The 1,001-HP Hybrid Lamborghini Super Car Has a Super Light Carbon Fiber Chassis

The upcoming LB744’s front chassis and monocoque is made from almost entirely carbon fiber.

byRob Stumpf|
Lamborghini LB744 Hero
via Lamborghini
Share

0

Lamborghini revealed another teaser Tuesday for its Aventador replacement, the LB744. As if its specs weren't impressive enough—a V12 with three electric motors and 1,001 horsepower—Lamborghini loosened its lips about more of the car's weight-shaving underpinnings. Now, we alreay knew the LB744's engine weighs just 481 pounds, which is the absolute lightest V12 that the Lamborghini has produced for its road cars, ever. It's also the most powerful with 813 horsepower produced before its triple-motor hybrid components get a chance to shine.

But the weight savings don't just stop there. In fact, the automaker has put thought into what it would take to reduce the weight of the LB744, compared to the outgoing Aventador, and shaved off some poundage in anticipation of the car's electric motors and batteries. And that all starts with the most low-level component of them all: the chassis.

At the center of the LB744's construction sits its lightweight monocoque. Lamborghini calls this the "monofuselage," which is an appropriate name if you ask me, given that the Italian automaker says that its chassis is aeronautics-inspired.

All of the core components that make up the car's front chassis and monofuselage are born from carbon fiber. That means the tub, firewall, and even the A-pillar are exclusively carbon, and all held together by a unique monolithic mounting method that Lamborghini has named a "rocker ring."

If that's not enough carbon fiber for you, know that even the LB744's front structure is made exclusively from Forged Composites (a material made from resin-soaked carbon fibers), which is a first for any super sports car in its class.

The LB744's rocker ring encloses and connects the car's carbon elements.

Thanks to its complete carbon fiber construction, the monofuselage offers a weight savings of 10% versus the aged Aventador chassis while also touting a torsional stiffness increase of 25% (or double that of the two-decade-old Murcielago). Additionally, the front frame of the LB744—also made out of carbon fiber—is 20% lighter than the Aventador's aluminum construction.

There is still metal in the car's construction, however. Specifically, Lamborghini is still using high-strength aluminum alloys to build the car's rear chassis. Never fret, though, because the automaker says that it still achieved significant weight savings and an increase in rigidity in this area as well thanks to some smart engineering decisions in the way that it casts its structures.

It's worth noting that the LB744 also appears to do away with the Aventador's pushrod suspension. Instead, the chassis shows an upright spring on each of the car's four corners. This, combined with the various other changes needed to support the platform's hybrid drivetrain, are just a few teasers that we have been able to spot so far.

It will be some time before we get to see the final product in all its glory, but by now we know the formula: wide hips, low roof, and aggressive styling to match its raw exhaust note. Either way, I'm sure that the raging bull will still manage to surprise us with the final product, even if it will be sold out before we get the chance to buy one.

Video thumbnail

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: rob@thedrive.com

stripe
Lamborghini NewsNews by Brand