Let's be honest here, the Revuelto is a transitional car for Lamborghini. It's an in-between step for a brand that, like the vast majority of the automotive industry, is being forced to accept electrification, whether it's excited about it or not.
But if you're already a confirmed EV convert, despite what you may think about Lamborghini—and more importantly, perhaps, the kind of people who drive Lamborghinis—the Revuelto is a car that signals the astonishing things a hypercar-manufacturer can do if it leans in to what electricity can offer diehard petrol heads.
This replacement to the aggressive Aventador is a plug-in hybrid with not one but three electric motors. As orders are being taken in the US for delivery early next year, it is an intimidating statement of intent from Lamborghini on how it views future electrification—even if we'll have to wait until 2028 for Lambo's full EV vision in the form of the 1,341-hp Lanzador (though, if you're impatient, you can design and race one in Roblox right now).
In an attempt to distinguish this car from what it considers to be run-of-the-mill hybrids, Lamborghini calls the Revuelto an HPEV, short for “high-performance electrified vehicle,” which sounds boastful until you get behind the wheel of this electrically enhanced V12. That electrification results in a 30 percent performance boost, while emissions are reduced by the same amount.
The key to the Revuelto's success is that, aside from reducing ICE emissions and trying to make the appearance of a V12 hypercar somehow more socially acceptable, the purpose was always to use the hybrid system to support the combustion engine, boosting power when needed and improving handling.
That support to the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 comes from those three electric motors. Two are mounted on the front axle, each producing 110 kW; the third is integrated into the all-new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and also acts as the starter motor and a generator. The engine itself has been turned 180 degrees to squeeze in the gearbox and e-motor. At 218 kilograms, it is 17 kilograms lighter than the outgoing Aventador.
The central tunnel houses a 3.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is so small that the car can be fully charged in just 30 minutes on a 7-kW power supply, or via regen from all three motors and the engine in just six minutes. This also means it manages a pitiful eight miles on battery power alone. In truth, the Revuelto is not intended for EV-only operation. It's all about how the e-motors and the ICE working in harmony.
Together, the slimmed-down V12 and electric drive units afford the Revuelto a blistering total power output of 1,001 bhp. Top speed is 217 mph; 0-to-62 takes just 2.5 seconds. Put your foot down, and breathtaking performance is unleashed. If you want to hear how that makes you feel behind the wheel, watch the video below from a brand-hosted track day earlier this year, as I somewhat embarrassingly lose the ability to speak properly.
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Lamborghini says the Revuelto's hybridization presents numerous possibilities to “encourage” the driver. This could be why there are a bewildering 13 separate drive modes, including new Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance offerings. The EV-only Città mode sees maximum power limited to 180 bhp.
I didn't try Sport—which really seems to be more of a “drift” mode—but instead was thrown straight into Corsa, which unleashes the full 1,001 bhp, with the e-axle primed for maximum torque vectoring and all-wheel drive. It's in such circumstances that the magnetic dampers, new suspension system, and next-generation carbon ceramic brakes come into play.
A retuned version of Lamborghini’s Dinamica Veicolo Integrata system (effectively the brain of the car) brings into the mix a veritable army of accelerators and gyroscope sensors delivering real-time data on lateral, longitudinal, and vertical loads, as well as body roll, pitch, and yaw. Add in rear-wheel steering, a body design and active rear wing that delivers a whopping 70 percent more downforce and 61 percent better drag efficiency than the Aventador, and a chassis that is 10 percent lighter but 25 percent stiffer than the Aventador's, and you have something astonishing. Crucially, you also have something surprisingly approachable.
Press the accelerator when coming out of corners and the three electric motors instantly engage and hurl you down the straights before the V12 takes over. The effect is grin-inducing, but what will be most pleasing for ICE fans is the fact that the e-motors are not trying to replace or steal the limelight from the engine—they have been honed to be the perfect supporting act.
Much has been written about how the Aventador was “tricky” on the limit or something of a beast that needed to be tamed, but this is not the case with the Revuelto. For example, immediate e-power kicks in on the front to pull you out of a turn, banishing any potential understeer.
Such is the fluidity of this interchange between electric and combustion that, after a time, you stop thinking of the car as being a hybrid at all, and settle to simply enjoy the visceral experience of the Revuelto—which, although hugely entertaining, is more refined than any previous Lamborghini. And not just in the powertrain. The suspension is also exceptionally judged, while the new eight-speed, twin-clutch gearbox is a huge step-up.
Under braking, the e-axle and rear e-motor contribute to the stopping power, so the friction brakes can recharge the battery more effectively. However, so good is the handover from regen to actual braking that I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. If anything, this is exemplary of the whole Revuelto—everything just works together so very well.
The interior is also a win, the best yet from the brand. The steering wheel layout is logical and ergonomic. The fit and finish have been thankfully taken up a notch or three. There are more storage spaces and phone holders. The three-screen dash allows you to swipe certain data over from the central display to the slender passenger one. And, the seats are comfortable enough for, whisper it, daily use. Overall, it's very tidy.
The Revuelto has changed my perception of Lamborghini. Behind the wheel, this car is not aggressive or brutish (despite its looks, which are typically macho), nor is it intimidating to drive. It inspires confidence—flatters you, even—and is outrageously entertaining.
While it's clear that this super-hybrid will never be as emissions-friendly as the brand's long-way-off all-electric model, it's also obvious that the majority of Revueltos—which start at $608,358 in the US, where deliveries will take place beginning 2024—could find their natural home on the race track, waiting for wealthy owners to arrive for occasional days of spirited auto indulgence. This means a volume of lifetime miles equating to a tiny percentage of what the average family ICE or hybrid contributes to fossil fuel emissions each year.
But this conceit isn't the point. For petrol heads, here is further proof of what electric innovation can do to improve ICE before the ban hits sales next decade. Maybe the Revuelto will convert a few more engine enthusiasts to full EV before then? It should.
Can a plug-in hybrid Lamborghini be a proper Lamborghini? Yes. Yes, it can. But it's what the Revuelto promises for future Lamborghinis that's far more electrifying.
