Lamborghini has unwrapped its new Sián, billed as the “fastest Lamborghini of all time” and powered by an electrified V12 offering a whopping 602 kW.

The Sián combines the Italian firm’s naturally aspirated V12 with a “unique new hybrid system” Lamborghini says provides the “highest power possible via the lightest solution”.

So, what does it entail? Well, a 48 V motor has been incorporated into the gearbox to provide what Lamborghini terms “immediate response and improved performance”. The Sant’Agata Bolognese-based company says this is the first time in any low-voltage hybrid that a direct connection has been made between electric motor and wheels.

Interestingly, rather than employing a lithium-ion battery, the Sián uses a supercapacitor (located in the bulkhead between the cockpit and engine) that the company claims is three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power. The electric motor furthermore supports low-speed manoeuvres, such as reversing and parking. Lamborghini says the electric system (the supercapacitor and electric motor) weighs 34 kg.

So, what about that total power figure? Well, the V12 engine, which here incorporates titanium intake valves and is uprated to 577 kW (the highest output ever from a Lamborghini powerplant), combines with the hybrid system to deliver a total of 602 kW (a torque figure has yet to be announced). For the record, the Sián tops out at “over 350 km/h” and hits 100 km/h from standstill in “less than 2,8 seconds” (making it the fastest-accelerating Lamborghini ever).

The regenerative braking system, meanwhile, has been “especially developed” by Lamborghini, and thanks to the nature of the supercapacitor, the energy storage system is fully charged every time the vehicle brakes. The driver can thus draw immediately on increased torque up to speeds of 130 km/h (when the electric motor automatically disconnects).

“The Sián is a masterpiece in possibilities,” said Stefano Domenicali, Lamborghini CEO. “Not only does the Sián 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 hybridization becomes more desirable and inevitably essential.”

“The Lamborghini Sián represents the first step in Lamborghini’s route to electrification, and expedites our next-generation V12 engine. Its Sián moniker, meaning ‘flash or lightning’ in Bolognese dialect, denotes the first electrification of a Lamborghini production car and confirms our strong connection to the territory in which we operate. With the Sián, Automobili Lamborghini demonstrates its dynastic strength as a legendary super sports car brand for the future,” Domenicali added.

Original article from Car