One might have shrugged off the Sian as just another rebodied Aventador special edition. However, Lamborghini keeps ensuring us that it’s so much more, and this latest review from Carfection seems to confirm it.
The video starts off by explaining the meaning behind the Sian’s name. The “FKP 37” in Sian FKP 37 actually stands for Ferdinand Karl Piëch, and 1937 is the year he was born. Piëch was an important figure in Lamborghini’s history, as he used to be the head of VW Group and played a major role in making Lamborghini a part of the German auto conglomerate. The other historical aspect to the Sian is its production run, which will see 19 roadsters and 63 coupes as a nod to the company’s founding in 1963.
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After those formalities are out of the way, the host gets on to the driving experience, since this is one of the first reviews of this car where it’s actually being driven. Based on the Aventador SVJ, it shares the same naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12, only now it sports titanium intake valves and a new exhaust, raising the output from 759 hp (770 PS / 566 kW) to 774 hp (785 PS / 577 kW) – and that’s before the hybrid system comes into play.
On to that hybrid system, it adds an electric motor to the gearbox, bringing the car’s total output to 808 hp (819 PS / 602 kW). In place of a traditional battery lies a supercapacitor, which is one third the weight of a lithium-ion battery yet delivers three times as much power from the same density. Additionally, that supercapacitor, which is as wide as the car itself, can completely recharge itself in a single braking stint, making for extremely efficient energy replenishment.
The host notes that, unlike many other performance hybrid systems, the Sian’s feels as if it’s not there at all. It seems its focus is more on performance, with the added environmental benefit only coming as a bonus to appease regulators. That manifests itself in the Sian’s power delivery, where the system fills in the torque gaps left by the seven-speed single-clutch transmission.
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It seems as if Lamborghini was able to extract the best traits of an old-school V12 and an advanced hybrid system and almost make them cancel out each other’s weak points. The V12 provides the classic Lamborghini thrills, while the minimally-invasive hybrid system adds power and smooths out its imperfections.