologies, etc"
Rory goes "yeah but all thats also on the revuelto & 849, why does it cost so much". Aston guy went on about the F1 team, how beautiful it looks, how astons all pull double duty... Seems like Aston themselves cant really justify the price.
Personally, no interest given they are still using the Mercedes M178 at this price point. I think it would be slightly interesting if their in-house pu worked out, but it's no Lamborghini V12
& I think you have to be delusional and/or fearing losing your job to claim with a straight face that this competes with a W1 or F80. Even just on paper less power, at a much higher weight, with significantly less downforce
Positive_Gazelle_667@reddit
Who fucking cares
LeadershipOld1857@reddit
The "is it worth the money" question is exactly what makes exotic car pricing so fascinating. I just built a daily game where you guess real auction prices for cars like this - most people are way off on hypercar valuations.
Link below if anyone wants to test themselves
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F1T_13@reddit
So far the reviews on it overwhelmingly disagree with your conclusions.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
if it hasn't sold out yet, seems like the buyers dont disagree...
F1T_13@reddit
The 918 didn't sell out on day one either and most would agree that that car is a masterpiece today. The LFA was also considered a failure back in it's day as well.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
That was 5yrs after the financial crisis & a different market for hypercars, both the f80 & w1 which this so dearly wants to be compared with sold out instantly. You can watch the review yourself, its the Aston man himself struggling to justify what it offers over the cheaper ferrari & Lamborghini, not me
This project has been a mess from start to finish. The valkyrie as well, but this more so
F1T_13@reddit
We are in a financial downturn, especially for cars. Depreciation for cars over the past few years is greater now than it has been since the mid 10's. There are more Valhalla's than W1's as well.
I watched most of the main reviews on it and it's widely considered to be the one of/best super/hypercar experience available right now. At least the likes of Chris Harris and Jethro Bovingdon suggest.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
> We are in a financial downturn, especially for cars
Not for hypercars
humdizzle@reddit
3800 lbs and 1000hp. didn't really sound all that great on video either. At these prices nobody cares about performance, want something that has that X factor. Revuelto has the v12, and its built by the same company that makes the rest of the car. 750s is basically this car but much lighter without the hybrid stuff (might even be more reliable too). Its very similar to the sf90 but those are cheaper now and imo look much better than this aston... probably more reliable too.
its like the elantra N of the sport compact scene. Someone who doesn't want a CTR or GTI
RoyShavRick@reddit
I don't agree with the Elantra N comparison, that thing has so much bang for your buck. Criminally underrated. Si pricing with Type R performance, can't get better than that.
This Aston seems to have the opposite issue, imo.
humdizzle@reddit
yeah i agree its not a direct analogy. just pointing out that stuff like the CTR or GTI are sort of the 'benchmark' for a reason... but if you want something out of the box and not traditional you have hyundai. like the cayman is the benchmark car in its segment, but there are still people who like to be different and get the emira.
RoyShavRick@reddit
I don't really know about that to be honest. The Emira is no match for a Cayman in terms of objective metrics for the money but an Elantra N pummels both the Si and the GTI for the same money.
I suppose it is the new kid on the block. And yeah a Golf R or CTR are slightly better. But the Golf R is AWD and the CTR is way more expensive.
BWFTW@reddit
IMO astons issue is they want to do "prestige pricing" because of their heritage, but don't have the product portfolio or performance to back it up. This costs 1 million British pounds because aston thinks their cars should be expensive and exclusive, not because the price actually justifies the car. I think they make this mistake across their entire product portfolio.
budgefrankly@reddit
Jaguar tried being a mass-producer of "affordable" sports-cars and lost money year after year.
The most successful British manufacturer in the luxury/sport space is Bentley, who sells a Supersport is around £400,000, and the continental for over £200,000. You can add £50K to that if Mulliner gets involved
So while the Valhalla is priced for the car it was going to be (bespoke engine, massive aero), instead of the car it became I think Aston should only be selling cars for six figures if it every wants to break even.
RoyShavRick@reddit
Yeah well Bentley is also owned by VAG, routinely one of the biggest auto groups in the world. The parts sharing with Audi and Porsche helps Bentley immensely, not to mention the insanely fastidious German engineering.
