Investing a lot of money into a niche product implies taking a lot of financial risks, which is why Lamborghini worked with Audi to spread the costs. The Gallardo and Huracan were twinned with the first- and second-generation R8 models but Ingolstadt has made it clear there won’t be a third one. However, Sant’Agata Bolognese has confirmed a new baby Lambo will debut in 2024. Speaking with Drive, a top executive explains how it’ll be possible.
Francesco Scardaoni, Asia-Pacific region director, revealed the Huracan replacement will be an all-Lamborghini effort after many profitable years. Of course, one of the main reasons why the company is so successful has to do with the immense popularity of its Urus, so purists can call the SUV a necessary evil. 2022 was the brand’s best year ever, achieving a turnover of €2.38 billion and an operating margin of 25.9 percent. It had an operating income of €614 million while deliveries rose to a record-breaking 9,233 units of which 5,367 were the Urus.
With no mechanically related Audi R8 planned, Scardaoni says Lamborghini has the freedom to develop the Huracan replacement as a bespoke product, without making any compromises. It’ll ride on a new platform exclusively developed for the supercar, but the executive didn’t rule out sharing it with other members of the Volkswagen Group. Initially, only Lamborghini will have access to the hardware.
The Huracan has been discontinued in the sense that you can’t order one anymore. Yes, production is sold out until next year when the supercar will be retired. Naturally, Lamborghini has been tight-lipped about its successor, but we do know that it will be bitten by the downsizing bug. It’ll lose the naturally aspirated V10 in favor of a smaller plug-in hybrid setup, likely based around a twin-turbo V8.
One of the few confirmed details is that Lamborghini will use the same eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission found in the Revuelto. There’s a report stating the turbochargers won’t kick in until 7,000 rpm while the electric motor is going to be sandwiched between the V8 and DCT. Going down the hybrid route is necessary as even Lamborghini has to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
The Revuelto is also a PHEV, and next year we’ll see an electrified Urus as well, following numerous spy shots of prototypes undergoing testing. Coming around 2028, a 2+2 grand tourer will become the brand’s first purely electric model.
