Here’s Our First Peek at Lamborghini’s Hybrid V12 Hypercar Ahead of Its September Reveal
The limited-run machine will reportedly cost upwards of $3 million and use supercapacitor technology to boost overall output to 838 horsepower.
Lamborghini officially Twitter-teased what will become the company’s first hybrid production car this week, posting a shadowy photo which provides a glimpse of what the automaker will bring to September's Frankfurt International Motor Show.
The electrified bull is thought to be based on the Terzo Millenio concept that was shown off in 2017, but it won’t be built in huge quantities. Numbers are said to be extremely limited, with the company only stamping out 63 examples of the car known as LB48H as a nod to Lamborghini’s founding year, 1963.
There’s no shortage of limited-run Lamborghini models floating around out there. In the past, we’ve seen the Sesto Elemento, the Egoista, and the Centenario, among others. This car's even more futuristic than those examples, though, clearly showing it means business. Rumors originally pointed to the LB48H being a full-on electric hypercar, but we’re now learning that it will sport a hybrid V12 setup that should eventually find its way to the engine bay of whatever replaces the Aventador.
Rather than using a battery pack like every other hybrid, Lamborghini may move toward using supercapacitor technology instead. Unlike batteries, supercapacitors won’t weigh the car down and can recover energy and discharge at the same time. The tech was debuted with the Terzo Millennio electric concept in 2017 and was said to be nearly ready for production at the time.
The system could reportedly use an electric motor that powers the front axle and a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder in the middle of the car. Total system production could be as much as 838 horsepower, with 49 hp coming from the electric motor. The car will allegedly be able to glow in the dark when it rolls out in 2020, though we’re given no indication of that from the teaser photo. Instead, we see a roofline that is very similar to the concept car and an LED light signature that is more exaggerated than anything in the company’s current lineup.
We know that the Aventador SVJ will be the last V12-powered Lambo without a hybrid system of some sort, so the only question now is how the company will implement the technology in its next car. If history is any indication, this machine will be extremely expensive, even when compared to other exotics. It’s rumored to have a price tag of $3 million, but that apparently hasn’t muted buyers’ interest—it’s also said to be sold out.
h/t: Motor Authority