Lamborghini Aventador's Future Replacement Will Get a Hybrid V-12

• The next Lamborghini Aventador will have a V-12 in the form of a naturally aspirated, hybrid-assisted engine.
• With Bentley moving toward an all-EV future, it looks like this will be the last remaining 12-cylinder in the Volkswagen Group.
• The next-gen Aventador is expected out next year.

As supercar makers are downsizing capacities and shedding cylinders from their combustion engines, one is determined to buck the trend. Lamborghini is planning to continue to offer a V-12 engine in the replacement for the Aventador—one that will use hybrid assistance but won't be turbocharged.

According to Lamborghini’s long-serving chief technical officer, Maurizio Reggiani, both the engine's layout and natural aspiration are critical to the character of the car.

"The V-12 has been part of the story of Lamborghini since the very beginning," he told Car and Driver when we drove the Huracán STO prototype earlier this month. "It has been present in every year of our history, which is why our strategy and our vision for the future is to continue to have a V-12 coupled with a hybrid motor."

Reggiani has already dropped hints about this future direction, with Lamborghini having already combined V-12 and electric with the supercapacitor-fitted Sian. But next year's Aventador replacement now seems certain to continue the Italian brand's trademark powertrain layout for another generation. And while he is happy to extol the virtues of the V-12, he insists that the decision to stick with natural aspiration is equally important to preserving the car’s character.

"I remember when I started working in Modena, the people I learned from told me that naturally aspirated engines are how you prove engineering is good," he said, "because nothing helps you. You must be able to suck as much air as possible and then, based only on this, put more fuel inside the combustion chamber to generate power. If you have a machine to push air, it becomes more a question of the structure of the engine and how much boost it can take. With a big enough turbo, you can produce almost any output."

In addition to the advantages of throttle response—something Lamborghini's sports cars remain exemplars of—Reggiani says that natural aspiration remains critical for the searing soundtrack Lamborghini buyers expect. "When you have a turbo you have a damper on the sound, like a muffler," he explained. "It is filtered by the turbo, and you end up trying to use artificial sound to reproduce what should be spontaneous and natural."

While electrical assistance is largely required to meet increasingly stringent CO2 targets and will bring additional mass, Reggiani also says it will bring other benefits. "You can add performance, but you can also fill in the weaknesses of the naturally aspirated engine, especially where torque is weak," he explains.

The use of an electrically powered front axle also removes the requirement to run a propeller shaft down the center of the car, with Reggiani hinting the Aventador replacement will use a similar system to the Ferrari SF90. "If you have the possibility to use an electric front axle with torque vectoring left and right, you can do something truly exceptional in terms of helping the driver for traction and handling . . . it is like a collaboration between powertrain and chassis development, making a car that can stay exactly on a radius without any form of correction. This is like a dream for engineering."

With Bentley's confirmation that it will soon be dropping its W-12 engine ahead of an entirely electric future, Lamborghini is set to be the last brand within the Volkswagen Group to offer 12-cylinder power. Long may it continue.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34751674/lamborghini-aventador-hybrid-v-12/

 

Sounds interesting, can't wait to see the spy-shots ...

I hope they come up with a way to reduce the weight to compensate for electrification. That said, if they go the way of supercapacitors, then the weight penalty may not be as large (heavy) as using conventional batteries, think Xian. That said, you can only get so much CO2 & emission reduction with SuCaps.  We shall see. Glad they are still trying to stick to the V12.

The Sian technology will not work in the long run.  Maurizio already hinted/conceded to that long ago (even before the Sian Roadster was announced).  It's Catch 22: current hybrid tech needs plenty of batteries to work and those are very hefty.  New battery technology is needed to either increase its efficiency under the same weight, or maintain its current efficiency but with reduced bulk and weight.  Battery placement will also be crucial so as not to compromise the car's handling.  With both emissions & safety regs getting tighter, Lamborghini will need to rely on using plenty of exotic materials to keep the weight down.  But it will come with a price so they need to balance that well.

I agree it will be a delicate balance between power, weight, and cost.

Back in 2014 we got to see a first concept with the Asterion, adding 300hp into the mix with three electric motors and batteries ... but that also added 250 kg in weight ... I don't know how much evolution has been made over the last 6 years, but even if they managed to reduce the weight addition by 50%, you're still looking at 125 kg extra.

