With the dawning of a brand new period of hybridization within the automotive business, increasingly producers are integrating electrical propulsion into their lineups. Delicate-hybrid programs are well-established, and extra useful plug-in hybrid programs preserve getting higher and higher. Even Lamborghini’s taking part within the newest wave of hybridization, which could come as a shock to some.
That’s as a result of this Italian firm’s outlandish supercars have by no means been thought to be thrifty, or ever attempting to be thrifting. They’ve all the time returned old-truck-like gasoline economic system due to their ravenous 10- and 12-cylinder engines. And their innate potential to make these behind the wheel drive them as inefficiently as doable doesn’t assist, both.
However by God, it’s a actuality within the 2025 Lamborghini Revuelto, the Italian model’s prime V12-powered mannequin. Its plug-in hybrid system is principally there to up the thrills, however surprisingly, it might additionally return respectable gasoline economic system with no downsides to its ravenous driving expertise. Right here’s how $612,858 (earlier than pricey choices) price of Lambo slots into our present golden age of hybridized high-performance.
Lamborghini goes out of its technique to name the Revuelto its first-ever plug-in hybrid HPEV (high-performance electrical automobile), and it actually is: a 3.8 kWh battery sends juice to 2 AC motors mounted on the entrance axle, and one other connected to the transverse-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. By default, the mighty Lambo involves life with out firing up its engine, as a substitute sending energy to the entrance motors for backing up (there’s no reverse gear), in addition to providing as much as 5 miles of EV-only vary.
That will sound comically low, however contemplating simply 30 miles of regular driving can totally prime it again up, it’s extra helpful than one may assume. If I used to be allowed extra mileage for my press mortgage, I might’ve liked to run the battery down on the freeway, firing up the engine till it was recharged, and repeating the method till the tank ran low.
Its plug-in hybrid system is principally there to up the thrills.
In spite of everything, it’s rated at 23 MPGe—12 mixed with out hybrid help. The latter barely beats its Aventador predecessor and means this factor carries a $4500 gasoline guzzler tax for not assembly minimal gasoline effectivity requirements. Not many PHEVs can declare that honor.
That stated, I used to be pleasantly shocked by how simple it was to come back near 23 MPGe. Over a usually traffic-free, 15-mile stretch of Los Angeles freeway with radar cruise management set to 75 mph, I used to be capable of simply exceed 21 MPGe. Not solely that, it prioritized EV propulsion for passing slower vehicles whereas the engine sat dormant at a really calm 2,000 rpm in eighth gear. Regardless of some important street noise, this brutish supercar was quite enjoyable on the freeway. However exiting off and transitioning to twistier blacktop excessive up in California’s San Gabriel Mountains, it shortly turned something however.
Because the Revuelto is Lamborghini’s flagship V12 supercar, the specs are insane: its 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 screams to 9,500 rpm and produces 814 horsepower and 535 lb-ft of torque. The three motors contribute as much as a further 296 hp and 364 lb-ft, reaching a peak complete output of 1,001 hp and 1,044 lb-ft of torque. You’d by no means know from behind the wheel that this factor weighs 4,290 kilos, as 0-60 mph occurs in simply 2.5 seconds, and 150 arrives in lower than 10.
If the principle motive for hybridization is pure pleasure, then I’m right here for it. Launching off the road, you’re feeling the motors punch down low because the V12 revs up, and as soon as the tach needle reaches the midrange, all hell breaks free in fantastic electron-flowing and fuel-burning concord.
The Revuelto doesn’t maintain again in its pursuit of filling the cabin, and a number of other metropolis blocks in both course, with wonderful V12 music. It’s endlessly entertaining no matter mode and RPM, even frivolously cruising round between 3,000 and 4,500 RPM. I’d by no means been so content material having a ringing in my ears as I did filling up its 22.5-gallon gasoline tank twice in a single weekend.
The shove again within the seat whereas ripping off the road is actually one thing particular, too. I’ve had the glory and privilege of driving some thrilling {hardware} throughout my tenure in automotive journalism, however this takes the cake for all-out savagery. Upshifts seamlessly proceed the hassle forth in the direction of felony offenses, and as soon as it’s time to decelerate, some gentle gearbox whine and sharp puck noises make for buttery clean, GT3 race car-like downshifts. It’s all intoxicating.
The Bolognese model didn’t simply make the Revuelto quicker and optionally thriftier. Energetic aerodynamics sitting atop the rear deck to assist it minimize by way of the air 66 p.c extra effectively, in addition to bleed off pace. Carbon fiber and aluminum comprise its chassis and bodywork, making it 10 p.c lighter and 25 p.c extra inflexible than its predecessor. Mixed with a mixture of adaptive dampers and double-wishbone unbiased suspension, its rectangular battery pack mounted in what was once referred to as the transmission tunnel, all-wheel drive, plus its mid-engine structure, this factor is a monster at corners.
Conveniently, switching between damper and motor settings, in addition to drive modes, was fairly simple as they’re all executed on the steering wheel. I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of complication right here, however Lamborghini’s technique works nice.
This factor is a monster at corners
The steering itself possessed respectable weight underneath cornering and ample communication, tack-sharp front-end response, and above all, the proper ratio for high-performance driving. It was so good being far tilted again within the Lambo’s sport seat (this was very needed, as headroom is at a excessive premium for tall people), arms at 9 and three, and getting right into a daze-like rhythm of carving corners at breathtaking pace. Whereas energy supply was cruel, it was fairly simple to tame with clean inputs and considerate downshifts, which weren’t as frequent as different unique fare due to the engine’s sky-high redline.
The top outcome was reaching well-traveled mountain prime landmarks in an incredibly brief period of time. All whereas experiencing an immensely good experience high quality in both its stiffer or softer damper mode, too—a testomony to how a lot engineering went into this beast’s chassis dynamics.
The 2025 Lamborghini Revuelto is not like something I’d ever pushed earlier than. I’ll not have match very nicely inside, the seat again could have been designed for somebody a foot shorter than me, however goddamn was it completely price it.
Not solely was the feeling of a screaming, 6.5-liter V12 behind me one thing superbly distinctive, however behind all of the drama was a chassis tremendously potent in its grip and athleticism. Then, its unparalleled mixture of 12-cylinder ferocity plus hybridization created a harmoniously hilarious good time. It even returned admirable gasoline economic system numbers for a supercar, if I needed… however I largely didn’t, as its consumption proved to be one of many wisest monetary investments ever.
Images by Peter Nelson / The Verge
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