First Drive: Lamborghini’s Revuelto continues this brand’s V12 lineage
Lamborghini’s latest flagship is by far its most powerful yet, but does it still provide the theatre you’d expect? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
The Revuelto shows that these issues haven’t stopped Lamborghini. It’s the firm’s latest V12-powered flagship and acts as a replacement for the popular Aventador. With hybrid power, it’s got some electrification on board, but can that Revuelto act as a fitting next instalment to the V12 story? We’ve been finding out.
What’s new?
Underneath, you’ll find a lightweight carbon fibre framework, while inside, the Revuelto has been designed to offer more space than the previous Aventador Ultimae, with more headroom available to both driver and passenger. There’s not much in the way of luggage space, mind you, just a compact area under the ‘bonnet’ and a section behind the seats. Fortunately, there are cup holders, which are hidden behind a panel ahead of the passenger.
What’s under the bonnet?
In total, the combination brings an incredible 1,000bhp, equating to a 0-60mph time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217mph. In fact, the Revuelto will go from zero to 124mph in seven seconds – quicker than most conventional sports cars take to hit 60mph.
What’s it like to drive?
But unleash all of that petrol and electric power and the Revuelto quickly reminds you that it’s no pussycat. The acceleration is nothing short of astounding and you’d have to get aboard a superbike to get close. The agility that the Revuelto offers is to be applauded, too; this is a big, long and wide car but through bends it feels as accurate as a hot hatchback. It’s remarkably multi-talented, in fact.
How does it look?
The V12 is perfectly celebrated, too, and acts as an open-air centrepiece to the entire car.
What’s it like inside?
There’s a great level of fit-and-finish, too, and as with the outside, you’ve got a large number of material choices to check out when building your Revuelto. There’s even a good amount of adjustability in the driver’s seat and even though it’s a very compact cabin, you don’t feel claustrophobic.
What’s the spec like?
But much of that price is going into the vast level of craftsmanship that goes towards making a Revuelto, not to mention the complex V12 hybrid system. Inside, there are some good pieces of equipment – as you’d expect for this price – and while the in-house media system is one of the best found in a Lamborghini, standard Apple CarPlay was much easier to use. That said, the buttons on the back of the steering wheel which control aspects such as volume and track selection, are simply too complicated to be used easily.
Verdict
The Revuelto is everything you could want from a flagship Lamborghini – and more. The V12 engine at the heart of it all is a masterpiece, but the hybrid system which accompanies does nothing to dilute the experience and, if anything, only helps boost it. It’s far more than straight-line speed, however, as the Revuelto’s dynamics are a sharp as can be. It’s a genuinely rewarding car to drive down a typical British B-road.
It is expensive, of course, but previous Lamborghini flagships have hardly been budget offerings. In all, the Revuelto is as mad and as dramatic as you’d want a Lamborghini to be, but it’s backed by some serious dynamics that make it a joy to drive.