I guess using two electric motors for the front axle, and using the V12 to power the rear only, could reduce the additional weight, probably between 75kg and 100kg I guess ... but there is already a lot of carbon fiber on the Aventador SVJ at this time, so they might be using a lighter 'sandwich' carbon fiber method and add some more weight reduction on chassis and running parts?

Remember they also tested the Tosca, which was nothing else than an Aventador with the Asterion engines ... but it turned out to be too heavy at that time.

I do hope the successor will add more electric power than the 34hp on the Sian ... at least 100hp please

19 hours ago, VCR said:

The Sian technology will not work in the long run.  Maurizio already hinted/conceded to that long ago (even before the Sian Roadster was announced).  It's Catch 22: current hybrid tech needs plenty of batteries to work and those are very hefty.  New battery technology is needed to either increase its efficiency under the same weight, or maintain its current efficiency but with reduced bulk and weight.  Battery placement will also be crucial so as not to compromise the car's handling.  With both emissions & safety regs getting tighter, Lamborghini will need to rely on using plenty of exotic materials to keep the weight down.  But it will come with a price so they need to balance that well.

I completely agree but battery technology is moving rapidly with the density of energy per unit mass way more today than it was 5 years ago. You only to have look at Tesla's quiet acquisition of some cutting-edge battery companies like Maxwell Technologies, ATW Automation & "tabless" batteries that they are pioneering. By no means are they the only ones but I think the industry will be the big beneficiaries of these advancement. Lamborghini's application of these technologies will be the real test of maintaining some semblance of the V12 for some time.

I mean this isn't news as it has been confirmed at least 50 times now by multiple people at Lamborghini. Aventador's replacement will be aimed at SF90 Stradale, there is no doubt in that considering that the Aventador SVJ almost costs the same speced up. They will try to top that car and make the Aventador's replacement more desirable than it with that N/A V12. 

 

But the replacement being out next year? No way that happens. It's a 2022 model or even later. They are however far ahead with it, so we should see some test mules in 2021. 

On 11/27/2020 at 1:58 PM, APB said:

I mean this isn't news as it has been confirmed at least 50 times now by multiple people at Lamborghini. Aventador's replacement will be aimed at SF90 Stradale, there is no doubt in that considering that the Aventador SVJ almost costs the same speced up. They will try to top that car and make the Aventador's replacement more desirable than it with that N/A V12. 

 

But the replacement being out next year? No way that happens. It's a 2022 model or even later. They are however far ahead with it, so we should see some test mules in 2021. 

I worry that if the Avy replacement is going to compete with the SF90, Lamborghini will be behind the 8-ball so to speak. They need to be aiming beyond Ferrari's current offering to something much much better.

I spoke to Maurizio for about 10-15 min at last Monterey when I found out I am getting the SVJ63 roadster and he told me it’s gonna be V12 with 3 motors.  I specifically brought up the SF90 and how much power it makes and said something to the tune of “I hope it’s same level of performance.”

 

He just smiled and winked and said “you won’t be disappointed.”

 

And it certainly will not be released next year. I just found out my 63 roadster doesn’t even go into production until May 2021 so it will def be later. I assume it may be unveiled in 2022 Monterey and available later that year or early 2023.  

May 2021?? So they're still building SVJ's?

And I agree, the A replacement is couple years out. Next year their focus will be the STO and they'll probably come out with a new variant of the Urus to finish the year off.

 

20 hours ago, sl55 said:

May 2021?? So they're still building SVJ's?

And I agree, the A replacement is couple years out. Next year their focus will be the STO and they'll probably come out with a new variant of the Urus to finish the year off.

 

alpha6164 is correct.

Not sure about the SVJ's but absolutely about the SVJ63 roadsters.  According to the factory, only 1 SVJ63r can be build per week!  I was given the choice on a March or June build.

Agreed that the new flagship won't be out in 2021.  They still have to finish the SVJ roadsters, the Sian coupe & roadsters and the Xago.  Only then can they refit the production line for the new car.  And with Winkelmann now at helm again, who knows if there will be another 5 AV editions or not?  There is a rumour of an evolution model of the Aventador S being the swan song of the AV-series.

16 hours ago, VCR said:

alpha6164 is correct.

