This new teaser image suggests Aston Martin鈥檚 Project 003, which called be called Valhalla, will adopt a mid-engined supercar layout, with high-exit exhausts and an active rear spoiler. Previous sketches and teaser images also hint that it will feature a jet-fighter-style canopy, with Aston Martin promising improved practicality over the Valkyrie. It鈥檚 likely that the British brand will debut a near-to-production version of the Project 003 at this year鈥檚 Geneva Motor Show. It will share the stage with new Valkyrie Pro and a new SUV from Aston Martin鈥檚 all-electric spin-off brand, Lagonda. Should Aston鈥檚 recent trademark applications be believed, its new supercar will be called the Valhalla, marking its position below the Valkyrie. Both cars鈥?names are borrowed from Norse mythology, and both are part of strict hierarchy. Supposedly, Valhalla is the resting place of souls deemed worthy of the god Odin鈥檚 company, while Valkyries are the warrior spirits who police it. Project 003 will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by an all-new turbocharged petrol-hybrid V6 engine. Aston Martin has previously confirmed that the hybrid powertrain will be a KERS system, rather than an efficiency-focused range-extending system, focusing on performance rather than economy. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Aston boss Andy Palmer revealed that car is an additional part of his seven-year plan. 鈥淚t falls into the category of a 鈥榮pecial鈥?鈥?Palmer told us. The 003 is the latest in a long line of new models being developed by Aston. The next big launch from the British firm is its first SUV, while the Project 003 will follow shortly after Aston鈥檚 AM9 Ferrari 488 competitor.
I鈥檝e already mentioned the 718 Cayman silhouette had captured my attention in a way that can only be compared to my first Cayman. Where the 2009 was classic and reminiscent of traditional Porsche form, the 718 is like nothing on the road today - there is no mistaking it with anything else, though it is a Porsche to its core. My first Cayman was purposeful, functional and not quite blue-collar. The new model is more refined in almost every aspect. The interior is, as I mentioned, near perfection. The body panels transition from one to the next as if they were machined from a single piece of aluminum. Everything from fitment to the storage areas is subtly enhanced. I鈥檝e manually selected gears most of my life, but now I concede this activity to the Porsche PDK transmission. My Macan was fitted with a PDK, and I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檒l ever go back to a manual gearbox.
Sure, choosing your gears may add to the driving experience, but I can鈥檛 help but marvel at the lightning-fast exacting shifts. The engine does take some getting used to. The sound is certainly different - but if you had never driven a Porsche flat six, your perspective would be dispassionate. In the base Cayman, the turbo kicks in at about 2000 rpm and not quite as smoothly as the 718 Cayman S. But if you squeeze the throttle on launch, you won鈥檛 notice discernable lag. Speaking of forced induction, when the turbocharger does engage, the Cayman goes into warp-speed - far more convincingly than the flat six in my 2009 at even higher revs. Acceleration and torque is astonishing for a car with a smallish motor. But four cylinders never felt this powerfully breathtaking. Performance aside, the improvement in ride is the most significant development. Where my first Cayman had always tracked like a go-cart, rough terrain in a bend would toss the back-end laterally like a skipping water bug.
The 718 suspension has resolved this issue. Handling is more inspired and the ride and comfort are remarkably improved. I struggle to balance classic Porsche principles versus progressive engineering. And I admit that I can sit in a car that I dreamed of in my youth, and long for the simplicity it represents. But I can ultimately accept that the evolution of driving is tied directly to technology we could never have comprehended - and to ignore that is to regress. Similar to the years of development on the 911, I continue to be astonished that Porsche creates automotive hardware so perfectly conceived that it seems sacrilegious to even consider further development. Yet they continue to take the marketing risk and push the engineering envelope - which often involves changes we didn鈥檛 ask for. Improvements come in many forms, and are not always accepted as progress. Whichever side of the argument you fall on, you鈥檇 have to at least admit that Porsche is never satisfied with excellence.
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