First drive: New Lamborghini Temerario hybrid supercar stuns
Grand Prix circuit are a colourful blur, and my Lamborghini Temerario's dash is
displaying silly numbers.
Really? 10,000rpm? That's race car revs. And my triple-ton speed matches what
Senna, Schumacher and Mansell saw when F1 last came to Estoril in the Nineties.
These are lunatic levels, and my brain's fizzing.
In Italian, Temerario means 'fearless'. This baby supercar may be, but its driver
absolutely is not: a tight second-gear corner looms and we're at plane crash speeds.
Fortunately, mercifully, somebody's fitted carbon brake rotors the size of Tasmania.
The launch of a new Lamborghini is special news in car enthusiast world. Not the
unobtanium 'Limited Series' models (only 20 from the mega yacht set enjoy them),
but the proper production ones you'll find in every Lambo showroom.
MORE: Wild new Lambo arrives in Australia
Enter Temerario – the pricier, more powerful and faster replacement for the much-
loved V10 Huracan, bowing out as Lamborghini's best ever selling supercar.
Prepare yourself, all 'Rario numbers are big. Its 4.0L twin-turbo V8 alone packs
588kW and 730Nm, then three electric motors boast a total system output of 676kW.
Yep, this thing's a self-charging or plug-in hybrid, with amusing all-electric range of
9km.
Sexier, it'll reach 343km/h, with the first hundred popping up in 2.7 seconds –
hypercar territory, despite weighing a not svelte 1690kg dry.
Dropping anchor awakens ten (count 'em) piston calipers gripping heat-resistant
410mm discs. Rear wheels are ludicrously large at 21-inches, wrapped in grip-giving
325/30 (that's fat) tyres, with semi-slicks a cost option.
I asked the man at Bridgestone – who'd helped bespoke develop these tyres for
the Temerario – the cost of a replacement set, since we'd be smoking some in drift
mode later. A friendly Italian shrug and 'confidential for now,' was his smiling
response.
If you have to ask the price ….
Ah. As for that. A basic Temerario costs $613,885 before on-roads. For track fans, a
lightweight Alleggerita Package adds $85,000 – think carbon interior, body and
underside bits, larger rear wing, and much improved aero efficiency and downforce.
But why stop there? Carbon wheels are yours for $48,650, and rest assured, myriad
further options will quickly lighten your crypto wallet.
Perhaps it was the Portuguese sun or last night's vinho tinto, but after track driving
the Temerario for a day, the price never felt outrageous, despite being some $150k
above the outgoing Huracan.
MORE: '25 years jail': warning over parking hack
Basically, for the price of a crappy unit in Paramatta or Collingwood, you could have
what is unequivocally a styling and engineering masterclass.
Deep diving the mechanicals, electricals and clever tech is mind-bending, so I'll
report on how it translates to driving at one of Europe's fastest tracks.
The hypersonic launch control, corner sucking and mad braking g-force feels like
someone's trying to harvest your internal organs. But you're enjoying it.
The V8's maximum power is found at 9000rpm, so you must leave the gorgeous
carbon fibre paddle shifters alone – just let it sing to the redline.
A solo electric motor integrated in the mid-mounted V8's housing instantly gets the
acceleration party started while the turbos awaken, so there's zero break in
performance delivery. It's blindingly, furiously, addictively fast.
Two e-motors on the front axle handle torque vectoring and traction, which in plain
English means this all-wheel-drive Lambo tucks you into a corner apex with
supernatural, Verstappen-like precision.
Sport mode brings a playful rear-wheel-drive feel, and easy-in, fast-out cornering
allows grin-bringing skids. Overcook things and a billion electric brains and the
wizard-like front end tidies up the driver's talent gaps.
MORE: Musk signs $25bn AI deal with tech giant
But Temerario's greatest trick, despite the complexity, it how easy and approachable
it is to drive mega fast. In Corsa (race) mode it's ever sharper, pointier, and ready for
lap records with an indicated 300km/h chaser.
