2026 Lamborghini Temerario Is All About Visceral Thrills

Car and Driver

6 days ago

When it comes to raw performance, particularly in a straight line, the internal-combustion engine has already lost the battle with the silent-but-deadly electric motor. But to some, us included, the experience also matters, often more than the numbers. That's what Lamborghini tells us it keeps hearing from its customers, who say that engine sound ranks in their top-three critical attributes.
So, while a Lambo EV will no doubt happen at some point, it's not on the immediate horizon. Instead, the company just spent a pile of money developing an all-new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 for the Temerario, which has big contact patches to fill, as it's replacing the Huracán, the company's most successful sports car ever. The Temerario's engine makes 789 horsepower and spins to a stratospheric 10,000 rpm, higher than any other regular-production V-8.
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The Sound and the Fury
Standing behind it or sitting in the driver's seat, it makes a great first impression: raspy, exotic-sounding, and quick to rev. The pull through the meat of the rev range is shockingly linear for an engine that makes oodles of boost. And you must watch the tach carefully when in the most aggressive Corsa mode, because tugging at the fixed paddles for manual upshifts is required, and the V-8 is in no way running out of breath as it approaches its five-digit redline. High-energy sound fills the cabin, enhanced by a mechanical connection between the engine and the firewall—but no electronic fakery. However, pulling both paddles to select neutral while rolling is no way to show off, as the rev limit is a neutered 3000 rpm.
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There's no question about one thing: The new V-8 isn't nearly as loud as the Huracán's V-10. Standing trackside in Portugal as Temerarios rocketed down the Estoril Circuit's 0.6-mile straightaway approaching 190 mph, the noise was almost equal parts engine song and wind rush, whereas the Huracán's characteristic syncopated wail from the uneven firing order of its naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 was always overwhelmingly dominant.
The Temerario's thrust, however, is immense, with the V-8 getting a direct assist from a 147-hp electric motor connected to its crankshaft that fills in while the huge turbos are spooling. Lamborghini calls it a hot-V engine, but really, the turbos are so large they sit fully above the top of the valve covers. It's a similar but not quite identical setup to that of the Revuelto. Both have three electric motors, but the Revuelto's rear motor is instead downstream of the transmission and can power the rear wheels. The front setup is identical, with two 147-hp electric motors that share a housing and provide torque vectoring. But, as with the Revuelto, the Temerario's 3.4-kWh battery pack can only output 187 horsepower, which makes for 907 peak horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. As with its big brother, the Temerario is a plug-in hybrid with about five miles of front-drive electric range, which helps it to keep its emissions figures moving in the corporately acceptable direction.
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That's a staggering 276 horsepower more than the most powerful Huracán. But, no matter the segment, curb weight bloat is inescapable these days, and the Temerario's hefty electric hardware and larger footprint add roughly 650 pounds over the Huracán, according to Lambo's published weights. Still, the power-to-weight ratio is firmly in the Temerario's favor. When you click the launch-control button on the steering wheel, the rear motor pulls against the engine, so it can load up before a clinical, low-slip leap off the line. The rapid-fire upshifts that follow happen at a slightly higher 10,250 rpm, and Lamborghini says it will get to 60 mph just 0.2 second slower than the Revuelto. Based on our testing, that would put the Temerario at 2.4 seconds to 60 mph and 9.9 seconds in the quarter-mile. For those in search of something rowdier, there's also a mode to maximize wheelspin up through the first four gears. This is how, in its recent run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Temerario left in a cloud of tire smoke totally uncharacteristic of an all-wheel-drive car.
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Driving the Temerario
It took us a little while to decide that the steering is disarmingly light. At first, it seemed too light and devoid of feel, but as we got acclimated and reduced our grip on the wheel, the feedback started coming through. The weighting also has the intended effect of making the Temerario feel extremely light, agile, and tossable. The intense power does the same thing with acceleration, so it's not until you go for the firm brake pedal that the Temerario's estimated 4100-pound bulk is even perceptible. The new Lamborghini eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that's mounted transversely behind the engine and is shared with the Revuelto bangs off swift and aggressive shifts.
The most aggressive tires are Bridgestone Potenza Race rubber, 255/35ZR-20 in front, 325/30ZR-21 in back—lesser Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires are also available—and they're all but slicks on the outer third of their tread. But Lamborghini also makes impressive claims about their longevity, claiming that a set with over 30 laps at Estoril ran within a second of the time a fresh set posted. Lamborghini also admits that these tires are giving up a slight amount of ultimate grip to avoid the hero-tire phenomenon that's common among the grippiest rubber. While it's nevertheless strong, the Temerario doesn't feel like its grip is on par with the Corvette ZR1's on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs. The Lambo is far more playful and less buttoned down too. But remember, this is the opener, with more track-focused variants sure to follow.
