Aston Martin Valhalla

With the experience of witnessing the decision-making process for many “special specifications,”

Configuring a supercar is always fun, even if it’s not your own car. Of course, configuring a car you’ve bought yourself is more exciting. But whether it’s a friend’s car or a hands-on experience like this one, watching a supercar slowly take shape is incredibly stimulating for any car enthusiast.

I have helped and experienced the decision-making process for special specifications in the home countries of hypercar brands such as Ferrari’s Tailor Made and Lamborghini’s Ad Personam, as well as Pagani, Koenigsegg, and Gordon Murray. I have also witnessed the decision-making process for a considerable number of “special specifications,” including online decisions for McLaren and Aston Martin.

Custom orders require creative ability

Looking at it, I realized that custom orders are very “difficult.” “If you have the budget, you can do anything,” but while you can choose and combine various things from a menu, you can’t choose from something that doesn’t exist. This is because it takes a great deal of creative ability to come up with such a thing. For example, like the person who first came up with the idea of ​​replacing leather seats with denim at a tailor-made shop. For this reason, in many cases, custom order patterns are actually available.

Of course, it is also the manufacturer’s job to increase the possibility of realization. In actual ordering, a designer dedicated to the custom order department who is familiar with other customers’ orders will often be there to assist the customer, and with their advice, they can expand their imagination and turn vague ideas and vague ideals into reality. Another important role of these designers, along with protecting the brand image, is to determine the overall balance so that the specifications do not end up being nonsensical.

This introduction has gotten quite long, but what I wanted to say is that it’s best to have an experienced advisor for a custom configuration. So, this time, I visited Aston Martin’s latest Valhalla boutique in Aoyama, Tokyo, to see the near-production model (prototype just before production). I was able to have the luxury of having Chief Designer (Chief Creative Officer) Marek Reichman personally explain the Valhalla’s design and then help me with the configuration.

The silhouette is like an evolution of the C-car

The Valhalla’s incredible capabilities are as previously reported. It is a two-seater, rear-engine supercar with over 1,000 horsepower, and a plug-in hybrid car equipped with the basic system of a next-generation supercar (engine + electric motor). Could it be said to be a worthy rival to the Ferrari SF90 XX?

Unlike the Valkyrie, it is clearly closer to a road car, but its silhouette resembles an evolution of a 1990s Group C car (racing car). It brings to mind the Jaguar XJ220 or XJ15. And yet, no matter how you look at it, it exudes the elegance that is characteristic of Aston Martin, a testament to the work of Marek and his design team.

I decided to customize this Valhalla to my liking. The theme was “understated British style.” It’s already a flashy car. If I finished it in a popular white color or an F1-themed color, I’d get bored of it quickly and it would look like a toy. Since it’s a plug-in hybrid (PHV) that can also run on electric power, I wanted to configure it to feel like a real-world hypercar.

The best caliper color is XX

When I told Marek about this image, he immediately picked up a panel in a muted green hue and showed it to me. His favorite was the deep olive-like Arden Green. He considered options like champagne gold and pink gold, but decided to go with the green hue. Marek also gave his stamp of approval, saying that green suits Valhalla well.

Once the basic color was decided, the next question was what to do with the carbon fiber parts: gloss (shiny) or satin (non-shiny). Looking at Marek’s face, I said satin, and he replied satin. I told him I was already tired of carbon fiber patterns, and he gave me a wry smile. But the trendy marble (stamping) somehow felt weird. An inconspicuous satin would be good.

The details are worked out one by one. The mirror covers are the same color as the body, because I don’t like having only the edges black. The forged wheels have a slightly flashy design, but the color is liquid titanium. It’s a bit champagne gold, but a subdued shade. Marek nods and chooses black, saying, “In that case, I guess this should be the brake calipers.” As expected, he knows what he’s talking about. That’s right, black is the basic color for calipers. Brakes are the unsung heroes, so you don’t want them to stand out too much, and modern calipers are large, so if you color them poorly, the wheel design will be ruined.

The front grille is machined aluminum, typical of Aston. Theme 3 is chosen for the graphics, such as the borders, and is Valkyrie Gold. This part is a little flashier. The tailpipes are also titanium. If I were to be greedy, I would like to add a gold border to the snorkel as well, but that would be available as a Q (special order).

The author’s secret strong feelings

Next up is the interior. Marek says, “Maybe tan or brown.” It’s true that browns go well with blue and green exterior colors. However, I have a strong desire right now: to choose a green interior with a green exterior. Choosing similar colors other than black or white to coordinate the interior and exterior takes courage, and in some cases the results can be disappointing. Green is a particularly difficult color, so it requires extra care, and that’s why it was the configuration I wanted to try this time, with Marek helping me out.

“How about green?” I timidly asked Marek. “Yes, it’s possible!” he replied immediately, to my relief. The interior leather can be divided into seats and dashboard, but both are green. What’s more, there was Arden Green, which is the same color as the body. There would be no point in choosing a green interior if I couldn’t use as much green as possible. For the stitching, he chose Copper Tan Metallic to match the gold accents on the exterior. The carbon fiber parts are of course satin.

The imaginary Valhalla Nishikawa is complete. I really want to see it in real life! Could someone order one with this spec? (lol)

PHOTO/Aston Martin Lagonda, Jun NISHIKAWA

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Aston Martin’s latest mid-engine super sports car, the “Valhalla,” priced at 130 million yen, is unveiled in Japan for the first time.

The production version of Aston Martin’s latest plug-in hybrid super sports car, the Valhalla, has been unveiled in Japan. This limited-edition model, limited to 999 units, combines a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine with three electric motors to produce a maximum system output of 1079 PS and a maximum system torque of 1100 Nm.