Lamborghini’s CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, has hinted that the company’s next flagship supercar (due in 2023) will come with a clean-sheet V12 hybrid powertrain.
The company recently announced it would put the Aventador’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine out to pasture following production of the 769bhp LP 780-4 Ultimae special edition, marking the start of the brand’s ambition to launch a fully hybridised range of cars in 2023.
It was thought that Lamborghini’s push towards electrification could have ended the brand’s relationship with the V12 engine, bringing downsizing and turbocharging with it. However, Winkelmann has since confirmed that won’t be the case.
He also suggested that the hybrid powertrain destined for Lamborghini’s new flagship won’t share any common components with the limited edition 808bhp Sian hybrid supercar, with the firm planning a completely new V12 engine, battery pack and hybrid system.
In an interview with Autoblog, Winkelmann said: “The technology is different, it's a completely new engine, a completely new drivetrain, a new battery, everything is completely new. There's nothing out of the Sián or out of the Aventador.”
Despite this, Lamborghini’s next supercar will certainly draw some engineering inspiration from the Aventador and the Sian. Like its predecessors, Winkelmann said it’ll still have four-wheel drive, active aero, four-wheel steering and be built from carbon fibre.
We should get some more details on the new supercar next year but, to keep us occupied until then, Lamborghini will also reveal a “last hurrah” special edition supercar at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, powered by a naturally aspirated V12.
After that, the company will go all-in on its electrification strategy, aiming to have at least a hybrid powertrain in all of its vehicles by 2024. By the end of the decade, we’re also due to see the brand’s first pure-electric vehicle, which will go head-to-head with the Lotus Evija.
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