Earlier this month, at the 2019 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Lamborghini unveiled the highly anticipated Sián; a hybrid super sports car that will set the tone for the luxury automobile brand’s electrification strategy. By adopting Lamborghini‘s 785 horsepower V12 engine, complementing it with a 48 volt e-motor that delivers an additional 34 horsepower and drawing design inspiration from the iconic Countach, the Sián blends unique hybrid technologies developed for the future without compromising on the brand’s established DNA.
“The Sián is a masterpiece in possibilities,” says Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Not only does it deliver a formidable hyper-car design and engineering tour de force today, it augments the potential for Lamborghini as a super sports car brand for tomorrow and for decades to come, even as hybridisation becomes more desirable and inevitably essential.”
It is the first time a low-voltage hybrid car features a direct connection between the electric motor and wheels, which heavily expedites the response and performance. It also ensures that the electric features can be used for low speed manoeuvres like parking and reversing. Another interesting element is the replacement of a lithium-ion battery with Lamborghini’s supercapacitor application: a technology pioneered in the Lamborghini Aventador, but drastically developed to store ten times the power.
However, the highlight of the Sián has to be the regenerative braking technology, which fully charges the supercar’s energy storage system every time it brakes. This results in an instantly-available power boost, allowing the driver to immediately draw on increased torque, up to 130 km/h when the e-motor automatically disconnects to conserve energy.
While the Sián does exhibit sculptured contours, six hexagonal tail lights and the ‘Periscopio’ tunnel from the Countach, it’s silhouette remains pure and uncluttered. The low front with an integrated carbon fiber splitter is dominated by the ‘Y’-shape headlights, used for the first time to reflect the signature design of the night lights originally designed for the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio. The rear wing is integrated within the profile, and extends outward only to enhance the performance once the car is in motion.
The Lamborghini Sián also utilises unique material science in automotive application for the first time. Active cooling vanes on the rear are triggered by the reaction of smart-material elements to the temperature generated by the exhaust system, causing them to rotate—thus providing an elegant and lightweight cooling solution.
Aerodynamic efficiency, technological prowess and a top speed of over 350 km/h are only part of what makes the Lamborghini Sián one of the Italian luxury automobile manufacturer’s most coveted creations. Limiting the production to 63 masterpieces that will be individually styled by each owner is an unprecedented expression of the brand’s exclusivity.
