Lamborghini officially entered the plug-in hybrid arena when it first announced the Revuelto, but now that it’s debuted in Canada, it was possible to take a closer look to see and touch the new supercar.
It comes at a time when the brand is celebrating its 60th anniversary and committing to an electrified future that includes delivering a full EV to market by 2030. Under that strategy, Automobili Lamborghini Americas CEO Andrea Baldi pulled the cover off the sleek Revuelto to a big crowd at an event venue north of Toronto.
Somewhat surprisingly, guests were able to not only gaze at the Revuelto and touch its exterior finish, but also slide the doors up and step inside — a lineup that kept running for a few hours where many in the crowd, which included Lamborghini owners and other VIPs, took video and selfies to capture the scene.
A 814 horsepower hybrid-powered supercar (with a V12)
Before unveiling the car, Bardi covered some of the details that make it unique even within Lamborghini’s fleet. As a plug-in hybrid, it runs on a 6.5-litre V12 engine driving 814 horsepower and 525-lbs of torque. Bring in the three electric motors and the hybrid powertrain hits 1,001 hp. All told, the Revuelto can reach 0-100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds, hitting a top speed of 350 km/h.
Powertrain specs:
- Gas engine: naturally-aspirated V12
- Battery: Lithium-ion high specific power battery with pouch cells
- Generator: Rear P2-P3 eMotor (110kW @ 10,000rpm)
- Electric engines: Front e-axle (220kW @ 3500rpm)
- Transmission: AMT
- Gears: 8 gears
- Clutch: Dual clutch
Built on a new, lighter chassis
Designers and engineers also looked to optimize handling, building the car on a new chassis called “monofuselage” that’s also lighter because of a composite materials that combine short carbon fibres with soaked resin. A new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission helps the cause, and when you factor in the air intake ducts, combustion chamber, exhaust, and compression ratio, the engine revs up to 9,500 rpm.
First Lamborghini High Performance Electrified Vehicle (HPEV) delivering 1015 CV
The Revuelto is limited to just 10 km and 178 hp in all-electric mode. Of the three motors, one is part of the transmission, while the other two are on the front axle to form an all-wheel drive system uniquely different from Lamborghini’s combustion vehicles.
With a smaller 3.8kWh battery, the Revuelto’s regenerative braking can probably charge the battery on its own, or just use power generated by the rear electric motor to do it and shave off a lot of time. Otherwise, it would take 30 minutes to plug in with a Level 2 charger compared to just six minutes when having the car do it for you.
There are no less than 13 drive modes, three of which are new courtesy of the hybrid system: Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance. Previous ones, like City, Strada, Sport, and Corsa, are still in the mix.
A redesigned steering wheel features two rotors for shifting, while the digital cluster and infotainment screen stand out prominently. Amazon Alexa acts as the onboard voice assistant, along with Lamborghini’s app for remote access for basic controls, along with anti-theft measures for vehicle tracking.
Y-shaped stylistic treatments permeate the car, all the way out to the headlights, and the rear features a see-through panel behind the cabin that blends with the small rear window.
As for the name Lamborghini was inspired by the story of a fighting bull in Spain in 1880 that was affectionately named “Revuelto”. Roughly translated, it means “mixed up”, “messed up” or “turbulent”, further suggesting how this car might shake things up for the brand.
As is, the Revuelto will sell for $699,394 CAD (before tax) in Canada, with deliveries beginning in late 2023 and continuing into early 2024. Lamborghini says the first two years’ worth of supply are already spoken for, and believes a good chunk of eventual buyers will be new to the brand.
