It’s not all too often that Lamborghini unveils a new flagship vehicle. The Aventador was launched in 2011 and its predecessor, the Murciélago, broke cover all the way back in 2001. Now, the time has come for the Italian marque to unveil its new hero model, and this time it’s a bonkers plug-in hybrid that produces more than 1,000 horsepower.
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Lamborghini has been teasing the new flagship for a while now, initially showing off the hybrid powertrain that would run its new beast. Now, the covers have come off the new car, which Lamborghini calls the Revuelto.
In its bright orange finish that you see here, the Revuelto looks impressive. It’s unmistakably a Lamborghini and has flourishes from the Sián hybrid with its Y-shaped headlights up front, and those angular air intakes down the side look straight out the Centenario.
It looks angry, in a way that its predecessors in the Aventador and Murciélago never quite managed. I dig it, and that bodes well for the brand’s ongoing success, as the Revuelto is said to signal the “shapes and proportions of super sports cars of the near future.”
Those angular body panels are built from carbon fiber and have been assembled around a new carbon fiber frame and monofuselage, which was developed for the Revuelto. This means its light, and Lamborghini claims it has a power to weight ratio of 0.26 hp/lb.
To reach that figure, the car needed an impressive motor, and that’s exactly what it’s got. As is the case with every flagship Lamborghini since the 350 GT from the 1960s, the Revuelto has a V12 at its heart.
On its own, that engine kicks out more than 813 hp. But, not wanting to be left in the dark ages, Lamborghini has fitted the Revuelto with a hybrid system that “complements” the engine with three electric motors. In total, those motors bring the powertrain’s output to an eye-watering 1,001 hp.
When it comes to delivering that power to the road, the 6.5 liter V12 sends all its power to the rear wheels, while two of the three electric motors power the front wheels, giving the Revuelto four-wheel-drive. The third electric motor is position above the car’s eight-speed double-clutch gearbox and can supply power to the rear wheels, depending on which of the car’s 13 driving modes it’s in.
That double-clutch gearbox is all new, and Lamborghini says it’s “lighter and faster” in terms of shifting speeds over the model used in the Huracán. It’s also been mounted in a transverse layout to make space for the battery pack, making this only the third Lamborghini to have its gearbox mounted in this way.
And speaking of those batteries, the Revuelto has a 3.8 kWh battery pack, rather than the supercapacitors Lamborghini experimented with on the Sián. This can be topped up at a regular seven kilowatt charger in just 30 minutes, or the car’s regenerative braking can also top up your charge. Lamborghini says you can even give the Revuelto a full battery directly from the V12 engine, which takes just six minutes.
You can even put the car in Città mode, one of the 13 you can choose from in the new car, and drive it totally emission-free. The electric motors will power the front wheels and guide you silently around busy streets that might not normally welcome V12 supercars thanks to strict emissions rules.
Anyone worrying that the hybrid elements of this car mean Lamborghini has gone sensible just needs to take a quick look at the spec sheet to calm their nerves, as the Revuelto comes with some pretty impressive stats.
When it hits the road, it’ll accelerate from zero to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds and will be capable of surpassing 217 mph. After hitting those speeds, you’ll need to turn to the Revuelto carbon ceramic brakes to stop as Lamborghini has fitted 16-inch rotors at the front and 15-inch rotors at the rear.
The Revuelto comes with semi-active wishbone suspension and active aerodynamics to keep the car planted in the corners. Inside, there’s also an all-new infotainment system that incorporates three displays: a 12.3' instrument cluster, 8.4' central display, and in addition a 9.1' display.
So, what do you think? Is this what you want to see from a hybrid Lamborghini, or even a new flagship from the Italian marque? It definitely looks impressive, and will no doubt have an equally impressive price tag to match. So far, there’s no word on what figure that could be, but as the Aventador that it replaces could easily surpass $500,000 expect the Revuelto to fall in the same ballpark.