Aston Martin’s new V12 engine revs till 11,100rpm and makes 1,000bhp

- Developed in conjunction with Cosworth using F1 knowledge, materials and methods

- New naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 produces 1,000bhp

- Revs till 11,100rpm, the engine is fully-stressed element of the chassis and weighs just 206kg

With development of its new V12 engine in full swing, Aston Martin says the time is right to reveal some closely guarded secrets of the Valkyrie’s extraordinary power plant. Developed in conjunction with long time partner Cosworth, the new V12 has some jaw-dropping figures.

Displacing 6.5-litres, the 65-degree V12 sets new standards for maximum rpm and specific output with a peak power output of 1,000bhp  (or 153.8 bhp-per-litre) at 10,500rpm, before revving out at 11,100rpm – 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 petrol engine, the Valkyrie’s performance figures will be further boosted by a battery hybrid system, details of which will be revealed later in the development programme.

Given the engine is a fully stressed element of the car (remove the engine and there is nothing joining the front wheels to the back) and the level of technology in the combustion system, keeping weight down was a huge challenge. Especially as the programme actively avoided use of extreme materiel alloys which are so new that material properties over time are unproven.

Aside from the major castings - block, cylinder heads, sump and structural cam covers - the majority of the engine’s internal components are machined from solid material. These include Titanium conrods and F1TM-spec pistons. Not only does this allow the use of material with ideal properties, but the ultra-fine machining process means greater consistency and components optimised for minimum mass and maximum strength. The result is an engine that weighs just 206kg. By way of comparison, Cosworth’s 3.0 litre V10 F1TM engines (the last before weight limits were imposed by the FIA) weighed 97Kg. If scaled-up to 6.5 litres this pure race engine would weigh 210kg.