Lamborghini is among the last of the supercar manufacturers to have held on to using naturally aspirated V12 engines, namely in the Aventador. The Italian firm’s mid-engined flagship is due for a replacement, and reports suggest it will be previewed by a low-volume, electrified model at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, according to Autocar.
Codenamed LB48H, the hybridised mid-engined Lamborghini will continue to feature a natrually aspirated V12, albeit with electric assistance to add performance and fuel efficiency. This will go against its compatriot the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, which uses a 3,990 cc turbocharged V8 adapted from F154 powerplant in the 488 Pista and the F8 Tributo.
The top of the Aventador range is the SVJ or Superveloce Jota, in both coupe and Roadster forms, both powered by the supercar maker’s L539 6.5 litre V12 engine producing 770 PS and 720 Nm of torque. Lamborghini’s chief technical officer Maurizio Reggiani had previously stated that electrification is being done out of necessity rather than choice.
The inevitable outcome is weight penalty, and Reggiani estimates that even a lightweight solution could add a further 200 kg. This could likely make the next-generation V12 Lamborghini heavier, despite extensive weight-saving measures, including those yet to come from the Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL) located in Seattle, Washington which opened in 2016.
The Aventador successor would not be alone in this respect, however; the SF90 Stradale’s hybrid powertrain architecture adds 270 kg. The two Italians could also be closely matched in combined output; the next V12 Raging Bull could get 1,000 hp in total system output, and the SF90 Stradale pairing a 780 PS/800 Nm internal combustion engine with maximum electric output of 162 kW.
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Current model is named A-vent-a-dor (the car has a-vent and a-door). What is next?