Aston Martin prepares new V6 engine for Valhalla

ASTON Martin has revealed it is almost ready to roll with its new in-house designed V6 engine which has been created initially for use in a new range of mid-engined sportscars, starting with the Valhalla from 2022.

Codenamed TM01 – celebrating Aston Martin’s engineer of the 1950s and 60s, Tadek Marek – the engine has already undergone a series of extensive testing on the dyno, as the team make progress towards creating the luxury British brand’s first in-house designed engine since 1968.

Confirmed as a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, the full powertrain will be electrified – an aspect that has been key to the engine’s development from day one.

Aston Martin is developing a new range of hybrid systems that will ensure that the complete unit will become the most powerful in the Aston Martin range when on sale.

The final power and torque figures for each application of this powertrain will be determined by the desired characteristics of each product it serves and confirmed at the time of launch.

Following the Aston Martin Valkyrie – the brand’s first mid-engined hypercar – many learnings have been directly applied to the project.

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.

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.

The engine is designed to meet all future emission requirements for Euro 7.

Aston Martin president and group chief executive, Dr 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.”