After almost 12 years, Lamborghini Aventador is finally replaced with an all-new model, Revuelto. Sant’Agata’s 6th generation flagship supercar – following Miura, Countach, Diablo, Murcielago and Aventador – is once again named after a Spanish fighting bull. Revuelto means “mixed” in English, which implies the car’s battery electric hybrid powertrain, a first for Lamborghini (Sian and Countach LPI use supercapacitor instead of battery).

The new big Lambo gets bigger again. Measuring 4950 mm in length, it is 170 mm longer than the original Avendator. Some 80 mm of which goes to the wheelbase, which should improve interior space (more on that later). It is also 34 mm taller, but body width is unchanged at 2030 mm, which is already marginal to drive on country roads.



The styling is very aggressive but far from surprising, because it keeps the wedge proportion that started from Countach, and the detailed design is consistent with the design theme taken by Lamborghini in the last decade or so. Sharp and edgy, with liberal use of star and hexagonal elements for visual impact, while side intakes are arrow-shape, extending to the floating blades that link between rear fenders and C-pillars. To give a better view on the V12 engine, the latter is exposed, not even a glass cover is employed. Moreover, a stripe of brake light located at the trailing edge of roof panel puts the V12 under limelight whenever braking, isn't it too showy?

Lamborghini said its active aerodynamics – the rear spoiler is adjustable – can generate 66 percent more downforce than the last Avendator, i.e. the Ultimae. This must thanks to larger diffusers as well as a channel pressed on the roof panel that draws airflow towards the rear spoiler. Meanwhile, aerodynamic efficiency (i.e. drag divided by downforce) is slightly less impressive at 61 percent up, meaning its drag coefficienty is slightly higher than the Aventador.



Having slipped behind the competition in performance chart for so many years, Lamborghini finally decides to strike back with vast increase of power. However, instead of taking the turbocharging route – like Ferrari and McLaren do – it opts to keep its traditional naturally aspirated V12, which is undoubtedly the key reason to buy a Lamborghini. Therefore, extra power is achieved with electrification. The electric element is seen as a means to keep the V12 alive, cutting 30 percent emission without hurting the sound and high-revving character of the engine.

The V12, codenamed L545, is heavily reworked. Despite retaining 6.5-liter capacity and old-fashioned port injection, it gets a new block casting, freer flowing intake and exhaust, new valve gears and new (supposedly lighter) crankshaft. Compression ratio is lifted from 11.8:1 to 12.6:1. Rev limit is lifted from 8700 rpm to a whopping 9500 rpm, matching the 6.5-liter V12 of Ferrari 812 Competizione. It produces 825 horsepower (DIN) at 9250 rpm, a remarkable improvement from 780 hp / 8500 rpm on the last Aventador, or 5 horsepower shy of the Ferrari. Peak torque is 535 pound-foot at 6750 rpm, slightly more than before and the Ferrari. More remarkable still, the new V12 weighs 218 kg, 17 kg less than before. In fact, it is claimed to be the lightest V12 produced by Sant'Agata.



The V12 is supplemented with 3 electric motors. 2 of them are mounted at the front axle, each driving one wheel to provide 4-wheel drive as well as torque vectoring functionality, like Honda NSX. These axial flux motors are compact and lightweight (18.5 kg each) for their power, which is 150 hp and 258 lbft each. The front motors and their associated power electronics weigh about 80 kg. At the rear axle, there is another motor that assists the engine with 150 hp and 110 lbft, as well as working as starter generator.

Unfortunately, total electric power is limited by the battery to 190 horsepower, so the combined output of the car is 1015 hp (DIN). This puts the big Lambo into the 1000-horsepower club for the first time. It needs so desperately, because its chief rival Ferrari SF90 offers 1000 hp.