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The control strategy to get this complicated powertrain to feel seamless is a massive undertaking that Lamborghini developed in-house. It uses a real-time computation of the various actions the subsystems are taking, such as the level of side-to-side torque transfer at the front and rear axles, while constantly interpreting the driver's inputs to decide whether to bias toward stability or playfulness. It will work to stabilize during high-speed braking, but aggressive steering and throttle inputs coming out of turns will unleash the sideways, with Sport mode biased more toward fun and Corsa more serious about going quickly. Our early laps were tentative, and the car felt very tidy; you can feel the front axle yanking its way out of corners. But the aggressiveness of our inputs increased with our comfort level, and we eventually found ourselves wagging the Temerario's tail. Even then, we could feel the front end working to keep things from getting too out of shape. There's also a Drift mode with three levels of leniency that directs negative torque to the inside front and positive to the outside to help initiate a slide that the system then works to control. In Level 3, it lets the car get sufficiently out of shape that spinning is still possible.
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What Lies Beneath
Underneath the Temerario is an all-new aluminum spaceframe, designed in conjunction with the non-ferrous metal experts at Audi, and built at the same Neckarsulm, Germany, plant that's birthed plenty of all-aluminum Audis. The structure is optimized to use fewer pieces and welds than before, while improving torsional stiffness by a claimed 20 percent.
Lamborghini's entry-level wedge is 9.7 inches longer, with 1.5 inches more wheelbase, and significantly wider (2.9 inches) and taller (1.4 inches) than before, too, as a key part of the Temerario's brief was to make it more accommodating. There's a reason we assigned our shortest driver to pilot the Huracán Tecnica at our 2023 Lightning Lap. Legroom is up by 1.8 inches, and headroom under the Gurney bubbles in the Temerario's roof has increased by 1.3 inches. With a helmet on, this six-foot-five wheelman was a bit cramped in a car with the standard 18-way comfort seats, which include heating and ventilation functionality, but was comfortable with the manual bucket seats that sit slightly lower. And I didn't even need to adjust the seat all the way back. In the infotainment department, the Temerario adds a screen in front of the passenger, and there's a new available three-camera system that provides data overlays over their 4K imagery, as well as functioning as a built-in dash cam.
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The Temerario isn't as in-your-face as the Revuelto, with lines that are more elegant and less knife-edged than the Huracán and the Gallardo that preceded it. What you'll probably spot first about a Temerario heading your way are the hexagonal daytime running lights, with the top half also functioning as turn signals. Air flows through them and is accelerated as the passage necks down toward the front radiators. Just next to them, toward the center of the car, are far less obvious brake-cooling ducts, and there's also a well-hidden S-duct built into the front end, where, at high speeds, air routes up and over the car to reduce front-end lift. At the rear, one of our favorite elements is the bodywork at the sides rising dramatically to show a lot of rear tire tread. That bit gives off Countach vibes, maybe some Lancia Stratos too. In the middle, the rear diffuser protrudes significantly and is, in effect, the rear bumper.
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Car and Driver
Time to Pay Up
There's a lightweight Alleggerita package that saves 28 pounds and runs a steep $49,113. It adds a number of carbon-fiber bits inside and outside, including a front splitter and steeper rear spoiler that improve rear downforce by 50 percent. The $26,200 carbon-fiber wheels can roughly double those weight savings. Still, the Termerario is a low-downforce car and thus sure to be an absolute high-speed missile.
Any assessment of ride quality and overall livability will have to wait, because Lamborghini only let us drive around the 2.6-mile Estoril Circuit. U.S. deliveries start early in 2026, with pricing starting at an estimated $390,000. That's more than $200,000 less than the Revuelto and about $130,000 more than the last Huracán. Whether it's worth the cost of nearly two ZR1s probably comes down to how much you care about lap times. But its playful nature and wicked speed sure make it a vivid experience.
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Car and Driver
Specifications
Specifications
2026 Lamborghini Temerario
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, front- and rear-motor, front/all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: $390,000
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 789 hp, 538 lb-ft + 2 front AC motors, 147 hp and 254 lb-ft each, 1 rear AC motor, 147 hp and 110 lb-ft (combined output: 907 hp, 590 lb-ft; 3.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 7.2-kW onboard charger)
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive/8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.6 in
Length: 185.3 in
Width: 78.6 in
Height: 47.3 in
Trunk Volume: 4 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.4 sec
100 mph: 4.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 9.9 sec
Top Speed: 213 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined: 15 mpg
Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 30 MPGe
EV Range: 5 mi
Expert consulted:
Dave VanderWerp
Director, Vehicle Testing
Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver's vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.