2021 Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 Is a V12 Maniac
Sian combines a naturally-aspirated V12 with a supercapacitor-powered electric motor to power Lamborghini’s first production hybrid.
Say the name Lamborghini and you naturally think of supercars. In fact, Lamborghini is often credited with giving us the first supercar in history. While Lamborghini still makes poster worthy cars, the times are changing. The company has now joined the ranks of automakers offering SUVs. On top of that, it is tough to get through a single day now without another announcement regarding electric vehicles. As much as we all love crazy and wild Lambos, the company must adapt to survive. It is why Lamborghini has recently made its first production hybrid supercar. The Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 is the first cough, environmentally friendly, cough, car to roll out of its factory. Well, as environmentally friendly as a car with a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 can be.
The folks at Roadshow by CNET were recently given the opportunity to drive and review this new groundbreaking car. So, what exactly is a Lamborghini Sian? Well, the FKP 37 portion of the name is to honor late Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who was born in 1937. And while the Sian may be a hybrid, it is not your fathers Prius. The V12 engine was lifted from the Aventador SVJ. It was modified with titanium inlet valves and some ECU tweaks to up the horsepower to 774. That is a modest 15 horsepower increase over the SVJ. However, the Sian party trick is its 34-horsepower electric motor, which gives the Sian a total of 808 horsepower.
This electric motor is not battery-powered like in most other hybrid cars. The Sian electric motor is powered by a supercapacitor and is integrated into the gearbox. The main advantage of a supercapacitor over a battery is the ability to quickly store and deploy energy. While a battery may take hours to recharge, a supercapacitor can recharge in minutes or even seconds. The electric motor in the Sian can deliver a quick burst of power, and quickly recharge when you hit the brakes.
By the time you are on the next straight, the extra power is available again. As you can imagine a system like this is not designed to drastically increase EPA ratings. The electric motor in the Sian is primarily a performance increase tool. The car will set you back about $3 million. At that price, it is unlikely prospective owners will care much about fuel consumption figures.
Along with the hybrid engine, the rest of the car is the typical eye candy you expect from Lamborghini. Imagine aliens landed here tomorrow and the first thing, they did was sit in a Sian. They would feel right at home and probably think we are much more advanced than we really are.
The inside of the car has the same fighter jet crossed with a spaceship feel of other big Lambos. From the outside you could be forgiven if you thought the car could literally fly. It is the typical bedroom poster styling we have come to expect.
While the Lamborghini Sian can’t really fly, the performance is still spectacular. The electric motor does nothing to quiet the shriek of the big V12. If this is the last naturally aspirated V12 soundtrack we ever hear, it would be a fitting send off. The car can hit 60 mph from a standstill in about two and half seconds.
Flat out, it will tie the SVJ at 217 mph. Performance is right in line with SVJ sibling. Where the Sian electric motor pays dividends is in the transmission that it is integrated with. The shifts in the Sian are smoother. Even though the same single-clutch, seven-speed gearbox from the SVJ is used, the Sian feels more like a dual-clutch car.
So now Lamborghini makes an SUV and a hybrid. Reading that sentence may make you think that the company has lost the plot. However, that is not the case. The Urus is a stunning performance SUV, and the Sian is a mind-bending supercar. If you want to add a Sian to your collection, you need to start browsing your favorite high-end classified sites. Only 63 are going to be built and every single one is already sold. Maybe electrification isn’t so bad.
Photos: Roadshow by CNET
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