Lamborghini shares technical details of their upcoming V12 PHEV supercar.
It’s no secret that supercar manufacturers are under immense pressure to ditch the internal combustion engine and adopt electrification for the first time in their history. While there has been significant pushback, it’s clear that these brands are making some concessions. Lamborghini has been quite forward-thinking with their approach to preserving their V12 tradition. The company has already sent off their final pure V12 models – the Invencible and Auténtica.
Now the Italian performance brand has set its sights on the next generation of 12-cylinder models that will replace the Aventador. This new model has been given the codename ‘LB744’ and there are a number of details that Lamborghini have already shared.
The LB744 will debut this year on the 60th anniversary of the brand. A new architecture and powertrain delivers more than 1015PS in total. The powertrain will consist of a brand new L545 6.5L naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder petrol engine, an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is transversely mounted behind the engine for the first time and three electric motors in total. The centre tunnel, where the transmission tunnel normally sits in a Lamborghini will be used to house a lithium-ion battery. This battery pack has a miniscule capacity of just 3.8kWh but measures just 1550mm by 301mm by 240mm. It can be charged up with an AC charger at up to 7 kW, which will bring it up to 100% in 30 minutes. It can also passively be charged via regenerative braking or from the V12 directly in just 6 minutes. For safety, the lower structural layer of the battery pack is protected.
The battery sends power to the two electric motors at the front and one more to the rear. The front motors enable all-wheel drive on this future Lamborghini. However, their primary purpose is to lower the vehicle’s overall CO2 emissions by 30% versus the Aventador Ultimae. The motors at the front provide 110kW and 350Nm of torque each. They are oil-cooled axial flux units and weigh 18.5kg each. In electric drive mode, the rear axle’s electric motor is active only when needed.
The L545 V12 motor in this set-up is all-new and is the lightest, most powerful and most powerful per litre 12-cylinder engine Lamborghini has ever produced. It weighs just 218kg, which is 17kg lighter than the engine in the Aventador with a specific power output of 128PS per litre.
It has also been rotated 180 degrees for packaging reasons. By itself, the engine has an output of 825PS at 9250rpm and 725Nm of torque at 6750rpm thanks to a redesigned distribution system. The compression ratio is up 12.6:1 versus 11.8:1 on the Aventador Ultimae. Fluid dynamics of the exhaust valve have also been optimised to reduce counter-pressure at high revs. One solution that has been carried forward is the regulation of ionization in the chamber with two control units.
The gearbox is also a pretty impressive part of this plug-in hybrid system. The compact and robust unit was designed entirely by Lamborghini and will be used in the next generation of their products besides the LB744. This will be the 3rd transversely-mounted gearbox in the company’s history after the ones fitted in the Miura and Essenza SCV12.
The gearbox features a unique design with two shafts engaging the same rotor to save space. The entire transmission measures just 560mm by 750mm by 580mm and weighs just 193kg including the rear-mounted electric motor, which serves as a starter motor and generator.
The rear motor can be engaged in electric drive mode but more often than not it is either boosting the V12’s output or recharging the battery. Reverse is done using the electric motors at the front in most circumstances, but the rear motor can also engage in low grip conditions. The 8th ratio is there for better fuel efficiency. ‘Continuous downshifting’ by holding down the left paddle is possible under braking.
