The Revuelto supercar will roar to 217 mph with 1,001 horsepower thanks to the EV components
(Bloomberg) — Lamborghini has introduced its first plug-in hybrid production car, a V-12 coupe with three electric motors and 1,001 horsepower—and a six mile electric-only range.
The 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto will replace the conventionally powered Aventador supercar made since 2011 and follows the path of the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio electric concept and the rare Lamborghini Sián, which used hybrid technology. It boasts 13 drive modes, all-wheel-drive, and an eight-speed gearbox that shifts the car to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, according to the company. Top speed is more than 217 mph.
Here, as with the $3 million-plus Sián, the hybrid technology is about maximizing power and seamless performance rather than driving far without using gasoline (although Lamborghini says C02 emissions will be reduced by 30% compared with the Aventador). That’s far enough to let you exit your neighborhood silently in EV mode before the roar of the V-12 kicks in and annoys the neighbors. Other supercar hybrids like the McLaren Artura might get you to the store or work and back, with a (barely) more useful 19 miles on electric-only driving.
The Revuelto arrives just weeks after the Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy-based company reported strong earnings for 2022 and order books bulging with buyers until at least 2024. Last year, Lamborghini sold a record 9,233 vehicles globally, up 10% from 2021, and reported $2.59 billion in revenue, up 22% year over year. The Volkswagen AG-owned brand has promised that by 2024, it will offer plug-in hybrid versions of each model in its lineup, even the bestselling Urus SUV.
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First Impressions
Named after a bull that fought in Barcelona in 1880, the Revuelto is made almost entirely of carbon fiber, which is used in the chassis and the frame, and visible in much of the bodywork. Its look is pure aggression: vertically opening scissor doors, side fins shaped like shark teeth, and an overall wedge shape punctuated by hexagon-shaped exhaust pipes. The taper of its nose is similar to the Murcielago, and its proportions mimic those of the Diablo, but the oppressive glare of the headlight and air vent combination at the front is all its own.
As with all racers of this magnitude, the body flourishes are geared toward maximizing aerodynamic efficiency. Even the door handles are designed to divert air from the hood to horizontal fins on the sides of the car. A wing profile design on the carbon fiber roof directs air to the rear intakes; small grilles inside the wheel arches help cool the brakes and reduce resistance inside the wheel wells; the menacing headlamps are framed by aerodynamic blades that connect the front splitter to the hood of the car, for seamless airflow.
Inside, the Revuelto looks like the cockpit of a jet, which follows Lamborghini’s signature style. The two-seat cabin, with more headroom and legroom than the Aventador, is oriented in a Y shape and centered around an 8.4-inch vertical touchscreen. Larger digital displays are located on the driver’s side and passenger side of the dashboard. A new swipe function allows the pilot and co-pilot to move applications and information from the central display to the side displays with the ease of dating on Tinder.
A few buttons do remain inside the car, like the turn signals and launch control. There’s even one cupholder, a rare concession to convenience in the track-focused supercar world.
The hybrid function offers three dedicated driving modes—Recharge, Hybrid and Performance—and it takes roughly one hour to regain full battery life using a 3kW domestic charger. It can also regain charge using regenerative braking from the front wheels or can be charged automatically in just six minutes using the V-12 engine when the car is driving.
A fully electric Lamborghini is still far off. In 2021, Chief Executive Officer Stephan Winkelmann told Bloomberg that 2030 was the target date, and in an interview on March 10 reiterated his opinion that EVs aren’t yet right yet for the brand.
“Not in terms of technology, but not also in terms of customer perception,” he says. “This will change, I’m sure about that. But we have time, and we also need time to prove that a fully electric car can be not only fast, but also [provide] emotion.”
Deliveries of the Revuelto will begin by the end of the year, a Lamborghini spokesperson said. Pricing has yet to be announced. If it’s anything like the cost of the Aventador, it will start above $500,000.
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