Farewell, V10: This is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a V8 hybrid with 907 hp

Maybe it should have been called that The stormbecause if you swap one of the best free-breathing V10 engines of modern times for a hybrid V8 and more comfort, it means that hell really is empty and all the devils are here. At least if you’re a Lamborghini fan.

One of them is, of course, the boss. “The Revuelto is a great success,” said Stephan Winkelmann. “We have orders for three years. The fact that it is a plug-in hybrid has been very well received.” He describes the new Temerario – which follows the Urus SE V8 Hybrid – as “closing the circle of hybridization of the entire product range.”

The V10, however, was the stuff dreams are made of. “I have to admit that I loved the car because of the engine,” he said of the Huracán’s 5.2-liter engine, which originally served in the Gallardo (another very popular Lambo) in 2003. So why give up one of its key unique selling points, especially now that the Audi R8 is gone and the ten-cylinder is entirely in Lambo’s bullfighting hands, which Winkelmann admits have already done an “outstanding job”?

“We had to decide years ago to do something extraordinary, something completely new, from scratch,” he added, noting that the Temerario’s performance ambitions “would not have been feasible” with the old V10 engine.

So what lies behind us is just a prologue. At the heart of the Temerario is a new – that is, completely new, developed from scratch, not stolen from the Empire – twin-turbo V8 with 4.0 litres of displacement and a flat-plane crankshaft. And lo and behold, at least according to Lamborghini, the history of this V8 could cure deafness. Because this completely new, developed from scratch, not stolen from the Empire twin-turbo V8 produces 789 hp between 9,000 and 9,750 rpm and reaches a redline of 10,000 rpm. Ten thousand. RPM. From a turbo V8.

Add the turbo V8 to the three electric motors – one between the engine and transmission, two on the front axle – a 3.8 kWh lithium-ion battery and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and you get 907 hp and 650 Nm of torque. A good chunk more than the V10 Huracán in the Evo version (631 hp). 0-100 km/h? 2.7 seconds. Top speed? Over 340 km/h. Noise? Well, Lamborghini says it’s “huge.”

There’s a “special connection” between the V8’s cylinder banks that improves the sound depending on the engine speed, and a “smoothed pipe routing” from the manifold to the exhaust, with the latter positioned to provide more sharpness. The result? Well, I’ll hand it over to the boss.

“The sound is incredible,” said Winkelmann. “It has to be recognizable as a Lambo,” he adds, referring to the characteristic screeching sounds of the Aventador and then the V12 of the Revuelto and of course the old V10. Lamborghini believes that the vibrations transmitted from the flat-plane crankshaft of the eight-cylinder to the frame “create a complete, all-encompassing sensory experience”; vibrations whose intensity increases depending on the chosen speed.

So not a thousand shrill instruments buzzing around your ears, but 907 horsepower shaking your bones. On purpose. “It should always be rough and loud, and you should feel the vibration of the steering wheel. That’s what we want. That’s the emotional part.”

It also promises to maintain the “high degree of linearity that made the Lamborghini V10 famous” while harnessing the ample torque and pulling power of modern turbo engines. Such power, says Lamborghini, “is normally only seen in racing engines.” They say this new heart is unprecedented in the world of road-legal supercars.

So this is by no means a slow, ponderous sedan masquerading as a supercar. “We don’t compromise on sportiness,” Winkelmann said. But even though this island is full of noises, sounds and pleasant air, you needn’t be afraid. Because Lamborghini firmly believes that while the Temerario’s V8 brings joy and does its best to shake your dentures free, it doesn’t hurt…

“The spaciousness is certainly also a design element,” said Winkelmann, referring to the Temerario’s new-found passion for … comfort. A comfortable Supercars? Are our celebrations over now?

“In my opinion, a supercar should be developed so that on the racetrack you enjoy the feeling in the car and the comfort, (the car) has to help you be a better driver. You,” said Winkelmann. “And if it fits like a glove, then we’ve succeeded. It’s not about driving 500 miles on the highway and not feeling anything at the end of the day. That’s not the goal.”

