Lamborghini plugs in with 1,001 hp
The age of Lamborghini electrification begins with the Revuelto, the automaker’s new flagship model and its first plug-in hybrid hypercar. The Revuelto replaces the retired Aventador and opens the door for further electrification throughout the model line, likely next with the upcoming Huracán replacement. Any howling from purists will be drowned out by the V12’s roar and the whooshing sound of the Revuelto as it rockets from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds and on to a 217-mph top track speed.
The Revuelto joins the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and 296GTB, along with the McLaren Artura, in the plug-in hybrid supercar/hypercar category. The 2013-2015 Porsche 918 Spyder was also a plug-in. With up to 1,001 hp output on tap (just 15 more than the SF90 Stradale), depending on drive mode selected, the Revuelto tops them all. Although Lamborghini has not officially revealed the price, CNBC reported it as $600,000 in its New York City Auto Show coverage earlier this year. The network also relayed that the first two years of production had already been sold.
Not on the list for Lamborghini’s first PHEV hypercar? Don’t fret. More Lamborghini hybrids are on the way,
History Lessons
Before delving into the Lamborghini’s technical details, let’s start with a smidge of history. Lamborghini had teamed a V12 with electrification in the recent past. That was the Sián back in 2019, which was limited to a run of just 63 cars. This was a very mild hybrid setup, with a small electric motor contributing just 34 extra hp and electrons stored in a supercapacitor instead of a battery.
And then there’s the new Lamborghini’s name. In keeping with a long-running Lamborghini tradition started with the Miura over half-a-century ago, “Revuelto” was the name of a fighting bull in Spain. In this case, it was one that went a little loco way, way back in 1880 and bolted the ring, thus appearing to rebel.
And so, by Lamborghini’s interpretation, “revuelto” was for “rebellious.” A literal translation from Spanish to English for revuelto is “scrambled,” as in “mixed up.” Perhaps that hapless bull thought it was the humans watching bull fighting who were a bit revuelto and decided to head for the pasture.
In any case, we love that the name starts with “rev,” because that’s what owners are going to enjoy doing with a new Lamborghini V12 running behind them. And that’s no bull.
Lambo Scissordoors
There will be no mistaking the new Revuelto for anything but a Lamborghini. Yet, while Lamborghini claims an “entirely new stylistic language,” we think most will appreciate that the car is an evolution of the company’s previous stealth jet fighter-inspired themes. And that is exactly what Lamborghini customers expect. So yes, the Revuelto has Lamborghini’s famous vertically opening “scissor doors.”
There is enough new surface detailing and sculptural forms here to clearly separate the Revuelto from its predecessor, the Aventador, but seeing them parked together will leave no doubt they are siblings. The new design leaves the V12 engine exposed, and the double hexagonal exhaust outlets are an integral part of the entire rear design, rather than simply protrusions from it.
Much of the Revuelto’s body is made from carbon fiber, and it cloaks a new “monofuselage” carbon fiber structure. Lamborghini says the new chassis is 10 percent lighter than that of the Aventador while also providing 25 percent greater torsional stiffness.
Raging Bull
Lamborghini says its L545 6.5-liter engine is its lightest and most powerful 12-cylinder engine ever, its 480-lb weight being 37 lbs less than the Aventador’s engine. By itself, the V12 cranks out 813 hp at a dizzying 9,250 rpm and 535 lb-ft. of peak torque at 6,750 rpm. The 125 hp per liter specific output is also a record for Lamborghini. And remember, those are naturally aspirated horses — no whistling turbos here.
The V12 channels its massive power through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, the first such pairing with a Lamborghini V12; the single-clutch robotized manual transmission is finally gone from the Lambo family. Lamborghini’s adherence to all-wheel drive continues, but the front wheel are driven only by their own electric motors, with no mechanical connection from the mid/rear-mounted powertrain.
This is basically the same setup as the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and, as with that car (and the departed Acura NSX), the independently powered front wheels also provide a torque vectoring function. They also recover energy produced under braking and send it to the lithium-ion battery.
From Quiet to Riot
The battery’s 3.8kWh capacity is just under half that of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale’s battery, so we’d guestimate its battery-only range at perhaps half the 16 miles Ferrari claims for its plug-in hybrid supercar. Just like that Ferrari, when you drive the Lambo in battery-only mode for city cruising, which Lamborghini calls Citta on the drive mode selector, the car uses only its two front electric motors. This temporarily makes the Revuelto a front-wheel drive car. The max you’ll get in Citta mode is 177 hp, enough to give city dwellers the odd sight of a silent Lamborghini wafting by.
Plugged into a household outlet, the Revuelto’s battery recharges in just 30 minutes. (That’s probably with a 240v line, but even a 120v outlet would charge it quickly.) In Strada (street) mode, in the car operates as a hybrid, with the V12 always running and the electric motors chipping in. Such driving will recharge a depleted battery in just six minutes, with the regenerative braking also helping out.
Sport mode ups the ante to 894 hp, while Corsa (race) unleashes everything at once for the 1,001-hp full monty. Combined with sub-modes, the Revuelto offers 13 different drive modes in all.
Screening Room
As if the Lamborghini Revuelto’s spine-flattening acceleration weren’t entertainment enough for a brave passenger, the car delivers “a new immersive, shared driving experience” with a 9.1-inch display built into the passenger-side dash. This screen shows the same information as the driver’s 12.3-inch screen.
Lamborghini’s Revuelto shows the supercar maker taking its own road toward electrification. Among plug-in hybrid supercars, the Revuelto focuses mostly on running the V12 gas engine and trio of electric motors together, leaving EV mode for brief urban errands only. We look forward to seeing real-world test results.