Jag were always the underdogs, slinging together leftovers from Ford to make charismatic, if deeply flawed, cars. And Aston was just the premium version of that. But now Tata wants Jaguar to be this EV lifestyle thing, and Aston is.... well I'm not really sure. They are going for extremely high pricing and like prestige but the cars just aren't there imo.
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
I don't think they think AM should sell sub-6 figure cars, but Aston's been significantly bumping up their prices (e.g., Vantage went up around 30% for 2025) when they're not commanding the demand Ferrari or Lamborghini are
mcbawk@reddit
Spot on. People saying this should be a 500k car don't realize a well optioned Vanquish is 650k, which is outperformed by their own cheaper Vantage. These are lifestyle products. There is nothing value oriented about them. Aston even admits to 35-45% profit margin on these things and like a 60% on the Valhalla.
They're really banking hard on leveraging their nameplate for this new pricing strategy. Doesn't make sense to me, but people are weird and money is all over place. Wish them luck.
costafilh0@reddit
It took them 4 years to sell all units. That is your answer.
RoyShavRick@reddit
That's.... rough. It also doesn't help that a ZR1 makes the same horsepower figure just on the engine alone. Like that is WAY more impressive than all this other stuff.
And better not to mention the ZR1X....
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
That sounds LFA for me.
costafilh0@reddit
Yes, and Valhalla is beautiful compared to LFA. But just look at the LFA compared to the Carrera GT. And look at the current market compared to back then.
These days, anything limited that has enough interest sells out immediately. Including other Aston Martins.
This one, a beautiful car from a beautiful brand, took 4 years.
My best guess is because it's being compared to the SF90, which is a fail and half the price.
The Revuelto has a NA V12, which is one of the main reasons why it has been a huge sucess.
bakedvoltage@reddit
honestly worse, the LFA was “only” about half a mil in today’s money compared to this.
Immediate_Bee_6472@reddit
For comparison I believe the veyron had shit sales too at first also dropping well below a million it was a combination of the economy and timing ..fast forward 10 years there trending for a million plus minimum
Chiron selling for 3 million and up ..with certain Aston cars holding value this could be one later ..
TangerineBroad4604@reddit
I've been very surprised by how Bugatti values have flipped. Definitely remember it depreciating heavily.
jrileyy229@reddit
Well, from a business and profitability perspective... The answer is yes, it's worth a million pounds. They sold every one they wanted to sell. The fact that it took them a few years, when they were in no rush anyway, is fine... Not like they were sitting around on lots.
Since they didn't immediately all get scooped up... It Means they didn't sell it too cheap.
PRSArchon@reddit
There is no way these sold at MSRP
NeverSunnyInWinnipeg@reddit
One of my clients was offered one of these instead of a Valkarie and Aston was already putting cash on the hood. They probably won't ever admit that but I can't imagine how many of these probably sold at a discount. Also the loaner they gave him to test out broke down in the parking lot lol
atomicskiracer@reddit
You’ll be able to get one below msrp within six months.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
I edited the post after so I apologize, but towards the end of the video he mentions as of filming that video the run hasn't sold out. So at best 6-7yrs, at worst still not done
narwhal_breeder@reddit
When I first heard about the Valhalla with the M178 LS2, I thought it would be \~$550,000 starting to go head to head with the SF90. It competes so well in that bracket I genuinely think that was the plan when they started working on the car, and delays/setbacks, and a fixed 999 production unit locked in with MB (I've heard their contract to use the LS2 variant of the M178 came with a hard cap - MB doesnt want a hot Vantage with the M178 LS2 competing with the AMG GT Black Series with the same motor), forced them to up the price significantly.
I think, at that price, the shared engine is forgivable, especially one as proven as the M178 LS2 (even though thats a weird engine to begin with, revving no higher than the cross-plane crank M178, so why go flat plane to begin with?)
At the $1M price point it just doesn't make any sense.
pm-me-ur-car-pic@reddit
I agree the Valhalla is overpriced but not by $500k. A lot of the extra cost goes to engineering and R&D for a new chassis, not just materials. All that development cost is split among a small number of cars.
