Lamborghini Has Not Excluded the Possibility of a Pure RWD Temerario.

      Jordan Lenssen/Lamborghini

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      The Lamborghini Temerario is a hybrid supercar combining a four-liter, twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors—two located on the front axle and one on the rear. A fully rear-wheel-drive version of the Temerario would be significantly different from the current 907-horsepower model, especially since the car wasn't originally engineered to operate that way. However, Lamborghini’s Paolo Racchetti indicated that this could change—it’s simply a question of when and how.

      Racchetti, director of the Temerario line, recently talked with The Drive Editor-in-Chief Kyle Cheromcha about Sant’Agata’s hybrid supercar. When queried about why the Temerario doesn’t feature a true rear-wheel-drive mode but instead has a “Sport Mode” that allocates 10% of power to the front axle, Racchetti explained, “There is always a bit of torque on the front for two reasons. First, if we were to eliminate the torque completely, you would notice the change with any intervention. So, in sport mode, there is always some torque coming from the front e-axle. Second, with the current setup, we can utilize torque vectoring to enhance the playful nature of the car.”

      Racchetti noted that the Temerario has always been designed as an all-wheel-drive vehicle, asserting that all-wheel drive is part of Lamborghini’s identity. “We have always been a four-wheel-drive manufacturer,” he said. “In fact, the front e-axle represents a natural evolution of four-wheel drive. Historically, four-wheel drive has been appreciated because it instills a sense of confidence and ensures effective performance, especially on the track.”

      The evolution of the Huracan, which started with all-wheel drive and added a rear-wheel-drive variant with the STO, serves as a potential pathway for Lamborghini’s future direction with the Temerario.

      “One might argue that all-wheel drive slightly diminishes the purity of the driving experience compared to rear-wheel drive,” Racchetti mentioned. “Consequently, with the Huracan iteration, we had the Performante, the peak of track performance with four-wheel drive, alongside the rear-wheel-drive STO.”

      Among other differences, the hybrid power setup distinguishes the Temerario from the Huracan. Racchetti believes that the front e-axle brings drivers closer to the purity of a rear-wheel-drive experience, while still providing the confidence of four driven wheels. “For us, bringing in the front e-axle was the ideal solution because it offers performance effectiveness as well as the driving purity of the STO. Now we can manage torque in a way that aligns with the driver’s intentions,” he explained. “For instance, the Performante was incredibly fast, but sometimes it felt like the car was taking over. That sensation is absent in the Temerario; it responds exactly as you think without interference because everything is finely tuned. The power distribution is so smooth that it remains predictable, thus enhancing the overall driving enjoyment.”

      In conclusion, it appears that Racchetti and his team have yet to finalize how a potential Temerario STO would function. Whether it would be a genuine rear-wheel-drive model or an upgraded version of the existing electrified system that’s more track-focused remains uncertain. “Currently, there are various perspectives within the company,” he stated.

      “It’s unclear what changes will occur,” Racchetti noted. “Typically, our product lifecycle is somewhat predictable, leading to a sportier variant, which is naturally more track-oriented than the standard model, even though the lightweight package is already available. However, there is definitely potential for further developments. We are considering it.”

      As long as Lamborghini maintains its commitment to V12s and V8s, it seems reasonable for them to explore rear-wheel drive as well. Many concur that they complement each other perfectly.

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