The new Lamborghini Temerario – named after a Spanish bull that fought in the arena of Madrid in 1875 – is a crucial model for Lamborghini, designed to take over the super sports car baton from the Huracán.
The Huracán is nearing the end of production with a full order book. Nearly 30,000 units of the baby Lamborghini have been sold. Its design, crafted by Filippo Perini, has aged well, so the new Temerario, while different, is not a radical departure. It retains Lamborghini’s historic hexagonal design elements, with a curvier, less edgy twist by the current Design Director, Mitja Borkert.
While Lamborghini claims the new car revs to 10,000rpm, it downplays the fact that EU emissions regulations forced it to adopt a twin-turbo V8 with a hybrid battery, abandoning the iconic V10. With 907 horsepower, the Temerario can hit 210 mph and accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 2.7 seconds. A true super sports car. The shrieking V10 of the Huracán is now consigned to Lamborghini’s history books and directly onto a drive-before-you-die wish list of Lamborghini lovers.
The cabin of the Temerario mirrors the exterior design. The luxurious interior includes material such as carbon and a combination of leather and Corsatex by Dinamica suede.
“When we speak about the car, it’s a true Lamborghini, a new design, a completely new engine that revs to 10,000 rpm,” said Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann. “This will be the future in this segment and will be a very important one.” At Lamborghini Day Japan 2024 – which I had the fortune to attend – the same question kept cropping up: how will the new twin-turbo V8 hybrid match the Huracán’s howling scream? One owner was candid, “I own a Huracán and will keep it. The Temerario looks great, but I won’t buy one until I drive it and hear it.”
Speaking with Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr Rouven Mohr, he explained that adopting a turbocharged engine was the only way to cope with the extreme pressures of revving to 10,000 rpm. “It would be nearly impossible,” he said. The engineering challenge of keeping a naturally-aspirated engine while adhering to emissions proved too much for Lamborghini’s engineering boundaries. Five driving modes are offered: Città, Strada, Corsa, Corsa Plus (which disables all ADAS safety systems), and a new “Drift mode” for those intent on destroying a set of expensive tyres.
Details of the Lamborghini Temerario’s exterior design, by Mitja Borkert, showing curvier shapes than its predecessor, the Huracán, but the same characteristic shark nose and hexagonal elements.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain may not be the technology Lamborghini fans had ever hoped to see, but like the V12 Revuelto hybrid, drivetrain compromises were necessary to avoid EU fines. “With the Temerario, we’ve completed a key chapter in our electrification strategy and become the first luxury automotive brand to offer a completely hybrid range.”
The Temerario features a 3.8 kWh battery to enhance the driving experience and replicate the feel of a naturally aspirated engine. Three motors – two on the front axles – charge using regenerative braking in about six minutes. When plugged in, it takes 30 minutes for a full charge. Granted, this is to enhance the V8’s driving experience and not some new green agenda by the engineering team.
The rear of the Lamborhini Temerario incorporates details from motorsport such as the wide diffuser under the car and the integrated exhaust tailpipes. The rear lights feature a new hexagonal design and allow air to pass through for engine cooling.
Up on stage in Tokyo, Design Director, Mitja Borkert explained the design language. He points to the hexagonal front air ducts, which house the front DRL lights and channel air to cool the braking system during extreme driving conditions. The rear lights also act as diffusers, channelling air to provide rear downforce. My favourite design feature is how the rear diffuser is cut away, revealing three-quarters of the tyres. It’s a design masterstroke by Borkert, reminiscent of the Porsche 917 Le Mans racer.
Lamborghini has made improvements inside the cabin. Headroom increases by 1.3 inches, and legroom grows by 1.8 inches. New digital instrument displays are a welcome update. In the end, this is a Lamborghini, and V8 hybrid or not, the new Temerario is destined to be a thriller with a different storyline, albeit one that shrieks to 10,000 rpm. It’ll be an agonising wait to drive this new super sports car by Lamborghini.
Author: Mark Gallivan
Find out more about the Lamborghini Temerario, HERE.
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