The Valkyries carry slain warriors to Valhalla, so the name is a perfect match with Aston Martin’s other hypercar.
Aston Martin takes inspiration from Norse mythology for the name of the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar, and the British brand might stick with this theme for a future mid-engined supercar by calling it Valhalla. The automaker applied for a trademark on the mythological name on October 12, 2018, covering “passenger cars and racing cars and parts and fittings.” Autoguide first discovered the applications.
It’s possible that the Valhalla is the name for what Aston Martin is currently calling the Project 003 (teaser image above). However, it might also be for the automaker’s forthcoming Ferrari 488 competitor that’s in development under the codename AM9.
“It’s [the Project 003] the connector, it’s the dot between the Valkyrie and the 488 competitor, and it’s basically about squirting the DNA down to the next version,” Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said in a recent interview. “When you see the design language for 003, it’s really interesting. We’re designing 003 and what we call AM9 side by side, so you see that bloodline.”
This might be the Valhalla:
The Project 003 will pack a turbocharged V6 with performance-tuned hybrid assistance, and Red Bull Racing will have input in the powerplant’s design. Expect a high price because the vehicle will have the performance to compete with the likes of older supercars like the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder, according to Palmer.
In Scandinavian legends, Valhalla is the part of the afterlife where slain warriors live. The Valkyrie are the entities that bring the dead soldier’s spirits there. These names would create a direct connection between Aston Martin’s two machines.
We get the impression that the folks deciding the names of future sports cars are quite a fan of the Thor film series. In addition to the Valkyrie and possible Valhalla, Sweden’s Koenigsegg allegedly intends to call its next hypercar the Ragnarok. In Norse mythology, this name refers to the prophesized end of the world.
Source: European Union Intellectual Property Office, 2, Autoguide