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2023 Lamborghini Aventador chassis testing mule spied for the first time
by Khris Bharath, on LISTEN 02:51Back in July this year, Lamborghini debuted the LP780 Ultimae. Well, the name gives it away, doesn’t it? The Lamborghini Ultimae is apparently the ultimate expression of the Aventador line and blends elements from the Aventador S as well as the Aventador SVJ.
It is the last Lamborghini to feature a naturally aspirated V-12 engine. However, while that car marks the end of the line for the glorious V-12, sort of, the folks at Santa Agata Bolognese say that the V-12 is destined to live on for some more time.
According to a report by the Volkswagen Group, the hybrid transition of Lamborghini will begin with a model in 2023, and the entire range of cars offered by the revered Italian brand will be electrified by the end of 2024. Close to $1.8 billion will be allocated to carry out this transition set to take place over a four-year period, which is the largest investment in the history of the Italian automaker.
Winkelmann commented: “Lamborghini’s electrification plan is a newly-plotted course, necessary in the context of a radically-changing world, where we want to make our contribution by continuing to reduce environmental impact through concrete projects taking us towards a more sustainable future while always remaining faithful to our DNA.”
Winkelmann, had earlier confirmed that a new plug-in hybrid paired with a V-12 powertrain would come to fruition and it looks like that is certainly the case. Our spy photographers managed to capture some exclusive shots of what looks like a heavily camouflaged Lamborghini doing the rounds at a secret test facility somewhere in Italy.
Just by looking at these images, you can almost immediately say that this is an Aventador. However, since these pictures were taken from quite some distance away, it’s difficult to say if this is indeed the hybrid-based version of the Aventador that is due for 2023. But here’s what we spotted on this test mule.
You can see some new parts lurking inside the air intakes. What’s also visible is the giant wing and a pair of round exhaust tips. The Ultimae with just the V-12 produces 780 horsepower. With a plug-in hybrid, you can expect that figure to climb, it’s not uncommon to see over 1000 horsepower on hypercars and this raging bull certainly deserves those kinds of numbers.
In a final attempt to help combustion engines live a little longer and considering the tiny number of units that they manufacture every year, Italy even tried to seek an exemption from the 2035 EU combustion engine ban, for brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Nonetheless, Lamborghini is committed to electrification and you can expect a full electric Lamborghini by the second half of this decade.
Source: Picture credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
