Lamborghini has released a new hybridized 6.5-liter V-12 engine that can make up to 1001 horsepower. It has three electric motors: two in the front and one built into Lamborghini’s new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The vehicle’s whole look and name will be shown at the end of the month. Because the company only talks about it by its internal code, LB744, we can’t say what it will be called or look like. We can, however, tell you more about its incredible new plug-in hybrid powertrain. The good news is that the naturally aspirated V-12 engine is still available. This engine has been a big part of the appeal of the company’s more expensive cars since the beginning. The new 6.5-liter L545 engine is a heavier version of the one that powered the Aventador, but it has more power, higher rpm, less weight, and a 12.6:1 compression ratio. Lamborghini says the new engine weighs 481 pounds, 37 pounds less than the V-12 in the Aventador. It makes 814 horsepower at a blazing 9250 rpm until the limiter kicks in at 9500 rpm. At 6750 revs, it has a maximum torque of 535 pound-feet. But unlike the V-12 in the Aventador, which sends power forward to a single-clutch gearbox in front of it, the V-12 in the new engine now sends power through a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission designed by Lamborghini and mounted behind it. But the V-12 is just one part of the new engine. The new engine also has three electric motors. Each front wheel is powered by its pair of axial-flux motors, which makes torque vectoring possible. Since the all-wheel-drive system of the LB744 is mainly powered by electricity, there is no direct mechanical connection between the engine and the front axle. A third motor is built into the transmission at the back, and thanks to an intelligent clutching system, it can switch between being the starter motor, the generator, and the motor that powers the rear axle. Due to how the current flows through the battery, the combined peak is always less than three times that. However, each motor can produce up to 148 horsepower. The highest power is 1001 horsepower, a little more than the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. There are familiar places to sit on either side of a small 3.8-kWh battery pack in the transmission tunnel of the cabin. The electrical charge is stored in this battery pack. The claimed capacity is much lower than that of the Ferrari 296GTB and SF90, as well as the McLaren Artura. This means that Lamborghinis should be lighter and provide fewer electric kilometers. On the other hand, Lamborghini has not said how much the battery weighs. When the weight of the electric motor built into the car is considered, the front engines weigh 41 pounds, and the double-clutch transmission weighs 425 pounds. When the battery gets low, it can be charged by plugging it into a wall outlet, using the front motors to do regenerative braking, or using the V-12 as a generator. Reports say the second one can charge the whole pack in six minutes. When driven on a track, getting back to full power should be easy. Lamborghini also says the new DCT gearbox will support “continuous downshifting.” This means the driver can hold down the left paddle while gradually slowing down and shifting into the lowest gear possible. Lamborghini says it will give more technical details about the new car before the end of the month when it will be shown for real. We’ll keep you in the loop.
