The 808bhp V12 Hybrid Sian Is Lamborghini's Fastest Car Ever

Lamborghini has revealed its long-awaited first hybrid car, and while it keeps the V12, it has ditched the long-standing tradition of naming cars after famous fighting bulls
The 808bhp V12 Hybrid Sian Is Lamborghini's Fastest Car Ever

Pin your eyelids open; you won’t want to miss a single millisecond of your chance to gawp at the very first hybrid Lamborghini.

The Sian displays a uniquely Lamborghini-ish approach to electrification with an even further uprated 6.5-litre V12 that has titanium intake valves, a tweaked ECU and a new exhaust that help bump raw ICE power to 774bhp at a giddy 8500rpm.

Then there’s a feeble-sounding but surprisingly potent 34bhp electric motor, which boosts peak power to 808bhp but also makes the Aventador SVJ seem like a pedestrian hatchback when it comes to response at lower speeds. The instant torque from its motor punches the Sian from 43mph to 75mph (70-120kph) an eye-opening 1.2 seconds faster than the SVJ.

The 808bhp V12 Hybrid Sian Is Lamborghini's Fastest Car Ever

This is not just the most powerful Lamborghini ever made; it’s also the fastest. From rest it will haul ass towards the horizon at a frightening pace. The benchmark sprint to 62mph comes about in “less than 2.8 seconds” on the way to a top speed of over 217mph (350kph).

The e-motor incorporated into the gearbox applies extra torque all the way up to 81mph. As Lamborghini points out, the whole electrical propulsion system, including an innovative supercapacitor, only weighs 34kg and therefore on its own offers a power-to-weight ratio of 1bhp per kilogram.

Of course, that’s silliness because without a chassis and wheels it can’t actually go anywhere, but who are we to get in the way of Italian press release madness? The point is that this is Lamborghini’s way to achieve the maximum performance boost for the minimum possible weight penalty, and we’re totally on board with that.

The 808bhp V12 Hybrid Sian Is Lamborghini's Fastest Car Ever

The Sian takes its suitably mental design cues from a futuristic reinterpretation of the Countach, despite being inescapably related to the Aventador, whose basic chassis it shares. The supercapacitor in the Sian, though, can store 10 times the power of the prototype in the Aventador. It’s three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power. It’s located in the bulkhead between the cabin and the engine, in the middle of the car.

Using a supercapacitor like this one means power can be regenerated as quickly as it is used, unlike in lithium-ion batteries that need to charge more slowly than they can be discharged. Lamborghini says the Sian’s energy storage is therefore fully replenished every time the driver brakes with any gusto. That energy is then instantly on hand when you get back on the loud pedal.

The 808bhp V12 Hybrid Sian Is Lamborghini's Fastest Car Ever

Only 63 will be made, to mark the company’s birth in 1963. All were pre-sold before you read this and all will be customised to the exact tastes of their buyers. Interestingly, this is the first Lamborghini to adopt a new naming convention: instead of taking the names of famous fighting bulls from history, Sian means ‘flash’ or ‘lightning’ in the local Bolognese dialect around the factory.

We’re also pleased to be able to add that this hybridisation secures the medium-term futures of the V12 and V10 engines we love so much. Expect to see similar applications with less power in the next Huracan – or whatever its replacement may be called.

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Comments

B-To

Yes

09/03/2019 - 23:10 |
24 | 4
Lord Saucius The Divine

Reminds me of the Veneno

09/03/2019 - 23:18 |
0 | 0
5:19.55

Do you think that the veneno would be close to it? We never really saw it run anywhere

09/03/2019 - 23:18 |
4 | 0
That_1_Guy

I guess it’s time to bully some cars on track

09/03/2019 - 23:31 |
6 | 0
ferrarman11

Mechanically, and engineering wise it is an absolute beast of the car. BUT I think it’s gonna take a while for me to get used to how it looks…. not saying it’s ugly

09/04/2019 - 00:02 |
64 | 0

it most definitely is ugly. lamborghini has never made a truly sexy car since the murcielago.

09/04/2019 - 00:25 |
28 | 12

Cars don’t have to be pretty to look good

09/04/2019 - 14:08 |
0 | 0

The roofline has a lot of gallardo in it imo, but the v12 cars are getting worse, if you want a sexy lambo get a huracan.

09/06/2019 - 15:11 |
0 | 0
Ryan L.

Shawn: yawns
Sean: yeans
Sián: yiáns

09/04/2019 - 00:23 |
24 | 0
RWB Dude

Looks like a Gallardo mixed with a C8 Corvette… not impressed tbh

09/04/2019 - 01:09 |
4 | 4
Matthew Boxberger

In reply to by RWB Dude

Kind of ugly ngl

09/04/2019 - 10:35 |
2 | 2
ThatCarDude 1

Ahem, what is this?

09/04/2019 - 02:06 |
12 | 2
ᴶᵘˢᵗᴬᴿᵃⁿᵈᵒá

In reply to by ThatCarDude 1

I think it’s a potato-potato situation here

09/04/2019 - 09:12 |
0 | 0

Cadillac Cién (a concept car from 2001)

09/29/2019 - 18:41 |
0 | 0
Slyline guy 09

It’s the fastest and the ugliest

09/04/2019 - 05:44 |
2 | 4
Anonymous

[DELETED]

09/04/2019 - 06:22 |
0 | 0