Not sure about the SVJ's but absolutely about the SVJ63 roadsters.  According to the factory, only 1 SVJ63r can be build per week!  I was given the choice on a March or June build.

Agreed that the new flagship won't be out in 2021.  They still have to finish the SVJ roadsters, the Sian coupe & roadsters and the Xago.  Only then can they refit the production line for the new car.  And with Winkelmann now at helm again, who knows if there will be another 5 AV editions or not?  There is a rumour of an evolution model of the Aventador S being the swan song of the AV-series.

I can't wait to see your roadster

On 11/29/2020 at 8:21 PM, VCR said:

alpha6164 is correct.

Not sure about the SVJ's but absolutely about the SVJ63 roadsters.  According to the factory, only 1 SVJ63r can be build per week!  I was given the choice on a March or June build.

Agreed that the new flagship won't be out in 2021.  They still have to finish the SVJ roadsters, the Sian coupe & roadsters and the Xago.  Only then can they refit the production line for the new car.  And with Winkelmann now at helm again, who knows if there will be another 5 AV editions or not?  There is a rumour of an evolution model of the Aventador S being the swan song of the AV-series.

could the final Aventador be this SVJ based(location of the exhaust) model that was spotted by someone a few months ago?

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/08/is-this-a-new-lamborghini-aventador-variant-or-its-successor/

 

7 hours ago, Sup said:

could the final Aventador be this SVJ based(location of the exhaust) model that was spotted by someone a few months ago?

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/08/is-this-a-new-lamborghini-aventador-variant-or-its-successor/

 

It could be. But I think Lamborghini have enough orders for them to build Aventadors for a while. I think this is some sort of test mule maybe.

 

Some on IG claimed that Avenetador was a test mule from a few years ago.

On 11/29/2020 at 10:21 PM, VCR said:

alpha6164 is correct.

Not sure about the SVJ's but absolutely about the SVJ63 roadsters.  According to the factory, only 1 SVJ63r can be build per week!  I was given the choice on a March or June build.

Agreed that the new flagship won't be out in 2021.  They still have to finish the SVJ roadsters, the Sian coupe & roadsters and the Xago.  Only then can they refit the production line for the new car.  And with Winkelmann now at helm again, who knows if there will be another 5 AV editions or not?  There is a rumour of an evolution model of the Aventador S being the swan song of the AV-series.

My question is why would they use a variant of the S as the swan song to the v12? That’s a huge deal and it makes way more sense for it to be the most hardcore variant of the v12 given what it’s celebrating. However, that’s going to upset a lot of SVJ owners. Fwiw I’ve heard about the car too - was about to order an SVJ roadster but now it’s making me think I’d rather get this final edition. I’m guessing GT / GTR variant.

5 hours ago, Luxeous said:

My question is why would they use a variant of the S as the swan song to the v12? That’s a huge deal and it makes way more sense for it to be the most hardcore variant of the v12 given what it’s celebrating. However, that’s going to upset a lot of SVJ owners. Fwiw I’ve heard about the car too - was about to order an SVJ roadster but now it’s making me think I’d rather get this final edition. I’m guessing GT / GTR variant.

If you look at Lamborghini's history, an evolution S does make sense.  The LP670-4 SV of the Murci series was the only exception.  And that was kind of weird too as only 186 out of the planned 350 were built.  Look at the Diablo, the 6.0SE may be the last and the best-built of the Diablo series but it was not the most extreme version.  Neither was the final model of the Gallardo.  From a business POV, building the most extreme version as a departing model is too risky:  A) Investing more R&D to create the most extreme version of a departing model does not make sense.  B ) To build the most extreme version, it likely needs to be re-certified by various authorities.  Time and funding would likely make that counterintuitive.  C) As you have said, plenty of SVJ owners are going to be ticked off (900 coupes + 800 roadsters + 63 SVJ63 coupes + 63 SVJ63 roadsters + 10 SVJ Xago edition) and these are the top-end clients (over 1800 of them).  D) Don't forget the Sian coupe & roadster owners too.  These people paid multi-million for their cars under the impression that it's the best & fastest road-legal Lambo ever (true enthusiasts knew what their real-world performance is).   For Lamborghini to officially acknowledge that their obsolete-tech Sian has been out-performed by a series-production model, that's marketing suicide.  E) The same holds true for the Essenza SCV12.  No owner of this track-only car would want to see a road-legal model edging up to the specs/performance of their cars.  Hence, it would only make sense to play it safe by tweaking an existing non-limited production model just a bit and slot it between the S and the SVJ as a final departing model.  Of course, the irony could be that this last model would have less than 800 units built so it could be more rare than a SVJ roadster.   But as aforesaid, now that Winkelmann is back, perhaps there will be more L.E. Av's to come before it is replaced.  But I doubt any would out-spec/perform the SVJ.

