Aston Martin unveils £1.3m open-top Valhalla Spider as supercar helps to narrow the British firm's losses

Aston Martin has revealed a new open-top version of its Valhalla supercar as the British luxury car maker confirmed the plug-in hybrid two-seater is driving sales growth and helping to narrow losses.The Valhalla Spider has been unveiled with a price tag of around £1.3million, representing a near-£500,000 premium over the £850,000 coupe that arrived on roads earlier this year.Aston Martin says the Spider will account for around a quarter of the 999 Valhallas built, making it an even more exclusive proposition than the hard-top model. Yet despite losing its roof, it can still match the coupe's 217mph top speed.Almost all examples of the Spider have already been sold, despite production not beginning until the second half of 2027, providing a boost to the company's third-quarter results released on Wednesday.The luxury car maker said revenues surged 36 per cent to £389million in the third quarter, even as it grappled with global challenges including conflict in the Middle East and US tariffs.Sales have been boosted by Valhalla, Aston Martin's first hybrid mid-engined supercar, which typically sells for more than £1million once customer options are added and has raised the average sales price of its models.The firm said it made around 350 deliveries of the 217mph supercar in the nine months to the end of September and remains on track for about 500 by year-end.Early customers include TV chef Gordon Ramsay, while an earlier version of the car also made a brief cameo appearance in the 2021 James Bond film No Time To Die. Aston Martin's new open-top supercar: The Valhalla Spider will matches the coupe's 0-62mph time and top speed even without a roof. But it comes at a significant price mark-up...The Spider shares the coupe's PHEV drivetrain, pairing a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with three electric motors.The result is a combined output of 1,064bhp and 1,100Nm of torque.Even with an additional 25kg of weight, taking the total to 1,680kg, the roadster keeps pace with its coupe sibling, matching its 0-62mph sprint time of 2.5 seconds and top speed of 217mph.The 40 per cent increase in price reflects the engineering work required to create an open-top version of the focused supercar without compromising performance.It retains the carbon-fibre tub used in the coupe but features a removable roof panel rather than a complex and heavy folding roof mechanism. The detachable section is finished in fabric as standard, though most buyers are expected to upgrade to a carbon fibre panel. The Valhalla Spider is expected to start from around £1.3m, representing a near-£500,000 premium over the £850,000 coupe that arrived on roads earlier this year The Spider retains the carbon-fibre tub used in the coupe but features a removable roof panel rather than a complex and heavy folding roof mechanismOther notable changes include a winglet designed to deflect air over the cockpit and channel it into a rear air scoop towards the rear of the car to help cool the powertrain.Owners can also remove the winglet, which folds away and can be stowed in the new 15-litre lower sill apertures, which can also fit the detachable fabric roof.The British luxury car firm also confirmed the Spider matches the coupe's maximum downforce of 600kg with the roof in place.And to replicate the fixed-roof Valhalla's sense of drama, the open-top version retains the dihedral doors.Chief executive Adrian Hallmark said the Valhalla Spider 'preserves the aesthetic beauty and dynamic bandwidth of Valhalla Coupe while introducing the expanded opportunities for enjoyment and engagement that can only be found in an open-cockpit supercar'.He added: 'High speed or low speed. Rain or shine. Roof on or roof off. Road or track. Valhalla Spider ticks every box.' The roadster also keeps the Coupe's dihedral door design, though this time they are framelessEven with an additional 25kg of weight, the roadster keeps pace with its coupe sibling, matching its 0-62mph sprint time of 2.5 seconds and top speed of 217mph Aston Martin Valhalla Spider: Will it fit in my garage? Order books open: now (almost sold out)First deliveries: late 2027Price: from £1.3million (est)DIMENSIONHeight: 1,233mmHeight (Doors Open): 2,110mmWidth (including mirrors): 2,208mmLength: 4,728mmWheelbase: 2,760mmWeight: 1,680kgFuel tank capacity: 65 litresPERFORMANCEPowertrain: 4.0-litre Twin-Turbo V8 and three e-motors (2x front, 1x rear) Maximum power: 1,064bhpMaximum torque: 1,100NmTop speed: 217mphAcceleration (0-62mph): 2.5 seconds (est)Fuel economy: TBCCO2 emissions: TBC Valhalla Spider will help narrow Aston Martin lossesThe supercar's hefty list price means that, despite limited production of around 250 units, the Spider will help increase Aston Martin's average selling price as the company seeks to improve margins.Demand for the coupe has already helped lift the average price of Aston Martin's model range by a quarter this year.Aston Martin on Wednesday reported a smaller loss than a year earlier, although it remains firmly in the red.Its pre-tax loss for the third quarter came in at £77million, down from £112million over the same period last year.The London-listed manufacturer has been pressing ahead with efforts to improve performance under Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, the company's chairman and largest shareholder.In February, Aston Martin announced that nearly 600 jobs would be cut across the business after reporting larger annual losses.But on Wednesday it said its 'transformation programme' was delivering results and that it expected to report a stronger financial performance for 2026. Aston Martin says the Spider will account for around a quarter of the 999 Valhallas built, making it an even more exclusive proposition than the hard-top model With clients offered various customisable options, the price paid for a Valhalla Spider will likely far exceed £1.3m. This will improve the average selling price of Astons in a boost to its marginsHallmark said the latest figures demonstrated 'tangible and consistent progress towards the financial transformation' of the company and that he expected the positive 'momentum' to continue into the final quarter.The company is nevertheless continuing to navigate a number of challenges facing the global automotive industry.'This dynamic landscape includes uncertainties over the economic impact from the unpredictable threat or introduction of additional US tariffs, changes to China’s ultra-luxury car taxes and the continued reliance on a stable network of global suppliers,' it said.'The conflict in the Middle East has presented the latest macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.'However, Aston Martin said it had managed to 'limit the direct impact' on the business so far and would continue to monitor the effect of the conflict on global demand and supply chains. CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST