The EV transition is going to be easy for daily drivers because electric powertrains actually make a lot of sense in cars that need to be, before anything else, practical.
Driving a battery-powered vehicle is simple, relaxing, and efficient, not to mention completely free of any tailpipe gases. What more could you ask from a vehicle you use for going to and from work, with an occasional stop at the supermarket for grocery shopping or at the school to pick up the kids?
But not all cars are like that. Some are meant to provide excitement. You're supposed to feel sheer exhilaration while driving them, and that's about more than just power alone. You need an exotic exterior and interior design, a low seating position, excellent handling, and, perhaps just as important as all the rest, a thunderous soundtrack. An EV can potentially cover all aspects, except for the last one.
Some companies have partly built their reputation on the sound of their engines, so they're entitled to feel more threatened than others by the EV expansion. However, there is a way to make sure the sum of all the defining features of an exotic car remains the same in the absence of sound: dialing all the others to 100 (assuming 100 means "very high").
Photo: Andrea Ortile via Behance
That's what Andrea Ortile's project does for Lamborghini. Andrea is an independent (probably not for long) transportation designer from Modena, Italy. Given his position on the map, it was a 50/50 toss-up between him being a Ferrari or Lamborghini fan, and even though he doesn't confess his love for the Sant'Agata Bolognese manufacturer, his work seems to suggest that's where his loyalty lies.
Like everyone emotionally (or otherwise) invested in Lamborghini, he's probably a little worried for the brand's future. Looking around, it's clear making electric supercars - or even hypercars - won't be a problem. How about making electric Lamborghinis? Well, that's another story.
As we said, there needs to be some kind of compensation for losing that rasping Lambo sound, and with the E_X, Andrea has gone for both looks and driver engagement.
He says the exterior design was influenced by Marcello Gandini's classic 1970s creations, the Lancia Stratos Zero and the Lamborghini Countach. The similarities may not be immediately obvious, but it's all about the simplicity of having just two defining lines: one that goes up and down, defining the vehicle's silhouette, and the constantly climbing shoulder line.
Photo: Andrea Ortile via Behance
Despite looking way back for inspiration, the E_X sports an undeniably modern design, if not even futuristic. One of the main culprits for that is the use of perforated film over what would have otherwise been glass areas. That's something we will never see on production cars until Level 5 autonomy is reached since it severely hampers visibility.
From certain angles, the layered rear wing reminds us of the McLaren MP4-12C, though it actually resembles a louvered rear window more than anything. Given the absence of an engine - and the battery pack sitting on the floor, as they usually tend to do in all EVs - it's hard to imagine what all that space is used for. Since Andrea doesn't say explicitly and there's no obvious conclusion, we'll just assume it's used for storage, especially since there doesn't seem to be any other area reserved for this purpose.
With the E_X being a single-seater, there's not that much need for it anyway. Besides, UrusSUV apart, modern Lambos have never been renowned for their ample trunks, so it's not exactly a departure from brand values. Plus, it's not hard to imagine the E_X is more of a track weapon than a daily driver - how else could you justify the single seat?
If there's any lesson to be had here, it's that a good design can overcome other shortcomings as long as it stays brand relevant. Obviously, we'd have to know how the E_X drives before we could decide whether it does justice to the Lamborghini name, but strictly from a stylistic point of view, it's definitely a success. There is a future for every brand in the EV world, they just need to play their cards right.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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