The Temerario Is the First Front-Drive Lamborghini

Lamborghini’s new “baby” supercar, the Temerario, is here. Unsurprisingly, it’s a fascinating machine. Here are our favorite facts Lamborghini revealed upon the car’s launch in Monterey.

In EV mode, it’s front-wheel drive. The Temerario augments its 800-hp twin-turbo V-8 with three electric motors. There’s one for each front wheel, and one sandwiched between engine and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The motor at the back is splined directly to the crankshaft, which means it’s always spinning at engine speed. There’s no clutch between the engine and the motor, so for all-electric driving, the Temerario is front-wheel drive. Lamborghini doesn’t quote an EV driving range for the Temerario, but given it only has a 3.8-kWh battery, we imagine it won’t go very far without the V-8 firing into life. 

The engine runs 36 PSI of boost. Getting 800 horsepower out of 4.0 liters and eight cylinders is no small task, so Lamborghini cranked up the turbo boost pressure super high, 36 PSI to be exact. The turbos each have speed sensors and electronic wastegates, which allow Lamborghini to be super precise with the boost level, running the snails close to their peak without risk of failure. And if you think it’ll be laggy, the three electric motors will more than fill up the gap as the turbos spool up.

The hybrid system is basically identical to the Revuelto. Lamborghini’s two new hybrid supercars share a lot. They both use the same axial-flux electric motors, the same battery pack, and the same transmission, mounted sideways behind the engine. The main difference between the two is that in the Revuelto, the rear motor is mounted on top of the transmission and connects to the rear wheels via its own clutch. The Revuelto also has no reverse gear, as backing up is handled solely by electric power. The Temerario does have a traditional reverse. Oh, and of course, the Revuelto has that incredible 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12.

The valvetrain is safe to 11,000 RPM. This in spite of the fact that the redline for this V-8 is set at 10,000 RPM. Always a good idea to have some headroom. Instead of using hydraulic bucket-and-shim tappets, Lamborghini went with roller fingers. These are essentially metal rocker arms that close the valves. This prevents valve float, which would be an issue in an engine revving this high with a conventional valvetrain. It’s technology usually found in sport bikes and race cars.

It’s tall-person friendly. Aside from the Urus, Lamborghini has never been known for making spacious cars. But the new chassis of the Temerario allows for drivers of up to 6-feet 6-inches to sit in the car with a helmet on. Lebron James, at 6-foot nine, is out of luck, however.