The raging bull has leapt onto the plug-in hybrid bandwagon, and unveiled the new Asterion concept car. Although fans of the marque might be worried that this signals the end of Lamborghini’s petrol-guzzling arrogance, early previews suggest that they have created a stonking vehicle – whatever standards you measure it by.
The Asterion makes significant technical strides forward, and means that Lamborghini is very well placed to meet the drive towards greater efficiency and climate-friendliness within the car industry.
The four-wheel-drive car is mid-engined, and uses the 5.2-litre V10 found on the Huracan. Alongside this are three electric motors: two on the front axle, and one on the transaxle, which incorporates a starter motor and generator.
These motors contribute 220kw to the car’s power which, thinking traditionally, is worth about 300BHP. This power can be used to fill in gaps in the engine’s torque curve, whilst the batteries themselves are cleverly stored in the central tunnel (where the propshaft should be) to aid the car’s centre of gravity.
The car is a two seater coupe, 470cm long, and has a stretched wheelbase to create more room inside. The body is an adapted Aventador monocoque, made from lightweight carbon fibre. The overall car may be heavier than the Huracan thanks to the batteries and their associated bits and bobs, but thanks to a massive combined power output of 907BPH the Asterion can still reach 62MPH in just 3 seconds, then achieve a top speed of 185MPH.
Additionally, unlike other plug-in hybrids, the electric motor will actually get you further than the street corner: impressively, the car’s electric power will give you a range of 30 miles. Oh, and it’ll also allow you to avoid paying the London Congestion Charge!
Design-wise, this car has a GT flavour. It’s larger than the Huracan, both inside and out, and has the look of a serious, elegant touring car rather than a fighter jet. There are strokable curves and clean, accessible lines, as well as racier features such as deep air vents in the wings.
Inside, the Asterion is surprisingly roomy for a Lambo, and contains beautifully-made leather, aluminium, carbon and titanium surfaces. The infotainment centre comes in the form of a detachable tablet, which also controls the car’s atmosphere and provides sat nav capabilities.
We’ve always been huge fans of the Lamborghini marque, so we can’t wait to see more of this impressive plug-in hybrid supercar. We’ll bring you more details when we have them, but in the meantime we’d highly recommend checking out our two new beautiful Huracans for a full-throttle Lamborghini experience.
