Lamborghini could easily build a 1,000+ horsepower Temerario STO… and here’s how

According to Lamborghini technical director Rouven Mohr… you haven’t seen anything yet. The Temerario’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 – the crazy one that revs up to 10,000 rpm and develops 789 horsepower (800 hp) – doesn’t break a sweat just yet.

“We run our combustion engine at 200 hp (197 hp) per liter (in the ‘base’ car),” Mohr explains matter-of-factly, like a German engineer. “We can run it (in the future), for example, at 220 hp (217 hp) per liter.”

That means, math fans, another 80 horsepower. But then there is the hybrid element (currently 148 hp). “It’s very easy to increase power electrically: just increase the voltage,” Mohr continues. “A four-digit number is possible for the engine. We can take a big step, that’s clear.”

The idea of ​​Lamborghini’s “entry-level” super sports car is working twice As much power as an original Gallardo has is a little scary. But hey, this is progress in the supercar space. Rouven explains that this is why his team chose a V8 instead of a downsized V6… which was also on the table.

“In the final years of the Huracán, electricity demand increased dramatically. Especially in the last four or five years, we had to admit that the 640 hp V10 was not state-of-the-art.”

Mohr agrees that a large part of the V10’s appeal comes from its soulful howl, and insists that a lot of time and effort went into getting the twin-turbo V8 Temerario to produce a sound that will be equally memorable and exciting. We’ll wait and see (or hear). But back to the idea of ​​a V6 Lambo.

“We evaluated internally which engine we wanted to build. There was the V8, or there was a V6. We also considered a new V10, but to meet (future) emissions regulations it would lose 20 percent of its power. It’s clear that the old V10 was at the end of its life cycle.

“There was a discussion with the V6 and the V8 because the pure performance values ​​can be achieved with a V6. But we thought the brand positioning was a step too big to go from the V10 to the V6. We don’t think the V6 fits our brand.” Ouch, 296 GTB owner.

“The second point concerns emotions: the potential for emotions is very important to us. A V8 with the flat-plane crankshaft has higher potential than a V6, which was another reason why we chose the V8.” Sore, Ferrari F80 fans?

Rouven says the all-new V8 engine has been in development for around five years and cost tens of millions of euros to develop. That’s why the engine has so much power headroom – it’ll do the brunt of the next decade of best-selling Lambo supercars.

Our old friend the Huracán recorded 35,000 sales in just over a decade. So the Temerario has big shoes to fill.

Nevertheless, we mourn the V10. And we tell Rouven that Porsche is doing quite well when selling 911 GT3s with a 9,000 rpm flat-six engine in the rear, even though its output has been around 500 hp for about ten years. His answer?

“I firmly believe that keeping the same engine with less power would not be the right choice for our brand,” he argues. “By the way, I love the Porsche 911 and the GT3 is a fantastic car,” he adds with a smile.

“It’s a driver’s car, but it has a completely different customer base. And the car’s mission is completely different. It is 100 percent intended for track use.

“Therefore you have a completely different user profile of our car. Our base car is not primarily a track car. The range between suitability for everyday use and maximum performance is enormous. You can also go to the racetrack, but it’s not a track tool like the GT3.”

Did Lambo make the right decision when it traded in the ear-splitting V10 for an even higher-revving turbo-hybrid V8? And how much do you think they will increase performance? Let us know your reaction in the comments…