FIRST DRIVELambo’s new hybrid V12 is every bit the supercar as its ancestors
Jordan Katsianis Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk
THE Revuelto is the next chapter in Lamborghini’s V12 supercar story, joining a lineage that has adorned bedroom walls across the world for years.
Over the decades, most of these models have shared a mid-engined layout and a set of dramatic scissor doors, and the new Revuelto continues in fine form. But this latest-generation car signals something different for the Italian supercar brand.
The Revuelto might retain a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine, but it now works in conjunction with three electric motors that are powered from a small lithium-ion battery pack. Yes, Lambo’s signature supercar has gone hybrid.
The numbers are quite something, with the V12 engine rated at 813bhp and the motors then adding 147bhp each. Due to various complexities around the battery and inverter, the three motors cannot produce their maximum output at the same time, but the official peak system power of 1,001bhp is still remarkable. Their layout is also new for Lamborghini, with one of the e-motors mounted between the V12 and its eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the other two directly driving the front wheels. All of this hardware has an effect on weight, and the Revuelto is around 200kg heavier than the previous Aventador, at 1,775kg dry. Yet this doesn’t seem to dent performance, with a 2.5-second 0-62mph time and top speed of more than 217mph.
On start-up, the powertrain defaults to e-mode, keeping the engine dormant while still making fairly good progress using solely the electric motors. Its EV range is no more than six or seven miles, yet creates a calm and satisfying way of slinking through built-up areas largely unnoticed.
But as you find bigger roads, switching the powertrain into a different drive mode wakes the V12, barking it into life in just the same way as firm’s new Le Mans racer does at the pit exit during a race weekend. It’s hugely exciting, and helped confirm that despite some initial reservation, the Revuelto is just as intense and captivating as any Lamborghini that went before it.
It’s now that the engine is at the heart of the action. With an unsubtle thunk, the powertrain connects to the brilliant new gearbox. Straight-line performance is simply staggering, as the linear build-up to its peak performance at revs beyond 8,000rpm is subtly bolstered by the electric motors. This car does not feel like a hybrid in the slightest, but
