Gaydon, England - Rather than turn to AMG as a supplier, like it has with the V8 that it sources for most of its products, Aston Martin has decided to go it alone with its most powerful engine ever.
The British sports car specialist has just released some new details about this 3-litre turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain, which is the firm’s first fully-self-developed engine since 1968.
The new engine is set to make its debut in the mid-engined Aston Martin Valhalla supercar from 2022, but it is also set to find its way into other cars, with lower-powered versions perhaps eventually replacing the AMG V8 unit in the less extreme Aston models.
Aston Martin has yet to disclose how powerful the new V6 actually is, but since it is the company’s most powerful engine it will have to out-do the 533kW V12 that’s currently fitted to the DBS Superleggera. Various sources abroad have suggested a power output of more than 1000 horsepower for the Valhalla, which equates to 745kW.
The final outputs for each version of this powertrain will be determined by the characteristics of each specific product it serves, Aston Martin says.
“Following the Aston Martin Valkyrie - the brand’s first mid-engined hypercar - many key learnings have been directly applied to this project,” Aston Martin said.
“As a result, the decision to develop the engine with a ‘hot V’ structure was clear from the start, with the configuration allowing for this compact engine to weigh less than 200kg.
“Higher engine speeds, in combination with the benefits of electrification, will offer the performance characteristics of a mid-engined sportscar on an extreme level. Naturally, the engine will be positioned directly behind the driver’s cabin and equipped with a dry sump system to guarantee the lowest possible centre of gravity.
Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said: “Investing in your own powertrains is a tall order, but our team have risen to the challenge. Moving forward, this power unit will be integral to a lot of what we do and the first signs of what this engine will achieve are incredibly promising.”