Hiding under a thick layer of black camouflage, the car in this clip looks very much like a Lamborghini Aventador, but it’s no such thing. Why would the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese try so hard to hide an existing model from prying eyes? The answer is rather simple: it’s the automaker’s new flagship, a V12 supercar with hybrid assistance.
High voltage stickers refer to a brand-new powertrain, a plug-in hybrid rather than a traditional hybrid. The company’s first PHEV is also rocking a brand-new powerplant, a V12 that’s likely gifted with direct injection for improved fuel economy and emissions. On second thought, it’s probably dual injection based on the latest developments in the world of supercars.
The Maserati MC20 comes to mind, which combines port and direct injection with twin spark plugs and pre-chamber combustion to develop 210 metric ponies for every liter of displacement. As a brief refresher, the 3.0-liter Nettuno twin-turbo V6 cranks out 630 ps (that’ll be 621 horsepower).
Something else we know about the Aventador’s replacement is that Lamborghini has taken a liking to the e-AWD technology of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. An electric motor (or maybe two electric motors) would give the yet-to-be-named supercar tremendous acceleration off the line, and by dropping the driveshaft that connects the mid-mounted V12 to the front wheels, the Raging Bull may also drop a few pounds over the Aventador.
That is wishful thinking, though, because the lithium-ion battery weighs quite a bit more than the aforementioned driveshaft. Oh, and by the way, a different prototype of the Aventador’s heir apparent has been filmed shifting through the gears with the unmistakable sound of a dual-clutch transmission instead of a single-clutch transmission with flappy paddles.
Last but certainly not least, what kind of power and torque should be looking forward to? The answer to this question is rather simple: at least as much as the SF90 Stradale cranks out from its twin-turbo V8 three-motor powertrain. The most powerful road-going Ferrari to date is rated 1,000 ps (that's 986 horsepower) and 800 Nm (590 pound-feet) at 6,000 rpm.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News