Exclusive Review: The Lamborghini Temerario Is a Technical Masterpiece

Yahoo

02-04-2025

No performer wants to go on a stage just vacated by a superstar. But that's the position the Lamborghini Temerario finds itself in. While we didn't love every version of the long-lived Huracán, we did adore the naturally aspirated V-10 that powered both it and the second-generation Audi R8. It was one of the most charismatic engines of this century. But, sadly, it died with the Huracán.
The Temerario's engine has been both downsized and powered up. The new car uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that works in conjunction with a hugely complex three-motor hybrid system. The net result is a substantial increase in performance, with the system peak output a mighty 907 hp. But from the moment Lamborghini dropped details last year, the question has been whether such a high-tech powertrain could possibly match the visceral savagery of the 5.2-liter V-10.
Spoiler alert: It can't. But, having driven a prototype version of the Temerario in Italy, I can also confirm the V-8's very different character is almost as compelling. It's awesome in a whole new way.
The key reason is revs. When Lamborghini made the decision to develop a whole new engine for the Temerario—unrelated to any other in the VW Group—it did so around a brief that demanded it would be able to rev faster than any other road-homologated turbo V-8 in the world. Packed with exotic features that include motorcycle-inspired valvetrain finger followers, timing gear driven by both chains and gears, plus titanium connecting rods, the twin-turbo engine pulls to a dizzying 10,000 rpm, making its peak 789 hp at 9000 rpm. You can read the full, esoteric spec in our preview story.
Supplying the engine with enough air to do this requires two big turbochargers, these of a size that would normally bring lots of lag. Which is why the electric motor sandwiched between the V-8 and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that turns the rear wheels is vital. This motor can add up to 147 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, reacting quickly enough to all but cancel out the delay as the turbines come up to speee. Like the larger and more expensive Revuelto, the Temerario has another pair of electric motors up front, one turning each wheel to allow for torque vectoring. Limitations on the battery's flow rate are the reason the maximum total output is less than the total of the individual components.
The Temerario I drove at the dinky 1.5-mile Autodromo di Modena was a late prototype wearing an eye-melting camouflage wrap, trying to keep up with an undisguised version driven by Lamborghini's chief test pilot, Mario Fasanetto. The engineering team admitted there were still many tweaks to be made before production starts, with chief technical officer Rouven Mohr describing it as being a "95 percent car." Some functions, including what will be a drift mode, were unavailable.
Yet even in not-quite-finished form, the Temerario was both wickedly fast and hugely responsive. I was genuinely shocked to learn that it is around 880 pounds heavier than the Huracán it replaces and only around 220 pounds less than the considerably larger Revuelto that won our hearts at PCOTY. The Temerario feels, and drives, like a much lighter car.
The new V-8's split personality took a little getting used to. The abundance of low-down torque is familiar from other high-output turbo engines, and the electric motors do indeed give instant responses. From that point onward, the sound and fury build to such an extent that my natural instinct—with the gearbox in manual control—was to shift up close to the 8000-rpm point where most similar cars run out of puff. It took an act of will to hang on until the digital rev counter turned red before pulling the right-hand paddle. By which time—even through the padding of a helmet—the engine has reached a crescendo that sounded like it belonged to a true race car.
Yet there is something strange about the power delivery. Many cars have flat torque curves, but the way the electric assistance blends to smooth the delivery means the Temerario has what is effectively a top-end power plateau. According to a graph shared by Mohr, the V-8 is producing more than 700 hp by the time the crank is turning 7000 times a minute—so the final 30 percent of the rev range adds only another 100 hp. This didn't feel like a restriction on track—acceleration stays intense all the way to the spark-cut limiter—but it did mean that on some of the Autodromo's tighter sections there was almost no discernible difference between using second gear or changing up to third.
"We could have delivered on the same power targets with an 8000-rpm engine," admitted Mohr, "but that would not have given the emotional experience we also wanted."
I didn't run any performance numbers, but Lamborghini's outlandish claims felt eminently believable after one stint behind the wheel. The company says the Temerario will dispatch the European zero-to-62-mph (zero-to-100-km/h) benchmark in just 2.7 seconds and get from rest to 124 mph in 7.1 seconds. Those numbers are just 0.2 second and 0.1 second behind the corresponding figures for the Revuelto.
