Lamborghini bid farewell to the Aventador last year, and in 2023, the next iteration of the firm’s V12 halo car will take the spotlight. We’ve already spied prototypes of the car testing on public roads, and new patent images have now emerged to reveal its design in full.
The Aventador’s successor will build on styling themes previewed by the limited-run Sian, with a large Y-shaped headlight signature and a sharply sculpted bonnet echoing that of the iconic Countach.
As with previous V12 Lamborghinis, the first iteration of the new model will be free of large splitters and fixed spoilers, with bewinged track-honed versions expected later in its lifecycle. Still, a scalloped area behind the front wheels will extract air from the arches to reduce lift, and gaping side vents will feed air to the mid-mounted engine.
The Y-shaped theme continues with the tail lights, which flank a pair of enormous hexagonal exhaust tips. These are mounted just below the rear deck to free up space for a larger diffuser, which will work in tandem with an active rear wing to provide stability at speed.
The as-yet-unnamed flagship will be the first series-production hybrid Lamborghini, built around an all-new naturally-aspirated V12 engine offering “[more] power, more revs, more sound,” according to the brand’s chief technical officer Rouven Mohr.
Speaking of his experience in prototype versions of the car, Mohr suggested the hybrid system will mean drivers can blend typical supercar thrills with the serenity of electric motoring. “It’s an extremely cool feature if you drive with this emotional high-revving sound, [then arrive at] the village, switch off, then silence. And then, in ‘stealth mode’ you run out, and then after you exit again: BAAAH! Full power!”
While the Urus hybrid SUV coming in 2024 may use a battery as large as the 17.9kWh unit featured in fellow VW Group brand Porsche’s Cayenne plug-in models, Lamborghini’s hybrid supercars (an electrified Huracan replacement is inbound also) are set to use much smaller packs. “On the SUV we will not say that we use a very small battery, but in a sports car, we do,” Mohr said. This will help to keep overall weight down, but the cars will almost certainly be heavier than the models they’re replacing.
This shouldn’t be noticeable from behind the wheel, CEO Stefan Winkleman claimed when speaking to Auto Express ahead of the company’s Q3 financial statement. Based on his “extensive” time driving next-gen Aventador prototypes, he noted: “The car is outstanding, it’s light-footed, and you don’t feel the additional weight.”
Winkleman added that while there are sustainability benefits to the new hybrid setup, “the main aim of this car is to use the battery as an accelerator of additional power. It gives you incredible power and also very good handling behaviour for a car of this weight which is incredible.”
The car won’t break cover until the end of Q1 2023, Winkleman noted, and yet, Lamborghini has already taken 3,000 pre-orders.
Lamborghini plans on going all-in on its electrification strategy, aiming to have at least a hybrid powertrain in all of its vehicles by 2024. By 2028, we’re also due to see the brand’s first pure-electric vehicle.
Now read our road test of the Lamborghini Urus S…
