Aston Martin has a very new, very powerful 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 on the way, and here’s a closer peek at it. Like a proud parent, the marque released a slew of photos of its in-house designed and hybrid-capable engine that will make its debut in the 2022 Valhalla.
The engine’s codename, TM01, is a tribute to pioneering engineer Tadek Marek who designed and tinkered with several legendary Aston Martin engines in the 1950s and 1960s, including the 5.3-liter V-8 engine made originally for the DBS. In a first for Aston Martin, the V-6 is designed with a “hot vee” layout, its turbochargers live between the cylinder banks, shortening the turbo plumbing and enhancing engine response (the intake manifolds, therefore, live on the outside of each cylinder bank). Destined for Aston Martin’s upcoming mid-engine sports cars, the TM01 is designed to sit low and behind the cabin, with a dry sump oil system for a lower center of gravity. The vehicles it’ll be installed in will glean further center-of-gravity benefits from the engine’s light weight; Aston says the engine weighs less than 441 pounds.
The TM01 is fully ready to be electrified, and will be in the Valhalla. Aston Martin is currently developing a range of hybrids and states, “The final power and torque figures for each application of this powertrain will be determined by the desired characteristics of each product it serves and confirmed at the time of launch.” Translation? We don’t know how much power the new V-6 makes, with or without electrification add-ons, but take one look at the Valhalla above. Do you think it’s going to be slow? And besides, if you’re worried about cylinder count, look no further than the Ford GT, which also uses a turbocharged V-6 (without electrification).
Andy Palmer, Aston Martin president and CEO, tells us that “Moving forward, this power unit will be integral to a lot of what we do and the first signs of what this engine will achieve are incredibly promising.”
The new TM01 engine will be built in the U.K. and may eventually replace the AMG sourced V-8s currently used in the DB11, Vantage, and DBX after 2022. If that’s too long of a wait, may we recommend an Aston Martin V12 Speedster that’s slated for 2021 to keep you entertained in the meantime?
