X-ray images reveal new Lamborghini's 986 hp hybrid system
Italian supercar maker is electrifying
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lamborghini's next model is being revealed from the inside out.
The Italian automaker has released the first images of the hybrid powertrain that will drive the successor to the Aventador supercar, which ended production in 2022 after an 11-year run.
Lamborghini will be replacing all of its models with hybrids over the next few years, but do not expect economy cars.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The yet-to-be-named car's powertrain comprises a new 6.5-liter V12 engine that's the same size as the Aventador's, but combined with three electric motors to give it a total output of 1,000 CV (chaveau-vapor), the equivalent of 986 horsepower.
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Lamborghini's new hybrid uses a V12 and three electric motors. (Lamborghini)
The X-ray-style images show that two of the electric motors power the front wheels, making it an all-wheel-drive car, while the third is packaged in the rear with the V12 and a transversely mounted 8-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The powertrain will be used in its Aventador replacement. (Lamborghini)
The system's 3.8 kilowatt-hour battery pack can be charged via an electrical outlet, making it a plug-in hybrid, and the vehicle is capable of all-electric driving at low speeds over short distances, but Lamborghini has not said exactly how far. In most cases, it will use the electric motors as brakes, recharging the battery with the captured energy, then discharge it under acceleration, but the V12 can charge it directly in six minutes.
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That engine alone produces 814 hp and has a 9,500 rpm redline. Even as it begins electrifying, Lamborghini said it knows its customers expect the sounds and experience of a high-revving engine and its exhaust.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 6.5-liter V12 is rated at 814 hp. (Lamborghini)
Aside from the V12, the overall layout is not unique. The Acura NSX and upcoming Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray feature similar hybrid powertrains, although neither has plug-in capability.
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The images only show the framework of the car, not the styling of its body, but that may have been previously revealed by accident.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sketches of what the finished car may look like were posted to an intellectual property database. (Lamborghini)
In January, a European intellectual property database briefly posted sketches of a Lamborghini car design that had been registered by accident, but has since removed them at the automaker's request. The sharply-creased body features an evolution of the Aventador's classic mid-engine wedge profile.
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A full reveal of the new model is scheduled for March 29.