Developed by Italian engineer Giotto Bizzarrini after his departure from the Maranello Prancing Horse as part of the so-called Great Walkout of 1961, the Raging Bull’s original V12 has been continually updated, growing from 3.5 liters in the 350 GT to 6.5 Liters in the Murcielago and Sharper Reventon.
The Sant’Agata Bolognese-based automaker developed an all-new V12 for the recently discontinued Aventador, a 6.5 shared with the limited-edition Veneno, the Centenario, the Countach LPI 800-4, the Essenza SCV12 for the track and the Sian FKP 37 . The latter’s front-lighting signature carries over to the long-awaited successor to the Aventador, which rocks a different V12 mill.
Lamborghini says it’s a clean design, most likely referring to many upgrades over the Aventador and Co.’s L539 engine, including direct fuel injection or dual fuel injection. The internal combustion engine is nothing to scoff at, but Lamborghini’s next-generation flagship wouldn’t be the most powerful production car to sport the Raging Bull logo without some form of electrified assistance.
Instead of a single electric motor powered by supercapacitors, the so-called supercar was previously spied with a pair of electric motors. One drives the front wheels while the other electric motor powers the rear wheel and supports the V12 powerplant.
Outfitted with a pair of so-called flying buttresses, the Aventador’s replacement further sweetens the deal with a dual bubble-style roof. However, it’s not styled by Zagato, it’s either by Lamborghini or someone from the Volkswagen Group. The PHEV supercar, which is to be presented up close as a 2024 model by the end of the month, does not require a drive shaft in the center tunnel because the front wheels are now driven by an electric motor and the tunnel is full of battery cells.
The most powerful Lamborghini entitled to bear a license plate is depicted on rather mundane looking alloys and features a flat underbody and twin hexagonal style exhaust outlets. The rear deck integrates an air brake à la McLaren 765LT, and the third brake light is pretty damn cute on its own. The final piece of the puzzle comes in the form of a dual-clutch gearbox, likely to be supplied by Graziano, rather than the automated manual that makes the Aventador a bit fidgety at low speeds.
Spied tests at the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory in series production specification, the yet-to-be-named supercar must develop in the order of 1,000 hp for Lamborghini to remain relevant in this always-competitive segment. The rival to beat or surpass is the Ferrari SF90 series, which is set to receive a Hi-Po variant in the near future, a variant dubbed Versione Speciale.