What is it? “It’s designed to help you feel relaxed on the track, but also not strenuous when you’re driving this car around town or on the highway,” he added. At its heart is an all-new spaceframe made entirely of aluminum, with “hydroformed extrusions” and “an increased number of hollow castings with thin, closed inertia profiles.” Don’t deny it: You’re all here for the thin, closed inertia profiles.

For those without degrees in mechanical engineering and materials science, the result is simple: the spaceframe is now less complex, which Lamborghini says allows weight to be “optimized.” Although it’s about 20 percent stiffer than the Huracán’s previous spaceframe, it’s also unsurprisingly heavier – Lamborghini claims a dry weight of 1,690 kg.

Inside that longer aluminum spaceframe is a brand new cabin that is said to offer “unprecedented comfort,” starting with the main attraction: more headroom, both for taller riders and in case you want to wear a racing helmet. There’s more storage space for luggage (112 liters). Then there’s a pair of low-slung, 18-way adjustable “comfort” seats that are heated and ventilated (there’s the option of carbon fiber twin bucket seats that fit “like a glove”) and the use of carbon, leather and Corsatex microfiber.

The whole thing is based on the philosophy of “pilot interaction” and offers a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver, a 9.1-inch display for the passenger and an 8.4-inch central display. Even the graphics were specially designed by Lamborghini.

“When I drive cars from the ’60s and ’70s,” Winkelmann said, “I can feel it when I have to do more than one lap. I’m not a racing driver, but I’m used to racing and doing multiple laps, so that’s important to me.” He notes that extra headroom “means comfort,” and space is of course the ultimate luxury, but that such an approach “doesn’t affect the sportiness of the car.”

To master this delicate balancing act between hardcore Nürburgring racer and city slicker, there are a number of different modes that change the personality of the Temerario, from City (FWD, fully electric), Street, Corsa and a new drift mode. In fact, there is built-in telemetry, a dashcam, augmented reality navigation, and something called “Memories Recorder.”

And it’s a delicate balance. “When we talk about top speed and acceleration, that’s part of the brand’s DNA,” Winkelmann said. “There will come a point when the acceleration is so strong that you’ll feel sick if you do it repeatedly. With some cars, you don’t feel comfortable if you do it often.”

What will not change, says Winkelmann, is the ability to drive on a race track. “The responsiveness, the lightness, we will continue to work on that. The power-to-weight ratio is increasingly the key to success.”

Another key, of course, is its cloud-covered towers, its magnificent palaces, its solemn temples and its great globe: in essence, it must see like a real Lamborghini. And you would be hard-pressed to put any other emblem on the Temerario’s hood. Lamborghini, unsurprisingly, is immensely proud of its achievements, pointing to the “unmistakable character lines” that pay homage to its earlier cars.

Although it’s a true clean sheet design, it certainly pays homage to the Huracán and Gallardo before it, while a new set of hexagonal daytime running lights blends old and new. Sweeping back across the bodywork, you drop into the exposed engine bay before being lifted right back to that spoiler, which of course plays a fundamental role in the Temerario’s aerodynamics.

The company, which was the first to develop novel methods of directing air over, under and around its cars, is of course putting a lot of (not literally) work into this area, with the goal of achieving “high-speed stability, improved cooling performance and maximum braking efficiency.”

These daytime running lights are in fact aero elements. The roof has a concave profile that directs the air to the rear spoiler. The underbody is equipped with vortex generators that ensure “optimal” flow to the diffuser. Overall, the car is said to be 103 percent more aerodynamic than the Huracán Evo, and with the “Lightweight Pack” (the green car in the picture here) even 158 percent more.

Yes, it is offered in two versions, with the LW package being more focused on track driving. It is as you would expect from such an option: a carbon fiber splitter, carbon fiber underbody panels, CFRP side skirts, CFRP rear hood, Gorilla Glass and another “carbon package” where the rear diffuser, mirror caps and air intake covers are made of… carbon fiber. In total, this saves 12.65 kg and increases aerodynamic load by 56 percent.

“The power and the numbers are an insight,” said Winkelmann, “but the emotional feeling is important.” Indeed. Even the name is influenced by it. “Temerario is the name of a fighting bull that fought in 1875, and Temerario means wild, brave.”

This wild, bold delight will be released in the second half of 2025.

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