The new Lamborghini Siån – a hybrid hypercar packing 603kW from an electrified V12 – has been shown on the move for the first time as subsidiary company Ducati unwrapped a matching version of its Diavel 1260 sports motorbike.
The new Lamborghini Siån – a hybrid hypercar packing 603kW from an electrified V12 – has been shown on the move for the first time as subsidiary company Ducati unwrapped a matching version of its Diavel 1260 sports motorbike.
Limited to 630 units, the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is finished in the same Verde Gea and Oro Electrum livery as the Siån, and swaps a number of standard components for lightweight, performance-focussed items, including forged wheels and carbonfibre bodywork elements. Hexagonal exhaust tips and a subtle Y-shaped motif on the saddle are nods to some of Lamborghini’s characteristic modern styling cues.
While the Siån sports the number 37, in reference to the birth year of the late VW Group chairman Ferdinand Piech, the bike wears the number 63 in reference to 1963, the year Ducati was founded. The two models can be seen together in the below video.
Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s head of design, said: “We are convinced that our design is strong and one of the most recognizable in the automotive sector. The unique silhouette, clean but extremely distinguished, defines the base of our design language.
“Our visionary design approach allows us to transfer our DNA to other products: this was achieved through strong teamwork, sharing our style and the advantage of being two brands inspired by the same values and a commitment to ‘fun to drive’ .”
The Siån is the most powerful and fastest-accelerating car Lamborghini has ever produced.
As the model appeared in the flesh for the first time last year, Lamborghini announced it will enter production as the Siån FKP 37 as a tribute to ex-Volkswagen Group boss Ferdinand Karl Piëch, who died the previous month. Born in 1937, Piech was instrumental in bringing Lamborghini under the VW Group umbrella in 1998, helping the Italian maker to bring its pivotal Murcielago supercar to market.
Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “Prof. Dr. Piëch innately understood the attraction and potential of the Lamborghini brand and how it could fit within the Volkswagen Group, whilst retaining its unique Italian super sports car identity and design and engineering DNA.
“Prof. Dr. Piëch was an engineer and an innovator, particularly appreciating the appeal of the iconic Lamborghini V12 powertrain on which today, the Sián FKP 37 combines pioneering hybrid technologies.”
The Aventador SVJ’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre 12-cylinder unit has been uprated from 566kW to 577kW with the addition of titanium intake valves, and is mated to a 48v electric motor producing 25kW, for a combined total output of 603kW. In what Lamborghini claims is a first for low-voltage hybrid powertrains, the electric motor is integrated into the gearbox and connected to the wheels for low-speed reversing and parking manoeuvres. The charismatic sound of the V12, Lamborghini assures, has been preserved.
The developments mean the Siån will offer enhanced acceleration over Lamborghini’s conventionally fuelled models, sprinting from 0-100km/h in under 2.8 seconds, with top speed claimed to be in excess of the SVJ’s 350km/h.
Power is not stored in a conventional lithium ion battery, but rather generated by a supercapacitor unit three times as powerful as a cell of the same weight, and three times lighter than a battery with the same output. The device, mounted ahead of the engine for enhanced weight distribution, is an evolution of that found in the Aventador to power the starter motor, and can store ten times as much power as the original.
A regenerative braking system, developed in-house, sends power to the supercapacitor unit under deceleration. Energy generated in this way is available as a power boost at the discretion of the driver at speeds of up to 130km/h.
The electric motor also allows for a smoother acceleration curve, activating during gear changes to counter the effect of deceleration and resulting in a 70-120km/h time 1.2 seconds quicker than that of the SVJ. Traction at lower speeds is improved as well, making the Siån 10% faster than a car without this system, according to its maker.
Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, said: “With this car, we set ourselves the challenge of creating the best hybrid solution for a Lamborghini super sports car to provide the first step in our electrification strategy”.
Design-wise, Lamborghini says the model shows off “a visionary and futuristic design in combination with outstanding aerodynamic solutions”, but one that still conveys “the heart and soul of a Lamborghini”.
The Siån’s wedge-shaped silhouette is characteristically angular and wide, and is said to be influenced by the work of Bertone’s Marcello Gandini, who was responsible for some of Lamborghini’s best known historic models.
The diagonal lines along the length of the bonnet, six hexagonal tail lights and roof-mounted ‘periscope’ tunnel are a nod to the Countach, while the low front splitter and Y-shape headlights are a set-up originally intended for the electric Terzo Millenio concept.
Downforce is maximised by the model’s prominent side air intakes and large carbonfibre front splitter. In keeping with the Siån’s “pure and uncluttered” design ethos, the rear wing sits flush with the rear deck, extending only at speed, while active cooling vanes along the engine lid react to exhaust temperatures and rotate as needed.
Lamborghini will make just 63 Sians, offering buyers a high level of personalisation through its bespoke Ad Personam division. All have been sold already.
Felix Page