It is regarded as the pinnacle of engine construction, as an insignia of performance and power: the twelve-cylinder engine. And he shaped the Lamborghini brand right from the start. The lineage of the filigree high-performance unit, which has been continuously improved and optimized, extends from the original model, the 350 GT, to the Aventador Ultimae, which is still in production but has long been sold out.
Another era is regarding to begin – with hybridized engines that are intended to meet regulatory constraints and probably also the curiosity of a new generation of customers. But in the Ultimae, the V12 still appears in its pure form, without forced ventilation by turbine or electric pedal from the transmission.
Two days of V12 are on the program, to top it off a ride in the Aventador Ultimae and a ride in a classic Espada. A guided tour through the museum at the company headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese provides context: Here are the icons of the brand’s history, which have repeatedly written technology and design history: The Miura as the first mid-engine super sports car, the Countach as a design projection from the future, the LM002 as a military-inspired off-road vehicle with superior performance.
We talk to the classics department, which can reconstruct and document the history of every Lamborghini for a substantial fee, and to the restorers, who take care of restoring classics to their original condition for customers. So-called restomods are not on the agenda here, it’s regarding authenticity. When asked, however, it is acknowledged that contemporary changes are possible – such as replacing the bulky bumpers that accentuated the shape of the models sold in the USA in the most unflattering way in the 70s.
Seen enough, now it’s time for the valance – but first of all in a Huracan Spyder. This series is also coming to the end of its life cycle, as it also has a non-electrified drive. However, it is a 5.2-liter V10 that was derived from an Audi V8 two decades ago, for the previous Gallardo model (and the Audi R8). At that time there was also a precise manual transmission with a fantastically open backdrop, which, however, had one disadvantage: the gears might not be whipped in as brutally as with the dual-clutch transmission that is obligatory on the Huracán.
The interior is pure futurism, the digital displays are reminiscent of science fiction visions, the switches shimmer as if dipped in liquid metal. The ultra-modern appearance contrasts with the free-breathing V10 engine, which reacts to every accelerator pedal movement with angry barking. This sound creates melancholy, it is a reminiscence of the past V10 era in Formula 1.
Before we turn to the twelve-cylinder and thus the top, there is still the change from the Huracán to the Urus, the best-selling Lamborghini model and the first turbo of the brand. The fact that the Urus shares its architecture and eight-cylinder with other premium SUVs from the Volkswagen Group is not noticeable, it pulls it off the spot so jaggedly and impatiently. But apart from the fact that you should exercise considerable restraint when accelerating, this Lamborghini is not a challenge to move. The Urus is probably the sportiest SUV of all – but it’s an SUV. And you have to want that.
We want something different: We want to experience the myth of the twelve-cylinder. Present and historical. We start today: in the Aventador Ultimae. The Aventador has been around since 2011, and now the series culminates in the Ultimae, which has been sold out for a long time. The proportions are even more extreme than the Huracán, it is longer, flatter and much wider; Directly behind the driver sits the 6.5-litre twelve-cylinder, whose roots go back to the 1960s, and a sophisticated, lightning-fast gearbox from Graziano takes care of the power transmission.
In contrast to the Huracán, entry is via scissor doors – as with the Countach, Diablo and Murciélago. The stylistic lineage is clear, although the Aventador’s design is significantly more excited than its predecessors. You sit low, the cockpit is unusually angular, the ambience despite the long construction time more like a prototype than the Huracán. You have to get involved with this car, more than with any other current Lamborghini.
The reward in the Aventador Ultimae is a driving experience without parallel. At the push of a button, the twelve-cylinder starts like a gunshot and idles, combining acoustic dominance and silky-smooth running refinement in a unique way. An unbelievable 780 hp ensure outstanding driving performance: from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, 355 km/h top speed. This V12 plays the entire range of sounds that this perfectly balanced construction gives. Far closer to a silky six-cylinder in-line engine than to the thud of an eight-cylinder or the strained roar of a V10, a twelve-cylinder embodies the ultimate in automotive culture – even when it’s allowed to go to the extremes, as with Lamborghini. Incidentally, a twelve-cylinder stops on the dot; one must have experienced it.
As the only twelve-cylinder from Lamborghini, the Aventador achieved only a fraction of the production figures of the Huracan or Urus. It is a much more extreme, also more difficult car, which also makes other demands on maintenance and upkeep. In return, owners can expect a value development that should only point upwards. At least that’s what the experience with all other twelve-cylinder models from Lamborghini suggests.
This also applies to the Espada, which – along with the off-roader LM002 – is probably the most unusual of all Lamborghini models. It’s actually not a real sports car, more of a Gran Turismo from the 1970s, built from 1968 to 1978 in at least 1217 units. Lamborghini invited one of them, a privately owned vehicle, to this press event.
The Espada defies the conventions of sports car design, it makes an architectural statement, with wide and generous glazing. However, the long hood and the four chrome-plated exhaust tailpipes unmistakably tell of the potency of this Lamborghini. You sit deep in this four-seater, but the cabin is unusually airy and spacious, and the rear compartment is also suitable for long journeys.
The hissing twelve-cylinder engine in the Espada already has a displacement of four liters; in the 350 GT, a few years earlier, it was three and a half. With a smooth 350 hp, the Series 2 Espada is still powerful today; 260 km/h would be possible, the owner takes it slower without allowing the machine to be treated with excessive care. A precise five-speed manual transmission takes care of the power transmission, double-declutching ensures a short flare-up. Heads are turning, only connoisseurs can correctly classify the car: the timeless Espada stands out too much from the cliché of the Italian super sports car.
The fascination of the twelve-cylinder is palpable, the sound and response behavior give an idea of the potential of the unit, which is now finding its ultimate expression in the Aventador Ultimae. The successor model will be a plug-in hybrid. After all, once more with a twelve-cylinder, probably completely redesigned for the first time. The myth lives on. (Jens Meiners, cen)
