Lamborghini Aventador’s Successor Is A 1,001-HP Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

In 2021, Lamborghini unveiled the Aventador Ultimae, which served as the curtain call for the Italian supercar brand’s unassisted V12–ending an 11-year run for the Lamborghini flagship that has graced the bedroom walls of many. That model already signified that Lamborghini is entering the electrified era, and the time is now for Lamborghini to reveal the powertrain details of the Aventador’s successor, which is codenamed “LB744”

Why the LB744 codename? Well, Lamborghini hasn’t revealed just yet. Traditionally, their codenames serve as hints of the drivetrain’s layout and the horsepower it produces. For instance, in the Avendator, LP700-4 meant that it had a “Longitudinale Posteriore”, which means longitudinally mounted along the spine of the car. The 700 meant it produces 700 PS (metric horsepower) or 690 horsepower, while the 4 is for its all-wheel drive system.

The Lamborghini LB744 uses a brand-new 6.5-liter V-12 naturally-aspirated engine that’s codenamed L545. It’s the lightest V12 ever to be fitted in a Lamborghini, weighing in at just 218 kg. This is 17 kg less than the L539 V12 of the outgoing Aventador. It’s also the most powerful V12 ever developed by Lamborghini. On its own, it already produces 814 hp at 9,250 rpm and 725 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, while its redline is at a very high 9,500 rpm.

The engine in the LB744’s case has been rotated 180 degrees, working together with three oil-cooled axial flux electric motors. Two of these electric motors are at the front axle and one is positioned at the back. Each of those electric motors produces 148 horsepower, while in terms of torque, the ones at the front produce 350 Nm, while the single rear electric motor produces 150 Nm. This in turn makes the Lamborghini LB744 an AWD supercar, but with extraordinarily capable torque vectoring capabilities.

The Lamborghini LB744 is also a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the first from Lamborghini. Lamborghini hasn’t yet revealed how far it can travel without that V12 kicking into life, but that power comes from a 3.8 kW lithium-ion battery pack, which is located along the car’s transmission tunnel between the two occupants. The battery can be charged via a 7 kW external source for 30 minutes or with the V12 engine in just six minutes. Thanks to the electric assistance, the LB744 emits 30 percent less CO2 compared to the Aventador Ultimae.

Also completely new from the ground up is its eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which was developed in-house by Lamborghini. The DCT is very compact, measuring just 22 inches long, 29.5 inches wide, and 22.8 inches tall. This transmission is also lighter and faster than the Huracan’s DCT.

Thanks to the electrified drivetrain’s layout and compact DCT, there’s actually more room inside the LB744 compared to the Aventador despite the added complexity. What’s more, the DCT has a “continuous downshifting” mode that drops down multiple gears by holding the left paddle, and it also does not have a reverse gear as this is done via the trio of electric motors.

With Lamborghini now revealing the powertrain of the LB744, they also confirmed that the supercar will be unveiled “shortly”. Hopefully, we really don’t have to wait any longer for us to see the next chapter of Lamborghini’s rich V12 supercar story.