Lamborghini’s chief executive, Stephan Winkelmann, has confirmed that the hotly-anticipated successor to the Aventador will in fact be powered by a V12, as well as an electric motor hybrid system as the company prepares itself for electrification across the range.
The news comes from Autocar who sat down with Lamborghini’s president and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, who rejoined the Lamborghini team after stints with Bugatti and Audi Sport.
Winkelmann confirmed that the next-gen flagship Lambo will retain its iconic 6.5-litre V12 powertrain, however, it will have some added power thanks to an electric motor.
Lamborghini’s next range-topper is due for its unveiling some time this year, with production expected to begin in 2022. The release of the Avendator’s replacement is set to follow a plug-in hybrid variant of the Urus SUV. We also know that Lamborghini is looking to replace the V10-powered Huracan by the middle of the decade.
Further than the confirmation of its hybrid powertrain, information on the upcoming Lamborghini flagship is sparse. Although, Winkelmann has confirmed that Lamborghini is working away at defining “a clear vision” of how electrification will sit within its lineup.
“We have to do this so that we remain Lamborghini, by reinventing Lamborghini – to change everything not to change anything,” he said.
Winkelmann talked of the delicate tightrope that Lamborghini is forced to navigate between appeasing its loyal fanbase, as well as meeting increasingly stringent environmental laws. He said:
“The challenge is how to match the requests of the legislators while not diluting the expectations of customers in the coming years… This is what we are working on right now.”
He hinted that two all-new V12 Lamborghinis are set to be unveiled this year, but stopped short of offering up any more information.
Autocar’s report says that a special edition send-off for the Aventador powered by something reminiscent of the supercapacitor-tech fitted to the Sian FKP 37 is the most likely. In the Sian FKP 37, the supercapacitor that is built into the transmission weighs just 34kg.
This supercapacitor technology has been made possible by sizeable investments from Lamborghini, in collaboration with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Supercapacitor technology is, however, limited when it comes to long-range electric output, and is much more suited to short bursts of high-output than longer periods of low, or moderate output.
“The Sian is a success story, because we understood you have to sell electrification by giving a benefit to the owners of super sports cars…. This approach is just a small step into what we’re going to do in the future,” Winkelmann said.
The report also says that a confirmation from Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s technical lead, that the company would look to electrification, rather than turbocharging to meet environmental requirements, as well as the possibility of a new four-wheel drive system.
While it remains speculation at this point, an Aventador successor could use its V12 to power the rear wheels while the front axle is set to be powered by an electric motor with active torque vectoring technology.