The AMG GT Black Series with this engine sold new for $350k back in 2021 and they still sell used for around $400k now. That was in the chassis based on a $100k car and in 2021 dollars. The Valhalla has 100+ more horsepower just from the engine, is mid-engined, has a carbon fiber chassis, adds an entire 3-motor hybrid system, and is far more exotic in general.
The SF90 was a bunch of slightly undercooked tech slapped into an 488 chassis. There's a reason they depreciated so much. Drag racing videos on youtube don't add value to supercars, so just because it has 1000 hp doesn't mean every other car with the same 0-60 time should cost the same. Ferrari cut corners to offer it at that price point (and I'm sure their margins were still massive).
The 4C was very impressive offering a carbon tub at the price point it did but it's really only the tub that was carbon: the rear firewall, the floor in the middle, and the front bulkhead. Everything else on that car was aluminum or steel. Nothing to sneeze at but you're not getting a full carbon chassis for anywhere near.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
> The 4C was very impressive offering a carbon tub at the price point it did but it's really only the tub that was carbon: the rear firewall, the floor in the middle, and the front bulkhead. Everything else on that car was aluminum or steel.
Hood, front and rear fenders, and trunk are composite as well.
And yeah thats how carbon tubbed cars work. Koneigsegg/Pagani/Mclaren all use aluminum/steel front/rear subframes/crash bars bolted to a carbon tub.
pm-me-ur-car-pic@reddit
Full chassis as opposed to just the tub. Something like the 918 where everything except the crash bars and front suspension attachment points are carbon. That includes the windshield frame, door frames, and rollover structure too; none of which is part of the tub on the 4C. entire roll bar structure is aluminum on the 4C.
On newer Koenigseggs much of the front structure is carbon too, though based on photos it doesn't have a rear section like the 918.
Looking at pics of the Valhalla the whole door frames, windshield frame, and rollover are all carbon. Hard to tell what is or isn't with the front and rear subframes/structures based on the photos I can find.
dragonitexy@reddit
Remember, it was supposed to have a Red Bull-developed bespoke V6 and weigh as much as a 911 ST at conception. What we're looking at here is the price compromise 💀
Witherino@reddit
I will say, I think this looks better than any of its competition. 400k better tho?
rosd0@reddit
It’s an SF90 but 6 years late. Or a 918 spyder 13 years late. Not worth it. Lambo at least has a V12 NA that screams.
DanielG165@reddit
I guess I’m just not really interested in the Valhalla, as nothing it about it screams “exciting” to me. The golden child Valkyrie revs to 11,000 RPM with a Cosworth V12, and looks like a Le Mans prototype. The Valhalla’s direct competitor, the F80, shares parts and DNA directly with the multi time Le Mans winning 499P. Hell, even the AMG One has a literal championship winning F1 engine powering it. The Valhalla is just… There, for me, emphasis on that.
I would probably take it over an 849, due to the latter not being all that pretty, but I would much rather get into a Revuelto, a slightly slower than Vahalla- 296 Speciale, or a ZR1/ZR1X. To me, the Valhalla gives me the same feelings as the SF90 did and does, where it just makes me shrug and go, “eh”. It’s fast as hell, but exciting? I personally don’t know. Maybe if I ever found myself in the passenger seat of one, it would blow my ever loving mind lol.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
Even the SF90 did it half the price though, likewise with the 849, I think it's almost admitting failure that we're comparing the Valhalla to the 849 etc. at all
if this was 500k I wouldn't mind it much. 200k premium over the GT Black it borrows its engine from
DanielG165@reddit
True true on the SF90. The price is the Valhalla’s biggest Achilles heel. For 500k-600k, I think this would be a comfortable 849, Temerario, and Revuelto competitor. For a million dollars though? It’s awkward.
AshKetchumDaJobber@reddit
Feels like Aston put it in a non existent class of cars between the sf90/testarossa/, revuelto, etc and the hypercars like w1, f80.
