With development of its new V12 progressing apace, the time is right to reveal some closely guarded secrets of the extraordinary powerplant in the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
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 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 V12 sets exceptional new standards for maximum rpm and specific output with a certified peak power output of 1,000bhp (or 153.8bhp/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 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.
