Firstpost ·
We are not selling mobility; we’re selling a dream: Lamborghini APAC regional director
As its cars go hybrid, Lamborghini is making ownership more experiential than ever. It understands that Indian customers ‘are not only buying a car just to have a car’
“The plug-in hybrid for Lamborghini is a means of creating cars that perform better and have lower emissions,” says Francesco Scardaoni, the regional director of Lamborghini Asia Pacific.
Scardaoni is seated across from me inside the paddock at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, talking over the sound of a bellowing V8 from the Lamborghini Temerario – the brand’s newest mid-engined supercar. Replacing the Huracan, it’s the first mid-range Lamborghini to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
While the addition of electric motors and a battery has helped push this “baby” Lambo’s power levels to a rocketship-shaming 907 bhp, the powertrain configuration itself has become an albatross for the brand’s Indian subsidiary. This is because, as per the proposed rules of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, plug-in hybrids, along with EVs, cannot claim concessional tariff benefits like their purely combustion-powered counterparts can. It’s a rare instance in which a supercar maker is punished for attempting to align with broader emission goals.
”Of course, we are not happy because it doesn’t bring any advantage to Lamborghini, a company that invested billions in creating cars which are cleaner, more performing, more agile,” laments Scardaoni.
We’re at the “Esperienza Corsa”, a brand initiative designed to familiarise its growing clientele in India with potential purchases, with designated track activities designed to help them learn how to discover and subsequently push the limits of Lambos.
The Lamborghini Temerario breaks away from convention in various ways. For starters, it has ditched a naturally aspirated V10 for a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 hybrid. It’s supposed to mark the entry point to the brand’s hyper-exclusive two-member club of mid-engined supercars, and yet, it’s pushing sub-1000 bhp already, revving all the way to a scarcely believable 10000 rpm and redlining its way into racecar territory. This makes it the only car in its class to perform the way it does.
After a quick succession of laps behind the Temerario, I’m a convert. Naturally-aspirated performance may be deployed in a manner that’s more gratifying to the purist, but in a firefight, it can’t match electric-assisted performance, which really does offer the best of both worlds.
I’ve put the Aventador – Lambo’s former V12 flagship – through its paces on the same track, and even that hasn’t hit the 311 kph mark with the ease this thing has. I slam the brakes at the end of the back straight. It’s brake-by-wire now, so that spongy feedback that you get from a brake pedal that’s been subject to frequent hard braking? That’s gone.
“Esperienza Corsa” is one of three initiatives giving Lamborghini owners new ways to experience their cars. Corsa, Italian for “race”, puts them on track to explore their cars’ full potential, while Terra takes the Urus SE off-road and Giro turns India’s highways into a grand tour.
It’s Scardaoni and the brand’s way of flexing the advantage of having a wholly-owned subsidiary running operations in the country, rather than bringing cars via the dealer route like some of its rivals. “They just don’t want to buy a product. They want to buy an ecosystem which is around a product.”
Temerario, Lamborghini’s ‘most versatile sports car’
Despite having AWD, the Temerario is a playful beast and prefers to slide out of corners if you step on the throttle early. Switching it in “Corsa” feels pretty apropos given the setting with another steering-mounted button activating “Performance” mode, unleashing the full 907 bhp.
You wouldn’t know it by driving it, but the Temerario is a good 250 kg heavier than its predecessor. It’s got three electric motors, one wedged near the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and another two on the front e-axle, giving it all-wheel drive. Collectively, they banish any hint of lag at the bottom end of the power band, working in tandem with the two turbos to allow them to spool all the way to 10,000 rpm.
“The Temerario has been designed around a racing powertrain. It’s the most versatile sports car that we’ve ever made,” says Scardaoni, referring to the GT3 racing programme that Lamborghini is a part of. It’s the sort of transfer of technology that allows this car to hit 0-100 in 2.7 seconds.
Lamborghini India understands that it’s at a disadvantage when it comes to the fine print on the upcoming FTA. So it aims to double down on the advantage of having a presence in the country. Its limited portfolio notwithstanding, there are things only Lamborghini can do, in terms of both technology and consumer outreach.
“Customers now in India are not only buying a car just to have a car. They don’t just want a product. They want an ecosystem around the product,” says Scardaoni, referring to the curated events, community-building activities and aftersales network that consumers can tap into, when their cars aren’t merely an exotic import.
However, Scardaoni holds a favourable view of the FTA. “For us, the FTA in principle is the best choice a country can introduce because, again, it supports trade between different countries”, but has no plans to revise prices. Instead, he’s determined to bring to light their true potential. “Lamborghini is doubling down on the experience built around hybrid performance. The car is only the beginning”.
Parth Charan is an automotive journalist based in Mumbai.