If there’s one single element that defines Lamborghini’s DNA, it’s a high-revving, naturally aspirated V12 engine. This power-train layout has characterised every Raging Bull flagship since the 350 GTV prototype made its debut back in 1963.
The once-in-a-decade occasion when Lamborghini rolls out an all-new V12 model is a seminal moment for the brand, which explains my bubbling sense of anticipation when presented with the opportunity to flog the latest iteration of the lineage: the Revuelto, which goes on sale in 2024.
Lamborghini hasn’t played it safe in creating this supercar. This is the company’s first plug-in hybrid and it debuts a new carbon-fibre chassis, eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a new user interface. A state-of-the-art production line was also created specifically for it.
The Revuelto’s raw numbers are mind-numbing. Propulsion comes via a V12, which is in itself a cause for celebration, but even more so because it pushes out Herculean outputs of 825hp and 725Nm. The engine is supplemented by a trio of electric motors to eke out combined outputs of 1,015hp and maximum torque approaching 1,500Nm.
Top speed is quoted at 350kph-plus, while the 0-100kph split is demolished in 2.5 seconds. On paper, that may not seem like much of an improvement over the Revuelto’s Aventador predecessor, but this is one of those instances where numbers really don’t convey the whole picture.
Now for the sobering part: the ex-factory price tag is pegged at €422,340 (Dh1.6m) plus duties and taxes, so expect UAE pricing to start at well over Dh2m (and that’s before on-road costs and customisation).
Enough of the nitty-gritty. Let’s cut to the chase, which in today's case will take place around the dipping, diving 6.22km Nardo Handling Track in the southeastern tip of Italy. This circuit has been dubbed the “mini-Nurburgring” with good reason, as its combination of fast corners and blind crests means you need commitment – and track knowledge – to go quick around here.
Sliding under the vertically opening scissor doors of the Revuelto, the contrast with its Aventador forerunner is immediately evident. Cabin space is almost cavernous by comparison, and even the act of sliding in and out requires less strenuous gymnastics.
The engine also fires up with far less drama, which may come as a disappointment for poseurs who enjoyed the attention-grabbing bark of the Aventador’s pyrotechnic start-up. As before, there are Strada, Sport and Corsa drive modes, but new for the Revuelto is a “Citta” EV-only mode that enables the car to enter zero-emission zones.
Given that we are on a racetrack today, the obvious choice is to slot the drive mode selector into Corsa before trickling out on to the circuit behind the pace car, steered by Lamborghini Squadra Corse chief instructor Filippo Zadotti.
Gassing up the V12 once we’re on to the front straight, my eardrums aren’t battered to anywhere near the same degree as in the brutish Aventador. There’s still plenty of decibels – and they’re all good – but the Revuelto’s soundtrack is noticeably more restrained and civilised than the Aventador’s.
The hybrid power train is so smooth and seamless that, from behind the wheel, it’s impossible to discern that three electric motors (two at the front axle and one at the rear) are also contributing to the prodigious forward thrust. What’s more, the V12 spins up to 9,500rpm with such ridiculous ease that you need to keep an eye on the tacho to avoid bouncing off the rev limiter.
Adding to the Revuelto’s suave demeanour is the silky-smooth eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is in a different universe to the spine-jarring ISR sequential gearbox that served the Aventador for its entire life cycle. Super-fast and intuitive, the dual-clutch ’box responds virtually instantly to tugs on the elongated carbon-fibre flappy paddles.
Did I mention the Revuelto is mind-bogglingly fast? The Lambo effortlessly clocks up 300kph-plus down Nardo’s front straight, and every other non-bendy section of the track is also pulverised by the power-train.
Stopping power is just as superlative. Where the Aventador squirrels around under heavy braking, the Revuelto stays beautifully composed when you stomp on the brake pedal. Some hybrid cars skimp on the braking package as decelerative energy is funnelled into recharging the battery pack, but that’s not the case in the Revuelto as it’s fitted with huge carbon-ceramic discs.
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Raw pace is one thing, but the reality is that most owners will spend the majority of their time pootling around in traffic or in motorway cruise mode. There’s good news here, too, as the enlarged cabin means even occupants who are 1.9 metres-plus tall will be able to sit in comfort and not have their heads rubbing against the roof lining.
The new carbon-fibre “monofuselage” chassis provides 84mm more legroom, as well as leaving space behind the seats for some soft luggage or a small golf bag. In addition, there’s a storage compartment under the front bonnet that can accommodate two aircraft cabin bags, as well as cubbyholes in the cabin in which to place your phone, keys, sunnies, spare change, et al.
So, the verdict: has Lamborghini nailed its crucial new halo car? There’s not a whole lot to fault in the Revuelto. Apart from being electrifyingly rapid, it titillates all the senses in a way that few others in its genre can – the magic of an operatic V12 is not something that’s replicated elsewhere.
The comfortable and spacious Revuelto is vastly more daily driveable and dynamically accessible than the Aventador, but there might be those who lament it has lost the raw, unruly charm of its predecessor. Personally, I think Lamborghini has got the balance right with its new spearhead, and it would be no surprise if it tops the Aventador’s total sales tally (11,465 units) over the course of its life cycle.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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More on animal trafficking
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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