Aston Martin recently revealed fresh details of the high-revving, naturally aspirated 6,5-litre V12 engine that is set to power the upcoming Valkyrie. And now the managing director of Cosworth, the firm that helped the Gaydon-based automaker develop the big engine, says it would need rebuilding (or replacing) at 100 000 km.
Interestingly, that’s double the distance at which the Mercedes-AMG One’s turbocharged 1,6-litre V6 is expected to require a rebuild.
Speaking to Car and Driver, Cosworth boss Bruce Wood said the 65-degree V12 would require only routine maintenance before it hit that figure.
“Our expectation is that at 100 000 km [the engine] would be replaced,” Wood told the US-based publication.
“That’s not to say we think there is going to be a hole through the side of it, but our expectation would be that a lot of the components would be worn out,” he explained.
“The reality is that if anybody got to that point, we’d take the engine out, strip it, and crack-test it. If the block was fine and not excessively worn, there would be no reason not to rebuild it with new pistons and valves,” Wood added.
As a reminder, the Valkyrie’s V12 displaces 6,5 litres and boasts a certified peak power output of 746 kW (that’s a pleasingly round 1000 bhp) at a lofty 10 500 r/min. Peak torque of 740 N.m is on tap at 7 000 r/min, while the engine revs to a maximum of 11 100 r/min.
Of course, the Valkyrie’s performance figures will be further boosted by a battery hybrid system, with Aston Martin set to reveal these details at a later stage.
