There’s no denying that Lamborghinis are among the world’s most recognisable automobiles. This holds true whether you’re talking about the Countach from the ‘70s or any of the Italian automaker’s hypercars since then. The new Revuelto is no different, at least on the outside.
It’s a completely different story when you peek beneath the bonnet. That this is the company’s first plug-in hybrid hypercar is sure to rustle the jimmies of die-hard fans. Or induce some head-scratching at the very least.
Lamborghini’s best reason to go green
It would be a little naive to think Lamborghini would somehow regard itself above the fast-growing trend of car manufacturers electrifying their fleets. Thankfully, the company has seemingly found a way to satisfy petrolheads as well as the treehuggers.
How? By using a 6.5l naturally aspirated V12 internal combustion engine you’d expect to find in a Lambo and then adding three electric motors, one for each front wheel and one for the rear wheels, of course.
The resultant powertrain is effectively capable of outputting a combined 1,001hp and 725Nm of torque. It will reach 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds and top out at 350km/h. This puts the Revuelto’s power level at 126 hp per litre and is the “highest output in the history of Lamborghini’s 12-cylinder engines,” according to the company.
Read More: The hybrid cars you can buy in South Africa right now
The electric motors are powered by a 3.8kWh internal battery, which is relatively small compared to most other EVs. Small enough to take only six minutes for the V12 engine and regenerative braking system to charge it to full. It also means the Revuelto can keep going if you run out of dino fuel, but only for an extra 10km or so. But then you wouldn’t buy this as a touring car so that’s not as much of a deal breaker.
Fast and techy
When you aren’t blazing around a track (or between traffic lights), you can gaze adoringly at the 12.3in digital cockpit or fiddle with the central 8.4in infotainment screen. If anyone was mad enough to come with you, they’ll have their own 9.1in display to distract them from how close you just came to wrapping around that tree.
And in a first for Lamborghini, the Revuelto will feature a full advanced driver-assist system with the help of the usual cameras, sensors, and radar that makes those work. It will include active lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, lane change warnings, and rear cross-traffic alerts. We’re willing to bet Lamborghini has made it extra easy to switch them all off though.
All this power and tech comes at a price though, a rather steep price at that. There’s no telling if the Revuelto will be available locally, but if you want to buy one overseas it’ll cost you around R10 million (€500,000 or $542,165).
On an unrelated note, does anyone have a spare R10 million they’d be willing to lend us?
