Lamborghini’s incoming replacement for the Aventador, now called the LB744, is beginning to sound like the progenitor of modern, electrified hypercars. The Lamborghini LB744 is what the Italian automaker calls its first high-performance electrified vehicle or HPEV, and it’s packing loads of tech to make the limited-edition Sian roadster feel outdated.
Lambo’s newest V12 supercar will reveal its bonkers styling cues in the next few months, and it’ll arrive just in time to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the brand. However, we feel the LB744 (or whatever it’s called when it makes its official debut) will get rave reviews not for how it looks but for its state-of-the-art hardware and plug-in hybrid technology.
1000+ Horsepower Hybrid Lambo
It sure sounds like a recipe for a smashing good time! Lamborghini claims it has “established new benchmarks in performance and driving pleasure” with the LB744, doing so with a new V12 engine, three electric motors, a lithium-ion battery pack, and an in-house developed eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. The ingredients also point to an electrified all-wheel drivetrain.
Let’s start with the new V12 gas engine. It has a 6.5-liter capacity and is the lightest and most potent 12-cylinder engine in Lambo’s history. Capable of pumping out 813 horsepower despite weighing 37 pounds (17 kilograms) less than the Aventador’s V12, it revs to an impressive 9,500 rpm while churning out 534 lb-ft. of torque at 6,750 rpm.
In addition, the LB744 has three electric motors (two in the front and one in the back) that raise the output to an astonishing 1,000 horsepower. Meanwhile, each electric motor in the front could contribute 258 lb-ft. of torque. The LB744 is front-wheel drive in all-electric mode to optimize power consumption, but the rear electric motor could come alive as required.
Plug-In Hybrid Battery Pack
The Lamborghini LB744 packs a 3.8 kWh lithium-ion battery in the central tunnel of the chassis to maintain an optimal weight distribution. It supplies juice to the front motors, the rear motor, and the integrated recharging unit.
When the battery goes dry, it can recharge using regenerative braking from the front electric motors, the V12 engine, or a seven kW domestic power outlet. If you do, the battery could reach 100 percent in about 30 minutes. However, recharging the battery using the V12 only takes six minutes.
Transverse Dual-Clutch Gearbox
The Lamborghini LB744’s all-new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is a modern design and engineering masterpiece. Specifically developed in-house, the LB744 is the third Lamborghini to have a rear-mounted, transverse gearbox after the Miura and Essenza SCV12.
Lambo calls it the “nerve center” of the plug-in hybrid unit, unlike any we’ve ever imagined before. It sits transversely (set crosswise) behind the longitudinally-mounted V12 gas engine. This new never center is lighter, more compact, and engages faster than the seven-speed DCT in a Huracán.
P2 & P3 Positions
But the most bewildering aspect is how it works. The third rear-mounted electric motor sits nicely on top of the eight-speed DCT. In addition, the gearbox has an innovative “uncoupling mechanism” that enables the electric motor to connect or disconnect depending on the selected driving mode.
The motor is in the P3 position and is disconnected from the gearbox to add a power boost with the V12 gas engine. In contrast, the motor connects to the dual-clutch gearbox in the P2 position to recharge the battery when parked or at lower speeds. Engaging reverse gear energizes the two front motors, but the rear motor could power the rear axle as required, enabling the car to have a four-wheel drivetrain in electric-only driving mode.
Lamborghini LB744 Debut
We don’t have to wait long to put a face on this bleeding-edge tech. The Lamborghini LB744 will debut on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023. And if seeing the Lamborghini LB744 isn’t enough, we can always listen to it.
“From the very beginning, Lamborghini cars were famed for their uniquely emotional and unmistakable sound,” the Sant’Agata Bolognese automaker said in a statement. “Particular attention has been lavished on the ‘soundtrack’ of the new L545 to emphasize the engine’s tone, already melodious at low revs and then rising to a natural harmonious crescendo.”
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Automobili Lamborghini.
