Lamborghini Huracan successor to be shown in August

The 2024 Lamborghini Huracan replacement will make its world debut in the second half of this year with hybrid power, the Italian performance car maker has confirmed in a first-quarter sales report overnight.

And according to its sales and marketing boss Federico Foschini, the next ‘baby bull’ will be revealed in August with a new plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain that will be vastly superior to a non-electrified combustion engine like the naturally-aspirated V10 that has powered the Huracan since 2014 and its Gallardo predecessor since 2003.

“The package itself is much better than a normal ICE [internal combustion-engined] car,” Foschini told Autocar.

“There are characteristics that you cannot achieve if you don’t have an electric motor; it gives you the opportunity to leverage even more on the potential of the engine,” he said.

The prospect of an electrified twin-turbo V8 for the Huracan successor has been on the cards for ages now and those new characteristics are expected to include active torque vectoring and improved low-rpm torque delivery.

And it now appears the boosted bent-eight will be a largely Lambo-only effort that shares little or nothing in common with similar engines from Volkswagen Group sister brands like Porsche, or the Audi-sourced unit that powers the new Lamborghini Urus SE (PHEV).

Previous reports have suggested the yet-to-be-named supercar will leverage World Endurance Championship technology and incorporate turbos that don’t come on-boost until 7000rpm, leaving the electric motor(s) to provide the bulk of torque in the lower and middle rev ranges.

A redline of 10,000rpm has also been floated previously, which would comfortably ensure Lamborghini’s new entry-level sports car lives up the drama and aural theatre of its free-breathing V10 predecessors.

While all-wheel drive is a given – as is a poster-worthy exterior design – the car’s carbon-fibre monocoque is expected to be derived from that of the electrified 6.5-litre V12-powered Revuelto flagship, given the two models will be produced side-by-side in the same factory – a first for Lamborghini’s supercar portfolio.

With Ferrari now having cycled through three generations of entry-level mid-ship supercars during the Huracan’s lengthy lifecycle, there’s little doubt the new ‘junior’ Lambo will need to bring a huge step up in power and performance over its predecessor to compete with the Ferrari 296 and its electrified 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.

That means it will have to produce peak power output of more than 610kW, a sub-2.9sec 0-100km/h time and a top speed north of 330km/h.

With the Revuelto sold out until at least 2026 and the Huracan all spoken for before production ceases later this year, drawing the curtain on the best-selling Lambo of all time, the stage is now set for a new model with big shoes to fill.

But until then we’ll continue to wait for the promised preview of what could be called the Temerario – a nameplate recently trademarked by Lamborghini with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

While the Huracan replacement will complete Lamborghini’s electrification this year, the Lanzador crossover will become the car-maker’s first EV – and its fourth model – in 2028, followed by an all-electric, second-generation Urus in 2029.

Digital images: Kolesa.ru

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