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NEW AND FUTURE CARSNEW AND FUTURE CARS
Lamborghini
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR: ANDREI AVARVARIIIt’s kind of strange to refer to the
current Lamborghini Aventador as
a “new” car, considering the big V-12
beast felt a bit old and outdated when
it first hit Rodeo Drive back in 2012.
Not that we’re complaining about the
continued existence of a mid-engine
V-12 supercar. It’s just that when
Lambo’s smaller and less expensive
Huracán feels much, much more agile
and advanced than the halo car that
costs the better part of half a million
bucks, it’s left us wanting something
more. We got our first taste of what a
reworked Aventador could be with the
2017 Aventador S and its much-needed
rear-wheel steering, but it retained
the same clunky single-clutch gearbox,
antiquated ergonomics, and wacky
seating position.
Thankfully, the long-gestating
successor is shaping up to be as
cutting-edge and modern as we’d
hoped the Aventador would be almost
a decade ago. If the reports are to be
believed, there’s a little bit for everyone,
including purists and futurists alike,
particularly regarding the powertrain.
Remember the Terzo Millennio from
late 2017? That all-electric hypercar
concept was a good look into the future
of the Raging Bull, especially under the
skin. The concept used supercapacitors
to store energy in place of traditionalON SALE:
Mid-2021 (est)
BASE PRICE:
$500,000 (est)2022 Aventador replacement
batteries, an advanced tech that made
its first appearance as the stop/start
system in the original Aventador.
According to interviews with
Lambo’s chief tech officer, Maurizio
Reggiani, you can expect to see
supercapacitors used heavily in future
hybrid applications for big Lambos.
More specifically, the first hybrid
Lamborghini hypercar, code-named
LB48H, should break cover later this
year. Much like the Reventón, Veneno,
and Centenario, this unnamed hypercar
is an exclusive, limited-production
project meant to celebrate the brand
and preview the future.
The next series-production big Lambo
comes later, pulling hybrid tech and
styling from the LB48H and slotting
onto an entirely different platform.
Lambo assures us the naturally
aspirated V-12 is safe, thanks entirely
to electrification. Expect a dual-clutch
transmission, torque vectoring, rear-
wheel steering, all-wheel drive, and
most important, acres and acres of
carbon fiber.
Weight is always one of the biggest
challenges for the big Lambos thanks in
no small part to the hulking 12-cylinder
sitting amidships, and adding
electrification to the mix doesn’t help.
In an effort to keep the mass as low
as possible, carbon fiber—particularlyLamborghini’s signature forged carbon—
will make up the majority of structural
and body components. Because you likely
won’t be able to drive one away for less
than $500,000, it wouldn’t be surprising
to see other exotic materials like titanium
and maybe Gorilla Glass coming into play.
Lambo’s trick ALA active aero system
should make an early appearance, as well,
with more aggressive aero arriving with
inevitable SuperVeloce variants, limited
editions, and track-day specials.
At this point, any specifications are
pure speculation, but power should
be at or beyond the 800-hp mark.
However, Ferrari’s recently revealed
SF90 with 938 horsepower might have
reset Lamborghini’s benchmarks for
a production car, so the next big V-12
Lamborghini might push past the 1,000-
hp barrier right out of the gate.
Interested? You’re going to have to
wait a while longer and work with your
accountant to free up some liquidity.
Lamborghini hinted at one final
Aventador special edition as a send-off,
so 2020 is likely out of the question.
Remember, we haven’t even seen the
unnamed hybrid special project yet,
though that’s probably going to be
amended by the end of 2019. Realistically,
don’t look for the next Aventador before
2021, and have around $500,000 ready to
go when order books open. AM