I don't know if what your have heard is the same as what is depicted above though.  There is suppose to be another Aventador-based commemorative model to be announced.

6 hours ago, VCR said:

If you look at Lamborghini's history, an evolution S does make sense.  The LP670-4 SV of the Murci series was the only exception.  And that was kind of weird too as only 186 out of the planned 350 were built.  Look at the Diablo, the 6.0SE may be the last and the best-built of the Diablo series but it was not the most extreme version.  Neither was the final model of the Gallardo.  From a business POV, building the most extreme version as a departing model is too risky:  A) Investing more R&D to create the most extreme version of a departing model does not make sense.  B ) To build the most extreme version, it likely needs to be re-certified by various authorities.  Time and funding would likely make that counterintuitive.  C) As you have said, plenty of SVJ owners are going to be ticked off (900 coupes + 800 roadsters + 63 SVJ63 coupes + 63 SVJ63 roadsters + 10 SVJ Xago edition) and these are the top-end clients (over 1800 of them).  D) Don't forget the Sian coupe & roadster owners too.  These people paid multi-million for their cars under the impression that it's the best & fastest road-legal Lambo ever (true enthusiasts knew what their real-world performance is).   For Lamborghini to officially acknowledge that their obsolete-tech Sian has been out-performed by a series-production model, that's marketing suicide.  E) The same holds true for the Essenza SCV12.  No owner of this track-only car would want to see a road-legal model edging up to the specs/performance of their cars.  Hence, it would only make sense to play it safe by tweaking an existing non-limited production model just a bit and slot it between the S and the SVJ as a final departing model.  Of course, the irony could be that this last model would have less than 800 units built so it could be more rare than a SVJ roadster.   But as aforesaid, now that Winkelmann is back, perhaps there will be more L.E. Av's to come before it is replaced.  But I doubt any would out-spec/perform the SVJ.

I don't know if what your have heard is the same as what is depicted above though.  There is suppose to be another Aventador-based commemorative model to be announced.

Just a correction, but the last edition of Gallardo was the Squadra Corse, which was a track special. 

I'm still sticking to that particular prototype being a customer one-off or a test mule for the next V12, until of course proven otherwise. 

It doesn't make much sense  for Lamborghini to do more special editions of the V12 considering that not all of the SVJs, both coupe and roadster are built. From what I heard what has been stated in the press is that the Xago edition will be a part of those 800 cars. They have still over half a year worth of work just there.

 

1 or 2 Sians have been delivered, but those were the most tame ones in terms of spec. Sians are custom made and the crazy ones will take a long time to make. SCV12 is a separate beast that not even the Aventador's replacement or any hot version of it will be able to match on track. It's a literal racecar. 

 

But then again, we know who came back to the CEO position, so it won't be a surprise to see an Aventador Le Finale or something along those lines right before the Aventador replacement arrives. 

Reckon it will be stripped version finale like STO following that as an example, low numbers big money, no radio, roll cage, etc , useless as a road car but fast so limited market that won’t upset many 

Is it me or would anyone else agree that the Super Trofeo Stradale was the better track version of the Gallardo, not the Squadra Corsa?  I know Winky is back but I certainly hope he doesn't do 1 million versions of the Aventador to consume parts and drag out the production of the Aventador.  Are any of the special editions of the Gallardo (besides the STS & SC) worth much more than expected?

4 minutes ago, DoctaM3 said:

Is it me or would anyone else agree that the Super Trofeo Stradale was the better track version of the Gallardo, not the Squadra Corsa?  I know Winky is back but I certainly hope he doesn't do 1 million versions of the Aventador to consume parts and drag out the production of the Aventador.  Are any of the special editions of the Gallardo (besides the STS & SC) worth much more than expected?

