The Heart of a Bull – Taking the V12 Engine into the Future

Lamborghini has announced its dedication to focus on improved power-to-weight ratios as a means of achieving extreme driving pleasure. While carbon fiber and other lightweight components assist on the weight-reduction side, on the opposing side is the creation of power; Lamborghini’s newest piece of power takes that to the next level.

The brand new 6.5-liter V12 engine, featuring an output of 700 horsepower and a maximum torque of 509 lb-ft., conjures a breathtaking driving experience featuring high-revving exhilaration and magnificent performance, with low weight and moderate emissions.

“This new power unit is not only the crowning glory of our product lineup, it is also part of our enormous investment in the future of the Lamborghini brand,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “With this new V12, we are heralding a technological leap that encompasses all areas of the company and our future model range.”

Lamborghini’s R&D Department shifts their emphasis to meet this innovation, turning to a mediating relationship of power and size. The outcome is a V12 with a classic cylinder bank angle of 60 degrees, and thus an amazingly compact power package – the unit measures only 665 millimeters from top to bottom. Its width is only 848 millimeters, while its length is a mere 784 millimeters. Optimized for high-revving and low weight, this new gearbox system along with the 700 hp engine will be at the heart of the Murciélago successor next year, says Winkelmann.

The perfect complement to the new twelve-cylinder is a revolutionary transmission concept for super sports cars: the “Lamborghini ISR” automated manual gearbox. Lamborghini ISR combines minimal shift times and everyday convenience with low weight and dimensions to guarantee the emotional gearshift that customers expect from a vehicle at the peak of the exotic car food chain.

Lamborghini has featured twelve-cylinder engines from the very beginning, with the first model created by Ferruccio Lamborghini, the 1964 350 GT. Be it the Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo or Murciélago, Lamborghini vehicles have - and will continue to – lead the super sports car pack by driving with V12 engines.

Now, “With extraordinary innovations, Lamborghini will redefine the future of the super sports car,” says Winkelmann.