Lamborghini Claims Its 10,000-RPM V8 Will Be Around for a While

      Lamborghini

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      The Lamborghini Temerario is electrified, but it’s not fully electric. There’s a key distinction. Instead of completely abandoning internal combustion for battery power, the Sant’Agata manufacturer has designed a new V8 that works alongside electric motors to produce 907 horsepower. While some may argue it doesn't sound as impressive as the previous Huracan's V10—which I would contest—it still revs up to 10,000 rpm. Paolo Racchetti, the product line director for Temerario, claims it's here to stay for a considerable time.

      The Drive had a conversation with Racchetti at a media event earlier this week. During our discussion, we posed a straightforward question: What are your thoughts on the future of this V8?

      “We’ve considered it carefully, and it’s an engine that is intended to last at least two life cycles,” Racchetti replied. “We've thoroughly planned its future improvements. We have a clear understanding of what we can do and how we can enhance it moving forward.”

      Given that the Huracan’s life span was a decade, it’s safe to assume that this high-revving, twin-turbo 4.0-liter engine will continue well into the next ten years.

      Lamborghini

      It didn’t take much to get Racchetti to elaborate on the engine. The entire Lamborghini team takes pride in it, particularly because they managed to maintain the impressive rev limit while integrating forced induction. In fact, the Temerario’s flat-plane crank V8 can rev higher than the Huracan’s naturally aspirated V10 could ever achieve, without losing its distinctive character.

      As Racchetti explained, achieving 10,000 rpm was always the objective:

      "It connects us to racing. Motorsport engines exceed 10,000 [rpm], so we set 10,000 as our baseline. We even have a bit of allowance beyond that. But that was our goal—driven by the aspiration to replace something as iconic as the V10 with something that could be even more legendary.

      “It’s one-of-a-kind. It’s not something anyone else offers. The combination of a turbo engine with 10,000 RPM was a challenge that influenced our technical decisions, deeply rooted in racing experience. We created a flat [plane] crankshaft while minimizing inertia, and utilized titanium connecting rods and lightweight machined pistons—all solutions derived from motorsport principles.”

      Such enthusiasm is invigorating for car enthusiasts, especially after years of predictions that gasoline engines would be phased out by 2035 or even sooner. In the U.S., at least for now, the trend seems to be reversing, with many automakers arguing to governments that the timeline for eliminating internal combustion engines is unrealistic. Not too long ago, Italy even urged the EU to exempt Lamborghini and Ferrari from any upcoming gas engine ban due to their heritage.

      Lamborghini

      Ultimately, Racchetti made it clear that Lamborghini intends to reserve this specific V8 for the Temerario. The Urus SUV employs a different 4.0-liter V8, and it appears this particular one cannot be adapted without considerable modifications. (Yes, we inquired about it.)

      “I believe it’s essential to keep this signature engine as exclusive to the Temerario as possible, as it gives the car its distinctive character and driving experience,” Racchetti asserted. “It’s crucial for me that it remains a defining element of this platform.”

      I wonder if Lamborghini might reconsider if a sufficient number of Los Angeles residents were to express interest in a limited edition of 10,000-rpm Uruses.

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