Aston Martin Abandoning AMG V8 for Homegrown Hybrid V6 Turbo

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Back in 2013, Aston Martin signed a deal with Daimler to supply the next generation of its performance vehicles with Mercedes-AMG engines and electrical systems. That arrangement is now coming to an end, as AMG has decided to replace its 4.0-liter V8 with a hybridized four-cylinder unit that’s more efficient. While the older Mercedes-sourced mill will linger in Aston Martin’s Vantage, DB11, and DBX luxury crossover, the manufacturer will eventually need to find its replacement.

Fortunately, it already has a motor in mind.

In an interview with Car & Driver, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer explained that the company plans to replace the German V8 with the homegrown hybrid V6 it has scheduled for the upcoming Valhalla and Vanquish models.

“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,” Palmer explained, “so we’ve got to make our own journey.”

When the time comes, any model using the AMG motor will have to swap over to Aston’s V6 — which should come in a variety of flavors. Not much is known about it, though it’s said to support advanced hybrid technology, with the company frequently making reference to twin-turbo power on the Valhalla. Palmer said the V12 will also stick around, serving as the primary unit in its fanciest grand tourers. Still, he admitted it probably won’t last forever, citing the United Kingdom’s quest to ban the sale of all internal combustion vehicles by 2035.

“I hope the V12 is around for a good while longer,” Palmer said. “You can see in the longer term it won’t last, but certainly over the next few years we can continue to produce V12 engines and we can make them more CO2 friendly. It will be a sad day when we see the V12 engine disappear from an Aston.”

Since we’re rarely dressed in the proper attire, we don’t spend a lot of time in Aston Martin products. Regardless, we’ll still miss the growl of the gnarly V8 and certainly plan on savoring it wherever we manage to find it (usually an upscale parking garage). Knowing this, Palmer explained that monumental effort is being taken to ensure the V6 makes the right noise — especially considering it has never built one.

“The key is sound, tuning the pipes to make it sound like an Aston,” he said. “Obviously we can use the hybrid system and the electric motor to fill in on torque so you can compensate for the cylinder size with the electrical assist. 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 an [inline] four would be for us.”

[Image: Aston Martin]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Rpm773 Rpm773 on Mar 09, 2020

    "You could get the Reno with a manual transmission, but few buyers did so." Methinks *few* buyers went with the automatic, too.

  • Conundrum Conundrum on Mar 09, 2020

    The V12 Aston engine in higher-end models is two old Ford Duratec 3.0 V6 engines laid end to end with beefier mains. Noble made many souped-up turbo versions of the Duratec V6 engine in 3 litre form to get about 425 hp. The V12 blocks and heads are cast by the Cosworth Coscast system by the real folks themselves. Easy enough to make a pretty radical turbo V6 from that base, without reinventing the wheel, surely? Enough spare engineering resources lying around with experience in the UK. All it needs are more modern heads with new combustion chambers, DI and exhaust manifolds in the head which is the trend everywhere to keep the turbo as close in as possible.

  • Analoggrotto Kia EV9 was voted the best vehicle in the world and this is the best TOYOTA can do? Nice try, next.
  • 3-On-The-Tree 4cyl as well.
  • Luke42 I want more information about Ford’s Project T3.The Silverado EV needs some competition beyond just the Rivian truck. The Cybertruck has missed the mark.The Cybertruck is special in that it’s the first time Tesla has introduced an uncompetitive EV. I hope the company learns from their mistakes. While Tesla is learning what they did wrong, I’ll be shopping to replace my GMC Sierra Hybrid with a Chevy, a Ford, or a Rivian — all while happily driving my Model Y.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I wished they wouldn’t go to the twin turbo V6. That’s why I bought a 2021 Tundra V8.
  • Oberkanone My grid hurts!Good luck with installing charger locations at leased locations with aging infrastructure. Perhaps USPS would have better start modernizing it's Post offices to meet future needs. Of course, USPS has no money for anything.
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