Auto | Lamborghini
Lamborghini Revuelto - the first super sports V12 hybrid HPEV
| 2023-03-29 |     |
The new paradigm for super sports cars: presenting the first Lamborghini High Performance Electrified Vehicle delivering 1015 CV. Revolutionary architecture, with naturally-aspirated V12 engine combined with eight-speed, double-clutch transverse gearbox and three electric motors. 13 drive modes, and all-wheel drive also available in fully-electric mode for the absolute driving experience. Aerodynamics and design express the maximum synergy between efficiency, functionality and style. Fully immersive experience for driver and passenger with the new Lamborghini Infotainment System.
In the marque’s 60th anniversary year, Automobili Lamborghini presents Revuelto[1], the first super sports V12 hybrid plug-in HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle). Revuelto defines a new paradigm in terms of performance, sportiness and driving pleasure from its unprecedented new architecture; innovative design; maximum-efficiency aerodynamics; and a new carbon frame concept. An output of 1015 CV is delivered from the combined power of an entirely new combustion engine together with three electric motors, alongside a double-clutch gearbox that makes its debut on a 12-cylinder Lamborghini for the first time. The powertrain combines high specific power elements: the new 127 CV/liter combustion engine works synergically with two front axial flux motors that deliver an outstanding weight-to-power ratio, with a radial flux electric motor positioned above the first eight-speed double-clutch gearbox debuting on a 12-cylinder Lamborghini. The three electric motors are powered by a lithium-ion high specific power (4500 W/kg) battery pack that also supports a fully-electric drive mode.
“The new Revuelto is a milestone in the history of Lamborghini, and an important pillar in our Direzione Cor Tauri electrification strategy,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini Chairman and CEO. It is a unique and innovative car but at the same time faithful to our DNA: the V12 is an iconic symbol of our super sports heritage and history. Revuelto was born to break the mold, combining a new 12-cylinder engine with hybrid technology, creating the perfect balance between delivering the emotion that our clients want with the necessity to reduce emissions.”
Carbon fiber, produced via artisan craftmanship in the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory, is the principal structural element within the new car, used not only in the monofuselage and frame but also for many elements of the bodywork. The extensive use of carbon fiber and lightweight materials, combined with the potent engine power, contributes to achieving the best weight-to-power ratio in the history of Lamborghini: 1.75 kg/CV. The new Revuelto combines these attributes to deliver performance figures at the peak of its segment: acceleration from 0-100 km/h in only 2.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 350 km/h. These numbers combine with its exceptional dynamism thanks to the introduction of electric torque vectoring, and four-wheel drive available also in fully-electric drive mode, ensuring the Revuelto super sports car expresses its amplified qualities both on track and in daily driving.
Design
Revuelto brings the future of Lamborghini design to the road today. It stays constant to the exclusive Lamborghini design DNA but establishes an entirely new stylistic language. It links with the iconic and legendary Lamborghini V12 cars of the past throughout the new shape, while the new proportions open the door towards the future. While Revuelto delivers a quantum leap in an all-new car design, both externally and internally, the inspiration of previous V12 legends is still clear. Starting with the 1971 Countach prototype and its perfect proportions developed on a single longitudinal line, this car was responsible for creating a pure and essential style contextualized in the Space Age era. It defined the Lamborghini V12 super sports car DNA and introduced one of the most distinctive Lamborghini V12 elements: the vertically-opening scissor doors, which contribute to creating the character of Revuelto. The new car also defers to the inimitable proportions of the Diablo and the floating blade on the rear fender, while the muscularity and inclined front of the Murciélago is evident.
With the Revuelto, Lamborghini launches a new Space Race, ushering in a design language that adapts to the challenges imposed by electrification, and presaging the shapes and proportions of super sports cars of the near future. The design is inspired by aerospace elements, characterized by sculpted surfaces encompassed by two lines that start from the front and embrace the cabin and engine, tapering down to the hexagonal-shaped exhausts.