In terms of looks I agree, but in terms of performance and driving feel, the SC is a whole level ahead of the STS. It's more raw, stiffer suspension and feels faster. It is essentially a perfected STS for track use. Outside of STS and SQs, the Valentino  Balboni editions have had a better market value compared to every other model and edition of Gallardo, especially the manual ones. 

 

I hope the same as you regarding no more Aventador special editions, but there is a high possibility for the Aventador's parts bin being emptied lol, essentially under Winkelmann . 

2 hours ago, DoctaM3 said:

Is it me or would anyone else agree that the Super Trofeo Stradale was the better track version of the Gallardo, not the Squadra Corsa?  I know Winky is back but I certainly hope he doesn't do 1 million versions of the Aventador to consume parts and drag out the production of the Aventador.  Are any of the special editions of the Gallardo (besides the STS & SC) worth much more than expected?

STS is the best Gallardo variant , with a strong showing by the Performante spyder (in my book of rankings).  SC is great, but I would consider a handful of others before landing on that one. 

I would have to agree, I just don't like the triangular bumper styling on the SC ... a white STS with black roof, or a white Gallardo Performante would be at the top of my Gallardo wish list.

The STS gets my vote too.  IMO, it’s the best overall Gallardo.  I dislike the looks of the SC.  And it feels a bit rough on a “regular” drive.  It’s a nice car but seems to serve one specific purpose rather than striking an equilibrium between road & track use.  The STS hits the sweet spot and it looks a lot better; at least to me.

19 hours ago, VCR said:

If you look at Lamborghini's history, an evolution S does make sense.  The LP670-4 SV of the Murci series was the only exception.  And that was kind of weird too as only 186 out of the planned 350 were built.  Look at the Diablo, the 6.0SE may be the last and the best-built of the Diablo series but it was not the most extreme version.  Neither was the final model of the Gallardo.  From a business POV, building the most extreme version as a departing model is too risky:  A) Investing more R&D to create the most extreme version of a departing model does not make sense.  B ) To build the most extreme version, it likely needs to be re-certified by various authorities.  Time and funding would likely make that counterintuitive.  C) As you have said, plenty of SVJ owners are going to be ticked off (900 coupes + 800 roadsters + 63 SVJ63 coupes + 63 SVJ63 roadsters + 10 SVJ Xago edition) and these are the top-end clients (over 1800 of them).  D) Don't forget the Sian coupe & roadster owners too.  These people paid multi-million for their cars under the impression that it's the best & fastest road-legal Lambo ever (true enthusiasts knew what their real-world performance is).   For Lamborghini to officially acknowledge that their obsolete-tech Sian has been out-performed by a series-production model, that's marketing suicide.  E) The same holds true for the Essenza SCV12.  No owner of this track-only car would want to see a road-legal model edging up to the specs/performance of their cars.  Hence, it would only make sense to play it safe by tweaking an existing non-limited production model just a bit and slot it between the S and the SVJ as a final departing model.  Of course, the irony could be that this last model would have less than 800 units built so it could be more rare than a SVJ roadster.   But as aforesaid, now that Winkelmann is back, perhaps there will be more L.E. Av's to come before it is replaced.  But I doubt any would out-spec/perform the SVJ.

I don't know if what your have heard is the same as what is depicted above though.  There is suppose to be another Aventador-based commemorative model to be announced.

I had just been thinking the same thing about the Diablo line and I agree with you that it makes sense there - my reason for thinking a more hardcore variant is that the Sian is more hypercar level in terms of perception - many of the newer Aventadors probably outperform the Veneno but I’d still take one any day - If I were Lamborghini that’s how I’d justify a more hardcore variant for the finale. Considering they don’t even make the S anymore it just seems so strange to bring it back as a farewell version when they have to know V12 owners are the group that always wants the latest and greatest. Who would a less than SVJ model attract? I don’t see many people trading in their SVJ for a car that isn’t as good, so where do the buyers come from? 
 

I had heard the car is getting unveiled q3 2021 with deliveries starting right before the replacement unveiling in 2022. I think that factory picture could definitely have something to do with it, you don’t build new body panels like that for nothing. The wide open engine bonnet is what makes me think hardcore.
 

Are there any Xago’s left? Curious how those stickered out compared to the 63 roadsters.