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Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali talks doubling production and saving the V12

Stefano Domenicali took over the reins of Automobili Lamborghini from Stephan Winkelmann back in February. A few of the most important decisions in Lamborghini history were made shortly before Domenicali's tenure started, like the green-lighting of the Urus SUV, so we jumped at the chance to speak to him about the company's future at Pebble Beach this past weekend. If you don't know the name, a little background: Domenicali's previous job was running the Ferrari Formula 1 team. So not only has he switched from Ferrari to arch-rival Lamborghini, he moved from a racing program to a supercar company that has historically been much less involved in motorsport. That being said, Domenicali has indicated he will stay his predecessor's course. Our interview is below. Alex Kierstein: We're here at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. You were judging this morning – what were you judging? SD: I was an honorary judge of category on elegance, on open cars. I had six cars, actually, 1911 to 1930 supercars, I would say. It's my first time here in Pebble Beach. My previous business [as director of Ferrari's Formula 1 team] I was always busy in that moment of the year. I say that I was impressed by the quality, the presentation, and the level of cars – and the people that are here. AK: And it's a great way to involve the owners. SD: Yeah. It is really super. I have to say that on top of this, I go home with a very, very positive [feeling], and on the other side, a big responsibility. Really, the comments, the things that came out during this weekend are extraordinary. That means that we have taken the right path that's the future. Now is the time where we need to grow in the right dimension, with the right step, both from the technological point of view and the branding positioning point of view. Don't forget that in two years' time, when the new SUV will come, this will represent for us a new challenge ... Even if you can say that we had the LM002. We need to prepare ourselves, the network, the company, and this is what we are doing. For example, so far, in the Sant'Agata plant, we are building the premises for the new SUV. I can assure you that for sure on our side, the super sports car remains the key market. We will never take Lamborghini out of this segment. It's a niche of which we will never push on the volume approach more than the numbers [we expect to see at the end of the year]. It should be, touching wood, another record year.

Lamborghini Sian is brand's first hybrid and also its most powerful car

The rumors surrounding Lamborghini's application of hybrid technology will finally materialize at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Italian firm introduced a limited-edition model called Sian, which stands out as its most powerful street-legal car ever and its first production-bound hybrid model. The Sian's gasoline-electric powertrain gives Lamborghini's mighty, naturally-aspirated V12 engine a new lease on life. It's completely different than the setup found in the 2014 Asterion LP910-4 concept, though, and it's considerably more advanced than a standard hybrid system. An electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission receives electricity from a supercapacitor and injects 34 horsepower into the driveline. While that sounds like a rounding error in a car with the Raging Bull emblem on its nose, the 48-volt mild hybrid system helps the Sian return better gas mileage, provides a boost under hard acceleration, and powers the cars on its own at ultra-low speeds, such as when parking. The hardware tips the scale at a reasonable 75 pounds. Lightweight, composite materials like carbon fiber offset the hybrid system's mass. The mid-mounted V12 relies on titanium intake valves to generate 785 horsepower, a figure that makes it the most powerful road car engine in Lamborghini's 56-year history. The system's total output checks in at 819 horsepower. The Sian takes 2.8 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop, and its top speed lies somewhere north of 220 mph. Visually, the Sian blends styling cues from Lamborghini's emblematic past models with features borrowed from its futuristic, forward-thinking concept cars. The wide, Y-shaped LED daytime running lights come straight from the Terzo Millennio introduced in 2017, while the six hexagonal rear lights are a nod in the direction of the Countach released in 1974. The Gandini line that characterizes every Lamborghini is accounted for; it defines the car's low-slung profile. The interior reflects Lamborghini's drive to make its cars more high-tech. The driver faces a digital, configurable instrument cluster, and the center console houses a touchscreen that displays a version of the infotainment system first seen on the Huracan Evo. Poltrona Frau leather and 3D-printed parts continue bridging the gap between Lamborghini's heritage and its future. Lamborghini will make 63 examples of the Sian by hand in its Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, factory. It chose that number because it was founded in 1963.

Are supercars becoming less special?

There's little doubt that we are currently enjoying the golden age of automotive performance. Dozens of different models on sale today make over 500 horsepower, and seven boast output in excess of 700 hp. Not long ago, that kind of capability was exclusive to supercars – vehicles whose rarity, performance focus, and requisite expense made them aspirational objects of desire to us mortals. But more than that, supercars have historically offered a unique driving experience, one which was bespoke to a particular model and could not be replicated elsewhere. But in recent years, even the low-volume players have been forced to find the efficiencies and economies of scale that formerly hadn't been a concern for them, and in turn the concept of the supercar as a unique entity unto itself is fading fast. The blame doesn't fall on one particular manufacturer nor a specific production technique. Instead, it's a confluence of different factors that are chipping away at the distinction of these vehicles. It's not all bad news – Lamborghini's platform sharing with Audi for the Gallardo and the R8 yielded a raging bull that was more reliable and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis, and as a result it went on to become the best-selling Lambo in the company's history. But it also came at the cost of some of the Italian's exclusivity when eerily familiar sights and sounds suddenly became available wearing an Audi badge. Even low-volume players have been forced to find economies of scale. Much of this comes out of necessity, of course. Aston Martin's recent deal with Mercedes-AMG points toward German hardware going under the hood and into the cabin of the upcoming DB11, and it's safe to assume that this was not a decision made lightly by the Brits, as the brand has built a reputation for the bespoke craftsmanship of its vehicles. There's little doubt that the DB11 will be a fine automobile, but the move does jeopardize some of the characteristic "specialness" that Astons are known for. Yet the world is certainly better off with new Aston Martins spliced with DNA from Mercedes-AMG rather than no new Astons at all, and the costs of developing cutting-edge drivetrains and user interfaces is a burden that's becoming increasingly difficult for smaller manufacturers to bear. Even Ferrari is poised to make some dramatic changes in the way it designs cars.