Lamborghini Will Save Its Legendary V12 By Adding Hybrid Tech
The Lamborghini V12 will live on beyond the current generation, but the next one will be a hybrid.
With an all-new flagship Lamborghini scheduled for an early 2020s launch, the V12 format will be retained to differentiate the brand from other supercar makers who have downsized, chopped cylinder counts and turned to turbocharging.
But it will have to turn to electrification in order to meet emissions regulations. Whether that comes by borrowing Porsche or Audi plug-in hybrid tech, or with a more bespoke electric ‘boost’ setup more like the one used by the Ferrari LaFerrari, we don’t yet know.
The future Aventador replacement will start a push towards hybridisation right across the current three model ranges. The Urus hybrid was already confirmed, but the wider strategy has now fallen into place. The Huracan will also go part-electric and the V10 may not survive the transition. Speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, company CEO Stefano Domenicali said:
“It’s clear that we want to stay with the V12 to have with the top car. Then we can discuss what would be the right engine for the future for the Huracan. Of course, V10 would be the first priority but we have the time to discuss it.
“The value of our brand is based on our top end product. It must be really the pure interpretation of a supersport car. We are sure that one of things you must offer on a supersport car is a V12 naturally aspirated engine. The car needs to be engineered for hybrid or not for hybrid. The supersport car cannot be a compromise.”
Comments
Hybridization will one day take ovee the auto industry: Change My Mind.
I mean, a lightweight KERS system beats adding a Turbo, in both economy and performance worlds. LaFerrari did it back in 2013! That’s 5 years ago. Just look at 2013 Hybrids and EVs and then look at 2018 Hybrids and EVs.
Even if Lamborghini decides to go full Hybrid I don’t see the problem. Lamborghini was never about track records (which are most often set by ICE cars, cars with KERS or EVs) but about being daily drivable and all out crazy at the same time.
I’m sorry, but AWD Hybrid V12 sounds like a perfect Lamborghini to me.
Lamborghini and other low-volume manufacturers get a special exemption from environmental regulations, so long as their emissions show a clear downward trend.
Lamborghini would have got away with putting various Audi engines into the Urus, while keeping the N/A V12, without electrifying it. Making it a hybrid is just happening to increase how much power it makes, while making it heavier. And weight was never the Aventador’s strongest suit in the first place.
All this hybridization needs to stop.
Well it keeps the sound and ypu can see the engine revs climbing… Not to mention you can change gears yourself so this is the perfect solution as of today (ofcourse Mazda still has it best)
That’s probably how Lamborghini put it.
“Our signiture, Italian V12 layout will stay! And some sort of Hybrid thing, I dunno”
imagine a QUIET lamboghini
the horrors, the pain! GRAB THE PITCHFORKS, SAVE THE CHILDREN
jk, this is a great idea though
Lamborghini , You the real MVP
But but the weight and the price……….. Why not a 5 litre v12 turbo instead
Hybrid or not, it’s still awesome right?
If the next big Lamborghini adopts some of the chassis dynamics characteristics from the Huracán Performante (good around corners, precise, fun to drive, driftable) and gets a dual-clutch transmission so that you can drive it in auto mode and around town without too much discomfort, while maintaining a naturally aspirated V12, it will be pretty much perfect.