The Lamborghini Asterion Has Been Put On Ice
Lamborghini never was a huge fan of hybrid drivetrains; while their competitors unveiled the next generation of supercars that used electric motors to palliate the weak spots in their engine’s powerband, the Sant’Agata Bolognese manufacturer chose to apply elementary physics to their vehicles (a lighter car with a more powerful engine and more aero will be faster). The result was the Aventador SV, a car that can challenge today’s most advanced sport cars.
Some naysayers said that the reason Lamborghini didn’t do a hybrid supercar was because they couldn’t. At last year’s Paris Auto Show, these people were silenced when Lamborghini showed the Asterion, a hybrid-powered coupe. With the combined output of a V10 out of a Huracan and an electric motor, the car boasts 910 horsepower and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3 seconds flat. The Asterion can also drive at speeds up to 125 km/h with its V10 shut off, and features an all-electric range of 30 km.
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It seems that this promising project will remain just that, at least for now: Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of the brand, said that the concept was only built to prove that, if pollution laws become too stringent, Lamborghini has the technology to build a hybrid (or even fully-electric) supercar. Production isn’t planned at the moment.
The manufacturer prefers to concentrate its efforts on their next vehicle, the Urus. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s a sporty SUV that should arrive before 2018. Lamborghini also points out that, unlike the very-first SUV they built (the very manly LM002, known as the Rambo Lambo), the Urus will be tuned to drive on pavement, not through a dune!
