Lamborghini Unveils Its V12 Hybrid Revuelto

Dan Carney | Mar 31, 2023

After previewing the car's incredible hybrid-electric powertrain technology that we described in a previous article, we share that Lamborghini has finally released the details on its replacement for its Aventador V12 flagship model. This includes not only the car's new styling but also finally, its name: Revuelto.

This is the name of an 1880s Spanish fighting bull and it translates to mean "mixed up," which Lamborghini thought is a fitting reference to the mixing of combustion and electric power in this model.

Just as we’re seeing battery-electric EVs streamlining their bodywork to save every watt of energy, so the Revuelto has also been optimized for reduced drag despite the brawn of its drivetrain. The company describes the car's lines as being inspired by aerospace machines whose management of airflow is crucial. While the Revuelto's two-line styling arcs from the car's nose, over the roof, and tapers back to the hexagonal exhaust tips in a bid to minimize drag, the roofline provides an inch more headroom for occupants than in the Aventador.

This is because the increasing capability of Lamborghini's cars has led to a corresponding interest in taking them to track days where they can be exercised safely. In the Aventador, that meant that wearing a helmet could be a challenge for taller drivers, so the Revuelto provides more space for helmet-clad drivers.

A key design feature in the Revuelto's design is the complete exposure of its centerpiece V12 combustion engine, which is left uncovered rather than hidden by bodywork or even showcased beneath a window. What looks like a crinkle-finish intake plenum is actually a plastic cover on the engine, so there is a cover on the exposed engine.

Careful aerodynamic optimization has produced a design that creates 33 percent more front downforce and 74 percent more rear downforce than the Aventador. Front airflow is managed by a splitter that has a radial leading edge in its center section, while the outer edges are slanted to produce downforce and to generate vortices that steer airflow away from the drag-heavy front wheels and tires.

The rear employs an active wing that stows in a low-drag position while driving the Revuelto's six miles of electric-only driving range or when attempting to reach the car's top speed of more than 219 mph. The high-downforce position is used when cornering grip is needed. The wing is abetted by a diffuser beneath the rear of the car which has a steeper ramp for increased downforce. This is made possible by the drivetrain reconfiguration which includes using a transverse gearbox that is less of an obstruction to the diffuser.

The new carbon fiber chassis also adds 3.3 inches of legroom for the occupants. This is a challenge for mid-engine cars, which tend to have the front wheel wells intruding into the cabin's footwell so that added space will be a welcome improvement.

Revuelto features a carbon fiber front crash absorption structure in place of the Aventador's aluminum front structure, which trims 20 percent of the weight. The overall carbon fiber chassis structure, which Lamborghini terms a "monofuselage," is 10 percent lighter than the Aventador's and is 25 percent stiffer.

The Lamborgini Revuelto's 'monofuselage' carbon fiber chassis boasts a torsional stiffness of 40,000 newton-meters/degree.

Behind the cockpit, the Revuelto employs a bolt-on aluminum subframe structure that mounts the drivetrain and rear suspension components. This section is built on a pair of hollow castings that attach the rear suspension and engine mounts, with aluminum tubes connecting them to each other and the carbon fiber monofueselage.

While we covered the hardware of the Revuelto's innovative all-wheel-drive hybrid-electric drivetrain, with its V12 and electric motor powering the rear wheels and dual oil-cooled axial-flux electric motors driving the fronts, there are more details available now on the system's functions. Lamborghini offers three drive modes: Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance. These systems work in tandem with the chassis control modes: City, Strada, Sport, and Corsa. The matrix of combinations produces 13 distinct driving styles.

Lamborghini claims the Revuelto's swoopy styling provides a 60 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency compared to the outgoing Aventador.

The Revuelto rolls on run-flat tires customized for the car by Bridgestone. They are Ponteza Sports in 265/35-ZR20 at the front and 345/30-ZRF21 at the rear. Bridgestone has even developed Blizzak winter tires for the Revuelto, so owners can plan for ski trips with their Lamborghini.

That might be a time when having a comprehensive Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) would be beneficial. So while Lamborghini has eschewed this technology previously, the Revuelto marks the brand's first application of a complete system. It uses cameras, radars, and ultrasonic sensors to see the world around the car and provides adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatically adaptive headlights.

Our next duty will be to put all this technology to the test and report Lamborghini's success in moving into the [slightly] electrified age.

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