At Monterey Car Week, Lamborghini showcased its electric concept car. Lamborghini Lanzador for the first time. The car – or something very similar to it – will not be launched until 2028, but already now Lamborghini has chosen to show a prototype.
Normally, we are skeptical about writing about concept cars. “If my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bike” as the Italians say. It’s all too easy to dream up a car with great features when you don’t have to build it.
But a brand new model and the first all-electric Lamborghini is too good to pass up. After Lamborghini turned its current lineup – the Revuelto, Urus and the replacement Huracán – into hybrids, the Lanzador will be the first electric model and set the direction for Lamborghini beyond the 2020s.
Design concept
Firstly, the Lanzador is an all-new model – a 2+2 Gran Turismo with high ground clearance, which Lamborghini calls ‘Ultra GT’. Think half Tesla Cybertruck, half classic Lamborghini.
Lamborghini has built 2+2 GTs before, like the Lamborghini Espada, but the raised body gives the car a new profile. Compared to the straightforward Urus SUV, the car feels much more futuristic and ‘raw’ in its design – the design language is very clearly Lamborghini. Massive 23-inch wheels add to the aggressive look.
In terms of design, there is some borrowing from the Urus, especially the front end, but also from legendary models such as the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4. If the front end feels more SUV, the rear end has a very clear sports car feel, with a narrow profile and the large wheels almost completely exposed.
The interior is also futuristic, with a Y-shaped divider between driver and passenger that creates the feeling of a cockpit for the driver. The interior is almost cyberpunk, with controls and buttons that look like something out of a space movie.
Powertrain and aerodynamics
The Lamborghini Lanzador is based on a completely new platform. At its core is a modern electric configuration, with a flat battery pack at the bottom and two electric motors – one for each axle. In total, it should be able to deliver over 1 MW, or 1360 horsepower!
The focus is on aerodynamics. Side mirrors and handles are seemingly absent – replaced by cameras and electric opening mechanisms. But even more, the Lanzador will rely on active control. The Lanzador will be equipped with an active system, a further development of the Lamborghini Active Aerodynamics (ALA) which is fitted to models such as the Aventador SVJ and Huracan Performante. The system controls the airflow around the car and thus uses the car’s aerodynamics to improve performance, in the case of the Lanzador either to improve driving performance during acceleration and cornering, or to extend the range during smooth highway driving.
Also in terms of shock absorption and propulsion, the car will be equipped with a large number of sensors and advanced software to maximize performance while driving.
To achieve a long range, the car will be equipped with a “next-generation high-performance battery”, but that’s about it. Lamborghini probably wants to be able to keep the final parts secret, to be able to adjust performance and range according to the competition in 2028.
Reflector
From the outside, Lamborghini seems to be successfully making the transition to all-electric super sports cars. The Lanzador has a design language that feels both ultra-modern and very clearly Lamborghini.
Performance is a touchy subject for a sports car manufacturer, but the well over 1,000 horsepower should be enough to make any driver happy, especially since the car is positioned as a lifestyle car rather than something you take to the track.
The question that remains, as always with electric cars and supercars, is the feel – will Lamborghini be able to retain or reinvent the feel of the roar of the gasoline engine (or will future generations not care)? And is 2028 close enough, when other competitors like Ferrari and Aston Martin are aiming to release their models as early as 2025?
