2012 Lamborghini Aventador Lp 700 4 Awd 2dr Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini Urus SUV to be assembled in Slovakia

Lamborghini is known for many, many things. Beautiful, exotic and expressive styling, extreme performance and eye-watering prices are Lambo hallmarks. But the Raging Bull is perhaps best known for building its cars by hand... in Slovakia?
No, it's known for building its cars in Italy. But with the Urus SUV, which is already a departure (although not an unprecedented one) from your traditional Lamborghini, the brand could move construction outside the boot-shaped country, and east, into the former Soviet state.
The move will see the Urus, which will ride on a modified version of the Volkswagen Group's MLB platform, screwed together alongside the VW Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Bentley's eventual SUV at VAG's Bratislava factory. In terms of consolidating production in one factory, it's clearly a clever move. Still, we wonder if setting up Urus production outside of the Sant'Agata factory and in the sprawling Bratislava facility won't lessen the specialness inherent in Lamborghini products.

Maurizio Reggiani talks racing, forced induction, and Lamborghini V12s

Maurizio Reggiani deserves his own chapter in Lamborghini's history. He joined the Italian company in 1995 and rose to the position of chief technical officer in 2006; he notably led the development of some of Lamborghini's greatest modern-day engines, including the 6.5-liter V12 that powers the Aventador. His time as the head of Lamborghini's research and development department ended earlier in 2022 and he now serves as vice president of motorsport. His successor, Rouven Mohr, is tasked with implementing an ambitious and far-reaching electrification strategy called Direzione Cor Tauri and outlined in 2021. As Lamborghini prepares to enter a new era, I sat down with Reggiani for a behind-the-scenes look at nearly 30 years of V12 development. [The following has been edited for clarity.] RG: Lamborghini has made other engines and other companies have made V12s. Why is the V12 so often associated with Lamborghini? MR: In a time when everybody started talking about downsizing and reducing cylinder count, we continued to say that the V12 is the flagship of the super-sports car. We were born with this: Lamborghini has made a V12 during every year of its history. We also did V8s in the time of the Jalpa, for example, but the V12 was every time the main pillar of this company. If you want to be considered the pinnacle of super-sports cars, no other engine can really speak to purists like a naturally-aspirated V12 can. In terms of power, in terms of sound, in terms of emotion, and in terms of, let me say, the coolest engine that's possible in terms of engineering definition. RG: What projects have stood out to you during your time at the head of Lamborghini's R&D department? MR: When I started my career, 40 years ago at Maserati, I worked in engine development. At Bugatti, I was responsible for powertrain, which of course includes the engine. For me, an engine is kind of like a first love, and you remain in love for all of your life. To look at an engine, to look inside, to discuss the components, to have an opinion, and to give a suggestion was my way of working every time. One of the projects that excited me the most was the Diablo GT. For the first time, we decided to put a single throttle per cylinder, and it was a level of sophistication that was more or less never used before by Lamborghini. You take experience from the past and try to apply it to [the present]. This improved a lot the performance, and it was really super exciting.

Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster spied testing undisguised

Lamborghini typically does more versions of its V10 models than it does with its V12s. Just look at how many model variants the Gallardo spun off over its many years of production, compared to the few the Murcielago did. But with both now retired, and the Aventador on the market longer than the Huracan, it's the larger of the two that's beefing up the Raging Bull's product portfolio. We're looking at and referring to the upcoming Aventador SV Roadster. Lambo has already confirmed that the Superveloce Roadster was in the works, and we even saw a heavily camouflaged prototype undergoing testing near the Arctic Circle. But this time it's completely undisguised, without a shred of camouflage to keep it from our prying eyes. It isn't hard to guess at the technical details here, since it combines the best attributes of two existing versions: namely the LP 700-4 Roadster and the LP 750-4 Superveloce. So look for a 6.5-liter V12 channeling 740 horsepower to all four wheels through the company's proprietary seven-speed ISR transmission, just like the SV coupe. It'll be a bit heavier with its removable carbon-fiber roof panel and the requisite extra bracing, but it's doubtful the slight weight penalty will actually translate to any substantial drop in performance. Noticeably absent, however, is the big rear wing that adorns the back of the SV coupe. We'll have to hold tight to find out if the production version will get the spoiler or not, and there's little precedent to go by here since Lambo has never really offered a convertible Superveloce before. With the wing or without, the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce Roadster will likely debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show come September, with production already confirmed to be limited to 500 units – or 100 less than the existing coupe that's already sold out.