Cost doesn't have to be higher than a V6; just cut the V12 along its spine instead of across its waist. Either method requires a new crankshaft and timing (but not a new cylinder head for the inline engine), and you don't have to deal with the vibration issues inherent in a V6.

 

A V6 instead of a V8??? This could have another downside effect on sales for Aston Martin......see what happened with Porsche when they downsized their Cayman/Boxter to a 4 cylinder.......they regret that now and come with a 6 cylinder GTS that hopefully saves that platform.

 

Glad to see the move away from Mercedes.

 

Agreed. The AMG engine is fine, I guess, but I just don't feel like it belongs in an Aston Martin.

I'm actually kind of hoping that Aston partners with Koenigsegg for the Freevalve system if they're going to make a 6-cylinder Vantage. The efficiency and power gains would be notable.

 

I'd like to a see Ford and/or Cosworth (if not in-house); keep with tradition.

 

A v6 hybrid sounds like a winter storage nightmare!

I hope they have a battery charging solution for those that don't get to drive their cars too often.

My prior experience with any hybrid and their batteries have been disastrous, usually requiring a flat bed tow and dealer intervention.

I agree with the other comments here: just go full electric or full ICE. Hybrid is a compromise and will likely lead to other problems.

 

I think that is exactly the lesson that Aston learned. Mercedes was pushing their hybrid-4 cylinder and Aston said "no" then set upon the investment in their own hybrid-6 cylinder.

The Porsche 4 cylinder was awful in nearly every respect besides gas mileage. The return to a 6 cylinder brought those cars back to life. And if there is any doubt that a 6 cylinder can be a truly great engine - go drive a GT3 or better yet a 911R or GT3 Touring with a manual gearbox. Just fabulous. Hugely engaging, wonderful soundtrack, immense performance... Better than nearly any V-8 in the world besides the flat-plane crank Ferrari motors (although look for them to start using V-6 as well in some models https://www.autox.com/quattroruote/t...rsport-107303/). But even fans of V8's know they will be disappearing due to regulations and electrification.

The hybridization checks a couple of boxes... 1) helps Aston get their total fleet gas mileage higher, 2) will allow the car to enter cities with strict pollution controls, 3) provides "torque fill" for better performance and to minimize turbo lag and 4) gives then more experience on electric platforms as they continue to march towards full electrification for parts of their model range.

The negative on hybrid will be weight (but much better than full electric) and complexity of drivetrain (maintenance, future collectibility, etc).

 

Agreed. There is hope... the latest engine in the Valkyrie is a joint venture with Cosworth. Not too shabby :-)