REAL FEELS

THE LAMBORGHINI TEMERARIO IS POWERED BY AN ALL-NEW 10,000-RPM V-8, BECAUSE THE BRAND'S CLIENTELE DOESN'T WANT AN EV.

- DAVE VANDERWERP

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. And Lamborghini tells us that's what it keeps hearing from its customers who say that engine sound ranks in the top three critical attributes they want in a sports car.

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 beyond a stratospheric 10,000 rpm [see “Pushing Eight to 10,” page 73], higher than any other regular-production V-8.

Whether you're standing behind it or sitting in the driver's seat, the Temerario makes a great first impression: raspy, exotic-sounding, and quick to rev. The pull through the meat of the rev range is consistent and linear for an engine consuming 21.6 psi of boost. And you must watch the tach carefully when in the most aggressive mode, Corsa, 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 tube that amplifies and pipes real engine noises into the cabin—no electronic fakery. However, pulling both paddles to select neutral while rolling is no way to show off, as the rev limit drops to a feeble 3000 rpm.