Hybrid technology is perceived as robbing sports cars of their charisma in the quest for reduced emissions, and while this can be true, the Lamborghini Temerario wouldn’t be the car it is without its three electric motors.
The all-wheel drive Temerario — per Lamborghini tradition named after a fighting bull — replaces the Huracán as Lamborghini’s new junior supercar and completes the hybridisation of the Italian brand’s line-up after the petrol-electric Revuelto and Urus SE.
Temerario means “reckless” in Italian, and while the bull may not rage as loudly as its predecessor, it is faster and more agile. I drove the Temerario last week at its global media launch in Estoril, a Portuguese track that has hosted Formula One and MotoGP races. On that challenging rollercoaster of a track, with its combination of fast and slow curves and elevation changes, Lamborghini’s new supercar demonstrated an astonishing depth of ability.
The Huracán’s normally aspirated 5.2l V10 engine is replaced by a new 4.0l V8 twin-turbo complemented by two electric motors at the front and one at the rear. The single electric motor at the back is located between the mid-mounted combustion engine and the eight-speed dual clutch transmission. The hybrid car can be driven in all-electric stealth mode for up to 10km.
The Temerario has typical Lamborghini design cues with muscular aviation-inspired lines and a hexagonal theme throughout the car including the side air intakes and lights.
It has a slightly roomier two-seater cabin than the Huracán, providing sufficient head- and legroom for my six-foot (1.83m) frame even while wearing a helmet. The hi-tech dashboard has a digital instrument panel, a central infotainment screen and a touchscreen for the passenger, and the fighter plane-inspired cockpit has a flip-up cover for the start-stop button.
Much has been made of the new V8’s ability to rev to a heady 10,000rpm, and the engine mounts and body are designed to transmit vibrations, especially at higher speeds, contributing to the car's character.
As sonically charming as it is with its flat-plane crank, the turbocharged engine doesn’t howl with the heavy-metal intensity of the old normally-aspirated V10 and its 8,500rpm limit. More Bryan Adams than Black Sabbath.
Whatever one’s opinion of its acoustic brio, the hybrid Temerario rocks your world with its power and handling. With a total output of 676kW, the new hybrid car comprehensively outguns its 449kW predecessor. It runs to a 340km/h top speed and, with the help of launch control, blazes the 0-100km/h sprint in just 2.7 seconds.
Beyond the impressive numbers, the V8 and the electric motors combine to create a driving machine that is fast, playful and forgiving. The petrol-electric combo provides instant thrust from the get-go. The car accelerates lag-free from rest, with a strong and linear power delivery that reaches the 10,000rpm peak with startling swiftness.
Though it’s more than 100kg heavier than the Huracán, the Temerario feels light and pointy, with the typically crisp turn-in of a mid-engined car.
With torque vectoring delivering power on demand to each individual wheel — a nod to the electric motors — the car has a neutral nature which surfs a satisfying sweet spot between under- and oversteer.
It is a joy to drive around a circuit, with vast grip levels, and because of its forgiving nature you can drive it by the scruff of the neck without being rudely deposited into the sand trap. Included in the 13 driving settings are three drift modes that allow tyre-smoking sideways action.
The Temerario is available as a standard model or in Alleggerita (lightweight) trim, the latter 25kg lighter and boasting more downforce.
The Alleggerita I drove was fitted with grippier Bridgestone semi-slicks in place of the standard car’s all-purpose Bridgestones. This raised the grip levels and dynamic envelope even further, but both versions of the car I drove were notable for their approachable nature.
When you do eventually exceed the limits of traction, the tail doesn’t kick out in snap oversteer, and it’s easy to balance the car’s sideways action on the throttle, a characteristic most entertainingly experienced on the Ayrton Senna Parabolica, the long right-hander feeding onto Estoril’s main straight.
While sports car purists may bemoan the new hybrid era, it is the new reality, and Lamborghini has harnessed it with gusto.
To underline how time and technology improve the breed, back in 2018 I reached 272km/h at the end of the Estoril straight driving Lamborghini’s then ultimate supercar, the V12-engined Aventador SVJ.
In the new V8 hybrid Temerario I hit 309km/h.
The Temerario is expected in South Africa in the first quarter of 2026. The price is R7.5m and order books are open.
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