Tested: 2026 Lamborghini TemerarioJames Lipman - Car and DriverWhen I toured Lamborghini's plant during the Revuelto launch, I spied a Temerario off in a corner. Not much was said about it, but the implication was that it was destined to be the little brother to the Revuelto. Now we've tested it, and nothing can be further from the truth. Sure, it costs about $200,000 less and is decidedly smaller, at nearly 10 inches shorter, but both of those factors work in the Temerario's favor.Beyond pure market positioning, the price difference ultimately comes from a couple of big choices. The Temerario's all-new aluminum spaceframe is one of them. Designed in conjunction with Audi, it is built at the German automaker's plant in Neckarsulm. The Revuelto, on the other hand, consists of a carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic center section built on-site at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata Bolognese plant, and the bespoke equipment needed to pull that off is not cheap.James Lipman - Car and DriverThen there's the Temerario's engine, an all-new 4.0-liter V-8 that churns out 789 horsepower on its own and has an ungodly redline of 10,000 rpm. It's also twin-turbocharged, unlike the naturally aspirated V-12 in the Revuelto.AdvertisementAdvertisementA 147-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the rapid-fire eight-speed dual-clutch transmission helps smooth the gaps at shift points and aids in keeping the battery topped up. The Temerario is all-wheel drive, but there's a 3.4-kWh battery between the seats instead of a driveshaft. A pair of axial-flow AC electric motors that likewise make 147 horsepower apiece power the front wheels. They can also provide pure electric driving, generate immense cross-axle torque vectoring, or plow energy back into the battery under braking. The car's total output is a healthy 907 horsepower. That seems low when you consider that the three electric motors each make 147 horses, but the thing is, the battery's maximum output is just 187 horsepower.Still, that's enough to launch the Temerario into next year. It screams to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds, a tenth quicker than the Revuelto, and outpaces its older sibling by two-tenths to 100 mph, 4.4 to 4.6. It's also 0.3 second quicker in the quarter-mile, where it finished in 9.4 seconds at 150 mph versus the Revuelto's 9.7 seconds at 148 mph. Both cars are plug-in hybrids, but they recharge so fast in Corsa mode with the Recharge setting engaged that they were always full for every run we made.The Temerario was a bit slower (0.4 second) than the Revuelto around Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course at Lightning Lap, possibly because of slightly lower cornering grip. It orbited the skidpad at 1.08 g's on 255/35ZR-20 and 325/30ZR-21 tires, while the Revuelto pipped it with 1.10 g's on larger 265/35ZR-20 and 345/30ZR-21 rubber. You could argue that the Temerario needs less rubber because it weighs less, but the difference is laughably small—just 91 pounds on our scales. Its steering is fantastic, with clairvoyant effort buildup despite the lack of hydraulic power assist. Response is absolutely vicious in corners, with nary a whiff of understeer thanks to that heroic front-axle torque vectoring.James Lipman - Car and DriverWhen you first fire up the Temerario, the front axle remains electrically powered only for up to four miles if you're in Cittá (City) mode or until the engine warms up if you're not. When you're cruising around, try not to get confused by the overly complex steering wheel, which hides 10 buttons on the back of the spokes in addition to the numerous ones you can see on its face. Among the latter are those for the turn signals, which are much harder to master than a Tesla's. We'll note that there's no memory on the front-axle lift system, so yours better be sharp.James Lipman - Car and DriverChoose Strada (Street) if you want to putt around casually, but don't expect much of an engine note if the transmission is in Drive, where you'll get loads of short-shifts, mechanical noise, and whirring fans. Sport is for the slightly more adventurous, but the engine sound doesn't get truly serious until you put it in manual mode and rev the snot out of it.AdvertisementAdvertisementOnly then will the true nirvana of the Temerario be yours, and any thoughts that this is the little-bro Lambo will fade away.James Lipman - Car and Driver➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
