The striking Lamborghini Lanzador was destined to be the brand’s first-ever electric car, with bosses promising us it would deliver a hypercar-humilating 2,000bhp – but not any more, because the ‘2+2 Ultra-GT’ is getting plug-in hybrid power instead. However, it will still be used to bridge the gap between the company’s supercars and its hugely popular Urus SUV. As we understand it, the all-electric Lanzador was pretty much ready for launch and was slated to arrive in 2028 until, essentially, Lamborghini realised very few of its customers – or those within the luxury sports car segment generally – want an EV right now. In an interview with Auto Express, Stefano Cossalter, product director for the Lanzador and Urus, explained: “We decided not to go with an electric car because the acceptance among our customers was little to none. So we decided to postpone the introduction of a BEV.” He added: “It's about the acceptance of [a Lamborghini EV] and the maturity of technology, because if we have to come out with an electric car, it has to be a masterpiece in terms of performance.” Cossalter and Lamborghini are keeping their cards close to the chest about the Lanzador for the moment. It’s even unclear when the high-riding two-door coupe will be hitting the streets, although that’s hardly unsurprising given the U-turn the brand has made, and the fact that engineers suddenly have to figure out how to fit an engine under the car’s shark-like nose. As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised if it didn't arrive until after 2030. However, the product boss did promise: “This car is going to be unexpected. This is what I can say to you.” He also explained how the Lanzador will slot into the Lamborghini line-up: “It’s going to fit in our product portfolio perfectly between the ‘Super Sport’ cars and the Urus. If you look at the silhouette, you’ll have the Temerario, you’ll have a Revuelto, then you're having the Lanzador, and then the SUV, which is the Urus.” With the Lanzador and the next-generation Urus that’s due in 2029 both featuring plug-in hybrid power, we expect there will be some differences in the driving experience. Considering this new addition to the family is referred to as an ‘Ultra-GT’, it’ll probably focus slightly more on long-distance cruising ability. If Lamborghini wanted to do more to separate the two, perhaps to contrast the sleek and dramatic design of the Lanzador that was previewed by the 2023 concept, the next Urus will go for a blockier design as a nod to its ancestor, the outrageous Lamborghini LM002. When it was planned to be a fully electric car, the Lanzador was set to use the Volkswagen Group’s latest, most cutting-edge SSP architecture designed specifically for EVs. Now it’s going to be a plug-in hybrid, we assume the car will use the same underpinnings as the next-generation Urus and, fingers crossed, its V8 engines, too. If you don’t want to wait for the Lanzador, there are several used Lamborghinis available through the Auto Express Buy A Car service, including a V12-powered Aventador…
