Oops: Aston Martin Valhalla prototype arrested for reckless driving

When you build a street-legal race car, you have to test it properly. Aston Martin’s engineers clearly agree; Police in Utah just cited a “reckless driving” development factor while testing one of the company’s new Valhalla prototypes.

Testing a vehicle in Utah means long stretches of open road. That’s probably why Aston Martin engineers are putting a Valhalla prototype to the test. Still, the Sheriff’s Department in Emery County, Utah, probably didn’t expect to find a seven-figure hypercar with more than 1,000 horsepower.

“It’s not every day that you stop a prototype Aston Martin on fire on the road through Emery County,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. Facebook after. “This $1.5 million car was called for reckless driving and stopped by ECSO Deputy Dylan Keele and UHP Trooper Dakota Adams on I-70 near Green River, Utah.”

Aston Martin has been developing the Valhalla for centuries. Clearly it still needs some polishing. However, it is also possible that a potential customer gains insight into his future investment. Aston Martin likely has very few development mules, so seat time is a luxury – even a prototype could step in if a potential sale is on the line.

Aston Martin plans to build just 999 examples of the Valhalla. This super machine is a collaboration between the car manufacturer and Red Bull Racing. Aston Martin builds the chassis and Red Bull supplies the bodywork.

This is Aston Martin’s first attempt at a plug-in hybrid model. The Valhalla combines a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with three electric motors. You have a pair of engines in the front and a third engine integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. There’s no real reverse gear either, as the front motors do that job when needed.

According to the automaker, total combined output is said to be 1,064 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. Aston Martin claims the Valhalla will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, but I could see that time dropping even lower once the car officially goes into production.

Just don’t test my theory in Utah. The police are clearly monitoring. But if you can afford Valhalla, you can also afford the ticket or a lawyer to fight it. Or just put the car in pure EV mode and tell the cop it couldn’t be you, as the car can only travel at 80mph when running on the electric motors alone.

Keep in mind that with a full battery you only have about 13.5 kilometers of EV driving range.