Let's hope it's not unlucky.
Lamborghini says its Aventador successor, codenamed the LB744, will offer a total of 13 different driving experiences. There are three new driving modes, joining the existing range of zany personalities we know and love. As expected, all three relate to the new plug-in format and are called Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance. Before we can get to how they work, we first need to look at the vehicle.
These driving experiences are made possible thanks to a cutting-edge approach to building the new halo Lambo, which includes upgrades in nearly every department, including the chassis, powertrain layout, aerodynamic design, and, naturally, electrification. For those who have been living under a rock the size of Mount Rushmore, the LB744 will be a naturally aspirated V12 plug-in hybrid.
While on the subject, let's take a closer look at the layout of the powertrain, which allows for what Lamborghini says is the optimal weight distribution. According to the Italian brand, it's 44% at the front and 56% at the rear. The powertrain consists of a mid-mounted 6.5-liter V12, three electric motors, and a lithium-ion battery.
The inclusion of electric motors and a battery pack is nothing new in the supercar world, but the layout makes the difference. LB744 has two electric motors up front, each powering a wheel. The third electric motor is mounted on top of the transmission, located behind the V12 engine. Since there is no mechanical link between the front and rear, the space traditionally reserved for the gearbox now houses the battery.
According to Lamborghini, the car's agility has been enhanced by increasing the stiffness of the anti-roll bars by 11% at the front and 50% at the rear. The steering ratio has been reduced by 10% compared to the Aventador Ultimae. The latter was already a pointy thing, so we can only imagine what this car will be capable of running on specially developed Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires with an even larger footprint than the Ultimae mentioned earlier.
Lambo is using the LB744 to debut a new torque vectoring system called Dinamica Veicolo 2.0. As we predicted, the electric motors have opened up a new world to Lambo's engineers, allowing them to further refine the four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering systems.
Most torque vectoring systems are braked-based, but the LB744 will only use the brakes when “strictly necessary.” Mostly, the e-axle in the front and the single electric motor at the rear will be in charge of deceleration, which not only reduces stress on the brakes, but also sends charge to the batteries.
As we reported earlier, the LB744 uses Lamborghini's new aviation-inspired monofusolage, which is 10% lighter than the Aventador chassis while being 25% stiffer.
Lamborghini has now confirmed that active aerodynamics will play an essential role in LB744. We know how good Lambo is at this kind of thing, thanks to the Huracan Performante and its record-breaking feats in 2017.
Once again, Lambo uses the Ultimae as a benchmark, and LB744 will have 61% more downforce at the front and 66% more at the rear. This is thanks to a new front splitter and a roof design that channels air directly to the rear wing. These new aerodynamic components communicate with and work in conjunction with the active wishbone suspension. Depending on the amount of downforce, the car can adapt the damping and rear wing in real-time. That's the official confirmation that the rear wing will move around, Porsche GT3 RS-style.
The aerodynamics also aid the cooling of the front brakes and collecting flow from underneath the car to direct it toward the rear brake cooling duct.
This brings us neatly back to Recharge, Hybrid, and Performance. These driving modes do not function by themselves but work in combination with the existing City, Strada, Sport, and Corsa modes. Driving modes are selected via two separate rotors on the steering wheel.
The two settings are combined depending on the driving situation. If you are driving in a city center and want to do so on battery power alone, you select Hybrid and combine it with Citta (City). If the battery is depleted while running in Sport mode, you select Recharge to get the battery loaded up. Basically, the V12 acts as a generator. For the record, in EV mode, the LB744 is front-wheel-drive only.
In Performance, the powertrain produces the full 1,001 horsepower, and all the torque vectoring systems are ready to engage. The gearbox is primed for the shortest possible shift times, and the aerodynamics are at their most aggressive.
There's not much left to reveal, so expect the all-new halo Lambo any day now.
Keyword: Lamborghini LB744 Aventador Replacement Will Have 13 Driving Modes