Aston Martin 3.0L V6 hybrid to go into other models; V12 engine production to move to UK, become hybrid

The Aston Martin Valhalla that is set to enter production in 2022 will share its electrified V6 powertrain with future Aston Martin models shortly after its debut, Autocar reported. The 3.0 litre turbocharged petrol V6 will replace the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0 litre biturbo V8 that powers the Vantage – among other Aston Martins – following the German performance division’s decision to discontinue the engine.

“Mercedes have made no secret of where their engine technology is moving to, and obviously we don’t foresee four-cylinder engines in our Astons, so we’ve got to make our own journey,” said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer to Autocar. The new hybridised V6 should effectively be a modular replacement for the AMG-sourced V8, and can be mated to existing transmissions, Palmer confirmed to the magazine.

Despite downsizing in capacity, the new V6 will make at least as much power as the current AMG engine in the British marque’s applications, the report said. “As you move on, you normally expect a power increase, not a decrease. You’re supposed to do that, even with a smaller power unit, so there’s no way our customers are going to expect to step backwards,” Palmer said.

This V6 will be the firm’s most powerful engine yet when installed in the Valhalla, though its future applications in other models will see it detuned and reconfigured to suit different needs, the report said. From a series production perspective, this will surpass the 725 PS and 900 Nm of torque that is produced from the marque’s 5.2 litre biturbo V12 engine in the DBS Superleggera.

Codenamed TM01 in reference to Tadek Marek, Aston Martin’s engineer in the 1950s, the 3.0 litre turbocharged hybrid V6 is the brand’s first all-in-house engine since 1968, and it will feature dry-sump lubrication for the lowest possible centre of gravity. The engine alone weighs less than 200 kg, says Aston Martin, and it will be compact enough for front-mounted applications.

Despite not having made V6 engines before, Palmer insists that it will be possible for the powerplant to deliver a brand-appropriate experience. “The key is sound. As long as it feels like a V8 and sounds majestic, I think it’s a perfectly sensible way to go and a lot more sensible than a four-cylinder engine would be,” Palmer said, also noting that the hybrid drive system can fill in the torque and compensate with electric assistance.

The 3.0 litre hybrid V6 will be produced in the United Kingdom by a supplier that has yet to be named, however this will ‘definitely not involve’ Ford’s engine plant in Bridgend, as it is about to cease operations. Autocar has also learnt from Aston Martin insiders that the British firm is planning to move production of the 5.2 litre twin-turbocharged V12 out of Cologne, Germany where it is currently made, to the United Kingdom in order to develop electrification for the twelve-cylinder.

The V12 engine ‘won’t last’ in the longer term, said Palmer, though it can be made to be more CO2-friendly and continue to produce them for a few more years as a result, he said. “The key point is that we make cars for the world, and the world hasn’t said there isn’t a future for hybrids or plug-in hybrids,” Palmer explained.

GALLERY: Aston Martin TM01 engine

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