It’s the most powerful supercar Lamborghini has ever made. It boasts 819 hp. It’s a technological prodigy. It takes its name for the Bolognese word for lightning…
…It’s Sián, Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar. On the one hand it has a 34hp electric engine, on the other, it has a super-fast, super-loud, and super-wild side that’s down to the powerful 785 hp provided by the the 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine (a version of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ). Only 63 units have been built – a number that pays tribute to 1963, the year the brand was founded – and despite its hefty 2.5 million dollar price tag, they have already sold out.
Hybrid it may be, but very ecological, it is not, interesting, however, it certainly is. As a prototype it’s brimming with cutting-edge solutions, such as the incorporation of a lithium-ion supercapacitor which permits super-fast recharging, minimal degradation and three times the power density of a battery of the same weight. It could well herald the birth of a hybrid standard for urban vehicles of the future.
The exterior appearance of this five-metre two-seater roadster is everything you’d wish for from Lamborghini. Its design is sharp, futuristic with superlative details such as the iconic Y-shaped headlights, the exhausts and 3D design features and its oh-so-stylish scissor doors. Inside, however, it’s not particularly comfortable or spacious and has cabin details with room for improvement. Nevertheless, just a few minutes behind the wheel and those concerns just melt away.
The Sián’s chassis and body are made of carbon fibre, the subframe is aluminium and the roof is electrochromic. The (controlled) moving surfaces are made of smart materials. Among the Sián’s aerodynamic innovations are the thermo-sensitive ventilation flaps, or vanes, located at the rear which use top-secret smart-material technology to react to the temperature generated by the exhaust system and provide a lightweight cooling solution.
It has electronically controlled all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles and shift patterns adaptable to the chosen driving mode. Of course, it is not easy to drive and is definitely not novice-friendly. It’s also very demanding on the road surface and extremely sensitive to tyre temperature.
Its furious horsepower is controlled with very powerful carbon-ceramic brakes, which recharge for a new burst of power on the next straight (just like a Formula One car) and Pirelli has created specific P Zero tyres for this model.
Its full name, FKP 37 refer to the initials and year of birth of Ferdinand Karl Piëch, former CEO of the Volkswagen group and ‘saviour’ of Lamborghini having kept it from going under in 1998.
