As Lamborghini readies its first series hybrid, its design boss commits to outlandish styling.
Lamborghinis will continue to “look like spaceships” as Lamborghini enters the electrification era, according to design boss Mitja Borkert.
The Italian supercar maker will switch to a fully hybridised line-up for next year and, like all car makers, will make full-electric cars, too. It has already launched the Lamborghini Sián and Lamborghini Countach as limited-run electrified creations based on the Aventador, but the next series-production V12 supercar will swap those two cars’ low-capacity supercapacitor device for a more conventional hybrid set-up.
“We will always create cars with emotional performance,” said Borkert, speaking to Automotive Daily Network partner Autocar at the Milan Monza motor show. “They will always look like spaceships, always be inspiring, always cars that with whatever technology they have will have the sound and the emotion to touch you.
“We have a clear future declared by Stephan Winkelmann [Lamborghini CEO] and we are heading to the future. We finish with pure internal combustion this year and start hybrid next year.”
Borkert said electric cars were eventually necessary at Lamborghini as “we are living on the same planet as everyone else”, but it was important regardless that the firm looked forward to evolve. “We need to always use new technology. There’s always a new generation” of buyers coming through, said Borkert.
The switch to electrification has also opened up new design opportunities, he said – for example, “with the muffler, we can use that area for aero… in a very cool way”.
Borkert added: “I’m convinced we can introduce smart aero in the future.” He also dismissed the suggestion that batteries created packaging issues and would alter the proportions of Lamborghinis.
He said the electric Lamborghini Terzo Millennio concept car continued to inspire the firm’s 17-strong design team in designing future models.
Mark Tisshaw