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Lamborghini is working hard on its next supercar, and it has given us a teaser as to what we’re in for when the all-new plug-in hybrid model releases.
Codenamed LB744, the supercar will get a brand new ‘monofuselage’ chassis, which Lamborghini says is a “significant” step forward for driving dynamics, upping torsional stiffness by 25% while also reducing weight by 10%.
The front end will be built entirely from carbon fibre, a 20% weight reduction in itself with twice the energy absorption levels of the Aventador. The rear end will be made from high-strength aluminium with hollow rear domes, another weight-saving technique.
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This is the new ‘monofuselage’ chassis which will debut with the LB744.
According to the manufacturer, the ‘forged composites’ chassis will have the bonus of reducing energy consumption and the volume of waste materials, helping increase overall manufacturing sustainability.
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Powering the LB744 will be a brand-new plug-in hybrid powertrain hinging around a new 6.5-litre V12 combustion engine.
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If you thought Lamborghini would downsize in the age of turbocharging and electrification, you’d be wrong.
Lamborghini says the engine weighs 218kg, 17kg less than the Aventador’s identically sized V12, with special attention paid to how it sounds. It produces 606kW/725Nm by itself, with peak power arriving at a screaming 9250rpm.
It is supplemented by three 18.5kg motors, two on the front axle and one above the also-new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox at the rear, meaning all-wheel drive is standard here. The front motors each offer an instant torque dumping of 350Nm, which will likely result in a 0-100kph time of comfortably under three seconds, though Lambo is yet to confirm performance figures.
All in, the powertrain produces 756kW of power. The combined torque figure is still unknown. CO2 emissions are down by 30% compared to the Aventador Ultimae, which means overall consumption should sit around the 12.5L/100km, at least by WLTP’s reckoning.
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The layout of the LB744.
The motors are fed by a 3.8kWh battery, enough to run the LB744 on electric power alone for short distances. It can be charged by an external 7kW power source, or through a combination of regenerative braking and the petrol engine, which Lamborghini claims takes as little as six minutes.
Fun fact about that gearbox – it is mounted transversely behind the engine, the second road-going Lamborghini ever to use such a configuration after the iconic Miura way back in 1966. It also doesn’t have a reverse gear, instead using the electric motors for backwards driving, something the Miura did not have.
We should see more of the LB744 in the coming weeks. Lamborghini says the final car will make its debut “shortly, in the year that Lamborghini celebrates its 60th anniversary.”
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