Even though McLaren and Ferrari are all about turbochargers these days, Lamborghini is sticking by its naturally-aspirated engines and will continue to do so for the Aventador’s successor.
During an interview with Car Advice at the Aventador S launch in Spain, company boss Stefano Domenicali said that Lamborghini’s unique position within the Volkswagen Group allows it to persist with its naturally-aspirated engines.
“Our position in the [Volkswagen] group must be different, and a naturally aspirated V12 engine is part of that difference. I don’t think we will be left behind at all by not adopting turbo charging. There is space for us to be different.
“It is totally different, because it remains our reference point for being Lamborghini. Our position within the group must be different from the others and the more we go to electrification, for example, the more the cars will be the same,” he confirmed.
Ferrari has adopted turbocharging for all of its V8-powered models and has confirmed that its future range of V12s will feature hybrid tech. However, Domenicali is confident that the firm’s screaming V12 still has some life in it despite increasingly strict emissions regulations around the world.
“I think that the V12 is still alive, to be extended, because it is such an important part of our tradition and heritage. The future of the V12 is still important. Emissions are important of course, and our goal is always to improve the efficiency of the engine, but with our numbers we don’t see realistic issues in the short term.”
As for the successor to the Aventador, Domenicali said that the current model will stick around for a further five to six years before being replaced.
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