Beneath the surface, the relationship between Lamborghini's two supercars is a close one. Beyond the obviously different engines, with the Revuelto keeping a naturally aspirated V-12, both cars share much of their hardware—the same twin-motor electric front axle, 3.8-kWh battery pack, brake discs and calipers, plus principal suspension components. Being destined for a less expensive segment, the Temerario uses an aluminum spaceframe rather than the Revuelto's carbon-fiber core structure, although with carbon bodywork. That might sound like a technical step back considering the Huracán used carbon fiber for part of its floor and rear firewall, but Mohr says the Temerario's body in white weighs almost exactly the same, while torsional rigidity has been improved by 23 percent.
Dimensions have expanded over the Huracán too. At 185.3 inches, the Temerario is 9.7 inches longer than its predecessor, and while I'm listing stats, it's also 2.8 inches wider, 1.4 inches taller, and its 104.6-inch wheelbase has expanded by 1.5 inches. Together with the additional weight, that means the new car has pretty much jumped a size segment—it is much closer in size to the Aventador than the Huracán—but it also brings a welcome increase in cabin space. Lamborghini claims 1.3 inches more headroom and 1.8 inches extra legroom, which at Modena meant my six-foot frame could wear a helmet without touching the roof. It was also the first time I've sat in a Lamborghini sports car without having to put the seat all the way back.
For context, the Temerario is still 10.7 inches shorter than the Revuelto, with 4.8 fewer inches between its axles. The smaller car gets different spring rates and revised adaptive dampers, which, together with the shorter wheelbase, make it feel much keener to turn than its V-12 sibling. More permissive traction control also allowed it to take on surprisingly sizable yaw angles under power. Initially this was a little alarming; modern cars normally only get sideways once the stability control is either dialed down or turned off.
But on the Autodromo it was soon clear the Temerario's dynamic brain is very carefully calibrated, the torque management helping it slide to a driver-flattering degree but also to intervene subtly if it looks as if thrills are going to turn to spills—with the road-biased Sport ANIMA drive mode setting notably more wayward than the track-focused Corsa. But, within this bubble of protection, the Temerario was happy to edge into oversteer on Modena's corners. Once working, the promised drift mode will surely deliver even bigger adrenaline spikes.
There is still room for improvement. Although the prototype's front end was impressively accurate, the steering wheel was lacking in sensation, both in terms of the granular chatter of lightening and tightening that reports on changing slip angles and the weak resistance when lock was being wound off. The calibration for the electrically assisted steering is apparently going to be tweaked further, and there is one more update due on the Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires before production spec is finalized. So this should improve; we'll certainly check it has when we get into a regular-production Temerario. Despite being a street-friendly compound, the tires coped well with multiple hard stints on the turn-heavy track without wilting, as did the hugely powerful carbon-ceramic brakes.
Many other questions remain in the air, for now. I can't tell you how the Temerario will ride over broken surfaces, beyond reporting that it dealt well with the Autodromo's painted curbs. Nor did I experience the majority of the switchable dynamic and drivetrain modes. Like the Revuelto, the Temerario is a plug-in hybrid, and although the battery only gives around five miles of EV range, there is a Città mode for those who want to experience the novelty of an almost-silent Lamborghini.
Subjective call here, but design is another area where the Temerario still needs time to see if familiarity will help it transition to automotive artwork. New Lamborghinis often seem to do this. I like the Revuelto's styling much more now than I did when I first saw it. There are many details on the Temerario I appreciated unambiguously, including the cut-off proportions at the rear of the car, especially the way the bodywork curves to leave the tire exposed. Also the way the hexagonal DRLs at the front are wrapped around intake vents. But although the overall car delivers plenty of shock and awe, there was something a little sterile about the view from some angles. Especially, for me, the interplay between the size of the hood and the narrowness of the headlights. There's certainly plenty of room for the inevitable visual enhancements that will follow for the even-faster versions.
Lamborghini is already thinking of these, of course. And although a Performante or STO equivalent version will be some way behind the arrival of the regular Temerario next year, buyers are going to be able to choose the Alleggerita package, which adds some edgier wings to increase downforce slightly and saves a little weight. Buyers will also be able to choose carbon-fiber wheels over the standard 20-inch front/21-inch rear forged alloys. The prototype I drove was the regular car with metal wheels—so the least powerful version of what is certain to become a multi-model dynasty, yet one that already feels like it could become a segment benchmark.
It wasn't so long ago that Lamborghinis were only expected to look outrageous and deliver great sounds. The Temerario ticks both those boxes, but it adds unprecedented performance and huge amounts of dynamic-sharpening technology. It feels like the sort of leap that will start an arms race with rival supercar makers. We really, really hope that happens.
A car lover Hearst Owned
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