UNRULY HEIR

Miura, Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, Aventador... Revuelto. Lamborghini's talismanic V12 supercar lives on as its first plug-in hybrid - and promises to be as outrageous as ever

- JAMES TAYLOR

SEEING THE COVERS PULLED FROM A NEW CAR isn't always as momentous as it sounds. But this really does feel a goosebump-worthy moment in automotive time. We're inside Lamborghini's Centro Stile design studios at Sant'Agata and in front of us is a wide, low, shrouded silhouette. Y-shaped lamp graphics shine clearly through its cover, as sharply cut as the tailored suits Lamborghini's top brass are wearing. CEO Stephan Winkelmann, CTO Rouven Mohr and head of design Mitja Borkert step forward and pull the veil from the vivid orange form beneath. It's our first meeting with the Lamborghini Revuelto, latest in the direct line of supercars that began with the Miura. Technologically, and dynamically, it may prove to be the greatest yet.

The Revuelto is Lamborghini's first plug-in hybrid, and its first series-production hybrid at that. Whereas the low-volume Sián launched three years ago stored its energy in a supercapacitor system, the Revuelto uses a 1.5m-long 3.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, positioned in a central spine where the transmission tunnel would ordinarily be found. "This car has to reposition the brand for the next decade,' Winkelmann announces. 'We decided on the naturally aspirated V12 and plug-in hybrid powertrain: if you look back in history, this was the engine that made the template for us. But things change, the world is developing, so we have to adapt.'