Lamborghini asserts to resist downgrading or turbocharging its sports car powertrains and is determined to stick with naturally aspirated engines for its super-sports models despite many of its rivals switching to turbos to enhance performance and reduce emissions.
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Lamborghini’s technical director, Maurizio Reggiani, said that he is intent on resisting any pressure to reduce the number of cylinders in its next generation of supercars.
“Every car has a mission, and based on that mission you have to choose the right engine. For the [Urus SUV] the decision was turbo, but we will continue to choose natural aspiration for the super-sports cars. In the future, we will need to take account of fuel consumption and emissions. I am convinced the naturally aspirated engine coupled with a hybrid system can be the right answer.”
The successor to the Huracán is scheduled to make its debut in 2022, and there is a fair chance it will be a plug-in hybrid. However, Reggiani hinted that the Aventador, which will be introduced before 2022, will also be employing an electrified powertrain.
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Maurizio Reggiani added:
“We need to reinvent this icon without [losing] the characteristics of the current car: carbonfiber, the V12 naturally aspirated engine and other components. Looking forward, if it is a hybrid then in what ways can we compensate for its weight?”
Reggiani admits that he sees battery density, and the need to accommodate a significant number of cells, as being nearly as much of a problem as weight for sports cars. Lamborghini is working on a project with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston to develop carbonfibre bodywork that can act as a storage battery as well as superconductors.
Last year, Lamborghini revealed the electric Terzo Millennio concept, created with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which showcased next-generation energy storage systems and innovative materials.
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Reggiani also said that an electrical drivetrain may help to civilize a version of the current Aventador’s sometimes aggressive single-clutch transmission: “You could use the electric motor to ensure that you don’t have torque interruption.”
In addition to his commitment to a naturally aspirated V12 for the Aventador replacement, Reggiani is planning for the next Huracán to stick with a non-turbo 10-cylinder engine.
“The reaction you have to a 10-cylinder engine you cannot have from any other kind. This is what our customers love. Why do I need to do something different? If I trust in the naturally aspirated engine, why downgrade my powertrain to a V8 or V6? I am Lamborghini, I am the top of the pinnacle of super-sports cars. I want to stay where I am.”
from Autocar
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