New 2021 Aston Martin Project 003 hypercar teased

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Luke Wilkinson 2019-02-20 00:01

The Aston Martin Project 003, which could be called Valhalla when it arrives in 2021, has been teased ahead of Geneva

This is our first official look at Aston Martin’s third hypercar, codenamed Project 003. The McLaren P1 rival will bolster the upcoming Valkyrie and Valkyrie Pro range and is expected to reach the market by 2021, with production being strictly limited to 500 examples.

This new teaser image suggests Aston Martin’s Project 003, which called be called Valhalla, will adopt a mid-engined supercar layout, with high-exit exhausts and an active rear spoiler. Previous sketches and teaser images also hint that it will feature a jet-fighter-style canopy, with Aston Martin promising improved practicality over the Valkyrie. 

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It’s likely that the British brand will debut a near-to-production version of the Project 003 at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. It will share the stage with new Valkyrie Pro and a new SUV from Aston Martin’s all-electric spin-off brand, Lagonda.

Should Aston’s recent trademark applications be believed, its new supercar will be called the Valhalla, marking its position below the Valkyrie. Both cars’ names are borrowed from Norse mythology, and both are part of strict hierarchy. Supposedly, Valhalla is the resting place of souls deemed worthy of the god Odin’s company, while Valkyries are the warrior spirits who police it. 

Project 003 will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by an all-new turbocharged petrol-hybrid V6 engine. Aston Martin has previously confirmed that the hybrid powertrain will be a KERS system, rather than an efficiency-focused range-extending system, focusing on performance rather than economy. 

It’s being built as a rival to the McLaren Senna and Ferrari LaFerrari and, as such, power should sit between the DBS Superleggera and Valkyrie, at around 1,000bhp. That should translate to a 0-62mph time of less than three seconds and a top speed upwards of 200mph. Technology will also be borrowed from the Valkyrie project, such as active aerodynamics and active suspension. 

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Aston boss Andy Palmer revealed that car is an additional part of his seven-year plan. “It falls into the category of a ‘special’,” Palmer told us. “It’s the connector, it’s the dot between the Valkyrie and the Ferrari 488 competitor [also under development]. Let’s put it as a LaFerrari competitor so it’s in that kind of realm, like the McLaren Senna and Porsche 918. As for power, it would more than compete with those.” 

The 003 is the latest in a long line of new models being developed by Aston. The next big launch from the British firm is its first SUV, while the Project 003 will follow shortly after Aston’s AM9 Ferrari 488 competitor.

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