IAmWellBehaved@reddit
I think you're right. Ferrari has this sort of choice in their range of the vaguely similarly priced but very different 12 Cilindri and 849. The Valhalla would've complemented the Vantage similarly, maybe even a little higher like the Revuelto. But at a million-plus, even for fictional super wealthy me it doesn't really make sense. Beautiful car in British Racing Green though.
WatercressHour6973@reddit
Honestly the F1 tech pitch feels like marketing duct tape holding together a car stuck between worlds—too expensive to be a real SF90 rival, too compromised to be a true Valkyrie sibling. And selling 999 units over four years while Ferrari and Lamborghini move that many Revuelto/SCV12s before breakfast? That’s not scarcity—that’s quiet desperation.
ewaters46@reddit
Thanks ChatGPT!
WatercressHour6973@reddit
You're welcome！
turb0_encapsulator@reddit
This is still a pretty great car. It isn't the AMG One.
mgobla@reddit
I wouldn't be surpised if it's slower around a track than a Corvette. Alos it revs a full 1k rpm lower.
762_54r@reddit
That's more money than I'd have if I sold everything and emptied all my savings and investment accounts so no. Not by a long fucking shot
IAmWellBehaved@reddit
I Googled around and didn't see an answer to this (maybe I missed it), but why didn't they use their V-12? The AMG V-8 or any V-8 has no connection to their current motorsports activities beyond their GT3/GT4 Vantage (pretty low down in the prestige ladder for a car like this). At least with the F80 there's the connection to the 499P LMH program, and though an entirely different engine their F1 cars use a turbo V-6 hybrid of course. The AMG One of course also has a direct link to racing with its V-6.
So was it packaging or something? The V-12 would offer no performance benefit but the 12-cylinder image would at least give it some flair versus SF90s and whatnot.
atomicskiracer@reddit
Money. It’s that simple. The top tier motorsports connection car is the Valkerie. This model being a step down makes sense to be connected to the next level below lmdh.
RevvCats@reddit
Most LMDh cars are V8 hybrids
atomicskiracer@reddit
Obviously I meant hypercar as I was directly referring to the Valkyrie.
RevvCats@reddit
They’re at the same level. there’s a bunch of LMDh V8 hybrids that race against the LMH V12 Valkyrie and pretty much always do better because for as good as the Valkyrie sounds it’s kinda a hot mess on track.
The step down from IMSA GTP / WEC Hypercars are GT3 cars and that’s the Vantage. Technically the step down is LMP2 but that’s a class where everyone has the same car.
atomicskiracer@reddit
The top tier Aston Martin race car is a v12, the top tier Aston super car is a v12. The second tier Aston race car is a v8, as is the next tier sport car. They don’t make an lmp2, I have no idea why you would even bring that up. This isn’t a difficult concept.
IAmWellBehaved@reddit
But they already have the Vantage on which the GT3/GT4 race cars are based, whereas this Valhalla has no connection to any one Aston race car and costs more than a GT race car (which is generally in the $500K-1M range for a GT3 unit) so the Valhalla drawing any perceived inspiration from a GT car seems kinda.....down-market, dare I say? (As a person who will never be able to afford even a totaled example of this car). Plus the connections being made about the Valhalla seem more F1-y.
Idk. Hardly a breaking point. I just think a wailing V-12 would've felt more "emotional" for a car of this caliber. The cost of reworking the V-8 seems like it just could've been applied to the V-12 for a mid-engine layout, which is already incredibly powerful.
atomicskiracer@reddit
Again, money. The had a price point to meet, and didn’t want to eat in Valkyrie sales.
hi_im_bored13@reddit (OP)
When this was originally announced it was part of the pair of Red Bull x Aston Martin cars, as a value Valkyrie of sorts, it was also supposed to use an in-house V6 w/ the hybrid system of the valkyrie, w/ a rear motor as well & a focus on Aero
None of that panned out lol. but idk if they could've fit the V12 there even if they wanted to
IAmWellBehaved@reddit
Thank you! That makes sense.
E8282@reddit
I’d imagine it’s going to be hard to move almost a thousand of these. As much as I would love one, even if I had the money, there’s better options for less.