9,500RPM Lamborghini V12 With Three Electric Motors

Lamborghini has announced the arrival of a brand-new hybrid powertrain for its flagship models. This new powertrain system will first debut in the soon-to-be-launched replacement for the venerable Lamborghini Aventador.

Lamborghini has finally gone the hybrid way to be kinder to the environment. However, happily enough for enthusiasts, Lamborghini has stuck to its signature dish — a naturally aspirated V12 engine. This time though, for the first time ever, the Lamborghini V12 is paired with three electric motors to push out a combined power output of 1,001bhp!

With a rich and fabled heritage and a range of cars that make car lovers weak in their knees, Lamborghini is a well-known name in the sportscar, supercar, and now super SUV segments. Every heritage car manufacturer has a specialty and attempts to stick to that specialty. Lamborghini’s specialty is the V12 engine.

The very first car produced by Lamborghini was the 350GT and this gorgeous grand tourer was powered by a 3.5-litre V12 naturally aspirated V12 engine. Over the next few decades, various forms and sizes of the same V12 design would go on to power the Lamborghini 400GT, Miura, Espada, Islero, Jarama, Countach, LM002, Diablo, and finally the Murcielago.

In essence, all the cars that made Lamborghini what it is today were all powered by variations of the same V12 engine. In 2011, a brand-new V12 engine was launched. This one powered the Lamborghini Aventador. The Aventador is a legend in its own right and it still remains a brilliant supercar, even 12 years after it first entered production.

However, in 2022, Lamborghini stopped the production of the Aventador to make way for its replacement. There were rumours that the Aventador replacement would be powered by a V10 hybrid or V8 hybrid powertrain keeping in line with environmentalism. However, with Lamborghini’s latest announcement, enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief.

There isn’t any official confirmation on the design and features of the upcoming Lamborghini supercar. However, we know that it is codenamed LB744. On 07 March, 2023, Lamborghini released details and images of the powertrain that will power the LB744.

This new 6.5-litre V12 engine is a heavily redesigned and redeveloped version of the V12 that powered the Aventador. When we say heavily redesigned, we mean, it is completely different. Firstly, the V12 in the Aventador sent power to a single-clutch, 7-speed gearbox that was longitudinally positioned ahead of the engine and just behind and under the cabin.

The new V12 engine has been spun around 180 degrees and is paired with a new transversely-mounted, eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox that is now positioned right behind the engine, towards the rear of the car. The naturally aspirated V12 itself sees several changes. The compression ratio has been raised to 12.6:1 and that allows it to push out more power. Lamborghini claims it produces 814bhp and 725Nm.

The engine now also revs higher, with peak power coming in at 9,250rpm and the rev-limiter only kicks in at 9,500rpm. Now, that is superbike territory! In comparison, the peak power in the Aventador comes in at 8,250rpm, and the red line is set at 8,500rpm. If you thought the Aventador sounded glorious, wait until you hear its replacement.

The highlight of the new V12 of course is its plug-in hybrid technology. Lamborghini has incorporated an electric motor into the gearbox. This electric motor handles three roles in the powertrain. It functions as the starter motor when you thumb the starter button. When the engine is running, it turns into a generator that produces electricity to charge up the battery pack.

When the car is being driven at maximum power and that extra boost of power is needed, the gearbox electric motor can deliver a boost of up to 148bhp straight through the gears to the rear axle. There are two more avial-flux motors in the Lamborghini LB744 powering each front wheel.

Therefore, the new supercar will have an AWD system without any real mechanical linkage between the engine and the front wheels. This will also result in massive weight savings. The electric motors are powered by a small 3.8kWh battery pack that sits in what would previously be known as the transmission tunnel.

This battery pack can be charged by plugging it into a wall socket. Or, the starter-generator motor can charge it up in a few minutes. However, since it is a small battery pack, one can expect the electric-only range to be quite short.

The Lamborghini LB744 is expected to be revealed later this month. Rumours are that a few select Lamborghini clients have already seen the car and placed an order for it. If you’re interested in buying a ‘pure’ Lamborghini before the first Lamborghini V12 Hybrid hits the market, here are used Lamborghini cars in the UAE and new Lamborghini cars for sale in the UAE.