The 70 kg worth of battery is located inside the transmission tunnel. It is 1.5 meter long, but capacity is merely 3.8 kWh, half the size of what Ferrari SF90 or 296 GTB employ. Unsurprisingly, it gives a laughable electric range of 10 km (6 miles), under which the Revuelto is driven by its front wheels. It can be charged up at home socket, because Lamborghini needs that to deceive emission regulations, cutting its WLTP emission by 30 percent compared with its predecessor. However, I don't see many buyers will do that. Let it charged by the engine would be far easier, which takes a few minutes.



The position of battery should improve front-to-rear balance, but in fact its 44:56 balance is only 1 percent better at each axle than the Aventador. This is because since Countach all V12 Lambos have been employing the “LP” layout which puts its gearbox fore of the engine and inside the transmission tunnel. As the Revuelto’s transmission tunnel is occupied by the battery pack, it needs to relocate the gearbox to behind the V12.

This is an all-new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, mounted transversely to improve weight distribution a little, and has the rear electric motor incorporated into its top. Yes, the big Lambo finally gets rid of the notorious ISG single-clutch transmission of its predecessor. The DCT should improve smoothness massively, but the downside is extra weight, which tips the scale at 193 kg including motor, versus 79 kg of the ISG.

Some weight is trimmed from the chassis. Again it employs a carbon-fiber monocoque, but now called “Monofuselage”. The chief difference from the one used by Aventador is the front crash structure is converted to forged carbon-fiber instead of aluminum. At the rear, the subframe on which the powertrain and suspension mounted remains aluminum, but 2 of the main members have been converted to hollow to save weight. The entire monocoque weighs 188 kg, 10 percent lighter than before. Meanwhile, Lamborghini claims its torsional rigidity of 40,000 Nm/degree is 25 percent higher than before, although the Aventador was quoted 35,000 Nm/degree when it was launched.



Naturally, the body work of the car is all carbon-fiber, with the exception of bumpers and aluminum doors.

The Revuelto’s suspension is also different from its predecessor. Aventador was very advanced in the way it employed pushrod suspension with inboard spring damper units. Perhaps due to the packaging problem caused by the extra electric hardware, it reverts to conventional spring struts. The front suspension remains double-wishbone type, while the rear has changed to multi-link setup. Adaptive dampers are standard, as is 4-wheel steering.

The anti-roll bars get 11 percent stiffer up front and 50 percent stiffer at the back. The steering is geared to be 10 percent quicker. The standard wheels are 20in front and 21in rear as before, shod with 265/35ZR20 and 345/30ZR21 Bridgestone Potenza - the former is 10mm wider than before. Optional 265/30ZR21 and 355/25ZR22 tires and wheels enhance traction and grip further.

The standard carbon-ceramic brakes get larger, too – 410mm discs with 10-piston calipers up front, 390mm discs with 4-pot calipers at the rear. They need to, because the big Lambo also gets on quite a lot of weight...



One thing Lamborghini declines to reveal in the press material is the car’s weight. However, you may calculate that from the power-to-weight ratio it quotes: 1.75 kg per horsepower. This translates to around 1776 kg.

Considering the Aventador Ultimae weighs 1550 kg dry, add 70 kg of battery, 80 kg of front motors/power electronics, 114 kg of the extra weight of gearbox and rear motor, a couple dozen or so kilograms for larger bodywork, brakes, axles and enhanced equipment, minus the Avendator’s 40 kg or so of front differential and prop-shaft, 20 kg reduction in monocoque and 17 kg reduction in engine weight, I guess the Revuelto would be around 220 kg more than its predecessor. This means 1776 kg is likely to be its dry weight. Add another 100 kg of oil and water, the first plug-in hybrid Lamborghini supercar is really a heavyweight. Ferrari SF90 is almost 200 kg lighter.

That said, the performance it quotes is very close to that hybrid Ferrari: 0-60 mph taking 2.45 seconds (same), 0-124 mph in less than 7 seconds (6.7 sec for SF90) and 217 mph top speed (211 for Ferrari).