Personalization
Revuelto is the production Lamborghini model that offers the most potential for personalization. In fact, 400 bodywork colors are offered together with many more personalization options at the client’s disposal allowing the creation of an entirely individual super sports car. The sustainable sportiness of Revuelto does not stop at the technical specification of the plug-in hybrid: all the paints used are water based rather than solvent based. ‘Sustainability’ continues throughout the car’s interior, reflecting the company’s attention to avoiding waste that has become the modus operandi of the Lamborghini universe. This includes upholstery materials, cut in the Lamborghini ‘selleria’ utilizing latest-generation machinery: this limits waste as much as possible without affecting the craftmanship and embroidery processes, in which ‘hand-made’ continues as a point of excellence within Lamborghini.
Aerodynamics
Function and style share a singular mission on the Lamborghini Revuelto: aerodynamic efficiency. The new layout of the super sports car has different design requirements compared to the Aventador, which influenced the car’s aerodynamic development. The development was based on four pillars: efficiency; synergy between the components; integration between the components; and design. Optimum efficiency was achieved by combining high downforce and minimized drag. One of the key elements in this strategy is the new active rear wing, created to ensure the best aerodynamic performance in all driving conditions. For this reason, entirely new actuators have been developed, managing the load optimally in every situation thanks to three different settings.
Monofusolage
The Revuelto is based on a new aeronautics-inspired chassis, the ‘monofuselage’. As well as a monocoque made entirely of multi-technology carbon fiber, it features a front structure in Forged Composites; a special material made of short carbon fibers soaked in resin. This technology was developed and used by Lamborghini in its first structural applications as far back as 2008. The monofuselage represents a significant step forward from the Aventador in terms of torsional stiffness, lightweight qualities and driving dynamics. What’s more, the Revuelto is the first super sports car to be fitted with a 100% carbon fiber front structure: carbon fiber is also used for the front cone structures to ensure a level of energy absorption that is significantly higher when compared to a traditional metal structure – double that of the Aventador’s aluminium front frame - combined with a substantial reduction in weight.
Powertrain and Layout
The car showcases an unprecedented layout and powertrain: the naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 mid-mounted engine is complemented by three electric motors, one of which is integrated into the new double-clutch eight-speed gearbox. This is mounted transversely and placed for the first time behind the combustion engine. In what has been the transmission tunnel since the days of the Countach, there is a lithium-ion battery instead, which powers the electric motors. The electric motors boost power delivery at low revs and can also turn the new Revuelto into a purely electric car, reducing overall CO2 emissions by 30%[2] compared to the Aventador Ultimae.
A unique architecture
Lamborghini has been synonymous with V12 engines since the company was founded. The very first Lamborghini model to sport this characteristic engine was the iconic 350GT launched in 1963. The first time that an electric motor was matched to a 12-cylinder internal combustion engine in a Lamborghini was in 2019 with the Sián, which used a 25 kW electric engine to support the previous generation of V12, storing the electrical energy in a supercapacitor. The Revuelto introduces an unprecedented hybrid architecture and a new generation of V12. The car is launched as the very first High Performance Electrified Vehicle - HPEV: a plug-in hybrid super sports car equipped with a lightweight high-power lithium ion battery, housed within the transmission tunnel in the central section of the chassis. It’s an innovative solution, designed to reduce emissions compared to the previous V12 while maximizing performance.
Electric four-wheel drive
The Revuelto retains one of Lamborghini’s strongest traditions: four-wheel drive. As well as the internal combustion engine that provides power to the rear wheels, a pair of electric motors now make their debut on the front axle, each supplying traction to one of the front wheels. There’s also a third electric motor positioned above the eight-speed double-clutch gearbox that can supply power to the rear wheels, depending on the selected driving mode and the conditions. The combined torque from the combustion engine and three electric motors offers performance levels that are unique even within the domain of super sports cars, with 725 Nm produced by the internal combustion engine and 350 Nm from each of the front electric motors. In total, the power unit delivers a combined maximum output of 1015 CV.