Plan hatched: Rather than the traditional Spanish fighting bull, Lamborghini’s latest nameplate seems to be inspired by Iberian cuisine based on scrambled eggs.What is green?
AUTOMOBILI Lamborghini has filed a significant but unconventional trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Italian Trademark Office (UIBM) for the Revuelto nameplate.
Revuelto, which means “to be scrambled up, or made messy or disorganised” breaks away from the Sant’ Agata Bolognese brand’s tradition of using names associated with Spanish fighting bulls for its models, a tradition it has broken only twice before – once with the Sesto Elemento (Sixth Element) and a second time with Countach (essentially the Italian word for cat-calling).
The trademark application covers categories including electric cars, electric motors for electric cars, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles suggesting all-electric or hybridised electric power is possible for the new model.
Lamborghini is tight-lipped on the development of its electric models. CEO Stephan Winkelmann said recently that the company’s first EV would likely be a 2+2 seat model with increased ground clearance, indicating that the Revuelto may in fact be a rival to Ferrari’s newly announced Purosange SUV.
Mr Winkelmann’s comments suggest the 2014 Lamborghini Asterion concept, a four-door plug-in hybrid grand tourer, is not as dead in the water as once thought.
Speaking to Top Gear recently, Mr Winkelmann said Lamborghini’s EV future “will be a more versatile car” and “will be the first fully electric car coming before the Urus is fully electrified”.
“The positioning of the battery gives you unexpected body styles. We have opportunities to be different in terms of body styles, but the cars will always be immediately recognisable as Lamborghinis,” added Mr Winkelmann.
Indeed, the comments from Lamborghini’s CEO echo those of the brand’s head of design, Mitja Borkert, who recently told Drive that more versatile and daily-use cars will come before electrified sports models.
“Our interpretation is that probably the more versatile and daily-use cars, such as the Urus, will be the first fully electrified models compared to the pure super cars,” said Mr Borkert.
“I am not saying right now that the Urus successor is going electric, but for these kinds of cars, electrification makes more sense.”
Lamborghini’s Direzione Cor Tauri plan for the phased introduction of electrification will see the brand invest over €1.5 billion ($A2.3b) in decarbonisation and electrification programs before 2024.
Based on a holistic approach to environmental sustainability, the strategy will focus on continually identifying technologies and solutions that ensure environmental best practices are met while simultaneously guaranteeing the famed performance and driving dynamics of the brand are retained.
At this stage it is unknown how the Revuelto fits into Lamborghini’s strategy.
Speculation suggests the model may share its underpinnings with Maserati’s recently revealed GranTurismo Folgore which offers 2+2 seating and a 900kW electric heart.
With a little more ground clearance – and a sharper body – it is possible the model may well form the basis for Lambo’s first EV.
However, given Maserati’s close relationship with Lambo arch-rival Ferrari, such a collaboration is likely to be a non-starter.
Keyword: Lamborghini files Revuelto EV trademark