Photo: Lamborghini
The legendary Giotto Bizzarini said farewell to Alfa Romeo for the Prancing Horse in 1957. But only a few years later, he and many other peeps left the automaker over Enzo Ferrari’s wife, Laura Garello.
After a freelancing stint that resulted in the 250 GT-based racecar known as the Breadvan, Giotto founded his very own engineering firm in 1962. Societa Autostar was the company’s name, and one of Autostar’s most important engineering projects was the iconic 3.5-liter Lamborghini V12.
First installed in the 350 GT, the 60-degree powerplant was enlarged to 3.9 liters for the car that made Lamborghini a household name: the gorgeous Miura penned by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese kept upgrading this engine over the years, and believe it or not, its last incarnation is the 6.5-liter V12 of the Murcielago. In other words, Lamborghini used Giotto’s design for a whopping 47 years.
Under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group, the Aventador launched in 2011 with a clean-sheet V12 that doesn’t even share the bore and stroke of the original despite the 6.5-liter displacement. The biggest problem of this powerplant is the multipoint fuel injection that doesn’t hold a candle to direct injection or the DPI that combines port and fuel injection.
For the successor of the Aventador, which is due in 2022 as a 2023 model with some kind of hybridization, Lamborghini decided to start anew. Speaking to Autoblog, head honcho Stephan Winkelmann said that “the technology is different; it's a completely new engine, a completely new drivetrain, a new battery, everything is completely new. There's nothing out of the Sian or out of the Aventador [in the next V12 flagship Lamborghini].”
Stephan Winkelmann further made it clear that all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and very clever aerodynamic trickery will soldier on, but he didn’t mention if AWD comes courtesy of an electrified front axle. That would be the most obvious route for electrification, especially if you remember what kind of plug-in setup the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and Spider boast.
Oh, and by the way, forced induction was never considered for this V12.
First installed in the 350 GT, the 60-degree powerplant was enlarged to 3.9 liters for the car that made Lamborghini a household name: the gorgeous Miura penned by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese kept upgrading this engine over the years, and believe it or not, its last incarnation is the 6.5-liter V12 of the Murcielago. In other words, Lamborghini used Giotto’s design for a whopping 47 years.
Under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group, the Aventador launched in 2011 with a clean-sheet V12 that doesn’t even share the bore and stroke of the original despite the 6.5-liter displacement. The biggest problem of this powerplant is the multipoint fuel injection that doesn’t hold a candle to direct injection or the DPI that combines port and fuel injection.
For the successor of the Aventador, which is due in 2022 as a 2023 model with some kind of hybridization, Lamborghini decided to start anew. Speaking to Autoblog, head honcho Stephan Winkelmann said that “the technology is different; it's a completely new engine, a completely new drivetrain, a new battery, everything is completely new. There's nothing out of the Sian or out of the Aventador [in the next V12 flagship Lamborghini].”
Stephan Winkelmann further made it clear that all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and very clever aerodynamic trickery will soldier on, but he didn’t mention if AWD comes courtesy of an electrified front axle. That would be the most obvious route for electrification, especially if you remember what kind of plug-in setup the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and Spider boast.
Oh, and by the way, forced induction was never considered for this V12.
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