You can option GT racing-like telemetry (through an app) to nerd out on performance
graphs, while three cameras film your exploits, including an 'emotion' one recording
occupants' reactions. Great to show the rellies after Christmas lunch.
MORE: 'Like Tinder': Huge problem with Aussie cars
But wait. This all comes at a cost, and it's raw, emotional noise. The lack of.
Our Temerario doesn't sound in any way bad, giving race car and race bike flavours
when tickling 10,000rpm. Lambo's problem is what came before – the soul-tingling
non-turbo V10 in the retiring Huracan.
But the change had to come. We're adrift in fantasy land thinking the V10 could
survive with modern emissions regulations. We lament its passing, but must soldier
on.
Now, Lamborghini's used electrification to its performance advantage and delivered
superbly and supremely. Ferrari and McLaren may do some head scratching.
And if it's your bag, you can silently, electrically pootle through town or off your
driveway with a simple 'EV' button twist. Saving the planet one supercar at a time …
The fighter jet-inspired cockpit doesn't even feel too cramped, seats are comfy and
screen size shows constraint over ostentatious. But boy, even an F1 driver would get
lost in the sea of steering wheel buttons and dials.
After track heroics, the final ace is enjoying the part-beauty, part-beefcake but
unmistakenly Lamborghini styling. Hints of classic Countach coat its shark nose, as
does leaving the rear tyres' girth on full display from behind. A masterstroke.
VERDICT 4.5/5
Breathtaking to behold, bewildering mega performance on track. Endlessly thrilling, despite death of the soulful V10. LAMBORGHINI TEMERARIO VITALS
PRICE: About $670,000 drive-away
ENGINE: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo petrol (588kW/730Nm) with three electric motors
(220kW).
EV RANGE: Approx. 9km
WARRANTY/SERVICE: 3yrs/u'ltd kms, five years free servicing
SAFETY: Driver and passenger front and side airbags, active lane departure
warning, front and rear sensors and cameras, auto emergency braking
ECONOMY: 14L/100km (with discharged battery)
SPARE: Repair kit
CARGO: 112L
Originally published as Review: Lamborghini's Temerario hybrid supercar
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
13 minutes ago
- Perth Now
'Useless' Hamilton suggests a driver change at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton called himself "absolutely useless" and suggested Ferrari should change drivers after he qualified 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix and teammate Charles Leclerc took pole position. It was a new low in a difficult first season with Ferrari for seven-time Formula One champion Hamilton, who qualified outside the top 10 for the second race in a row. "I'm useless, absolutely useless," Hamilton told British broadcaster Sky Sports. "The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole, so they probably need to change driver." Hamilton had said "every time, every time" over the radio after he was eliminated in the second part of qualifying. That signified that "it's me every time", he clarified to Sky later. Hamilton had earlier seemed set to qualify 13th, and was only promoted to 12th after the second part of qualifying had finished. That was because Kimi Antonelli's time was struck out after it was noticed the Mercedes rookie had gone outside the track limits. It was the second week running Hamilton had been frustrated with his qualifying performance. He qualified 18th for the sprint race in Belgium last week after a spin, and 16th for the Grand Prix when one of his times was struck out. Still, Hamilton delivered one of his best drives of the year, cutting through the field on a wet track, and eventually finished seventh. After a move from Mercedes that stunned F1 last year, Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in a grand prix race with Ferrari, with a best finish of fourth. He did win a sprint race in China in March, but a double disqualification for technical infringements on Hamilton and Leclerc's cars in the Chinese Grand Prix the next day required a rethink of Ferrari's race set-ups. Leclerc is fifth in the standings, only one position ahead of Hamilton, but has five podium finishes in 2005. Last week, Hamilton said it was "crunch time" and revealed he's been holding a series of meetings with Ferrari executives to discuss improvements and ensure he has more of a say in how the team develops its car for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026.
News.com.au
43 minutes ago
- News.com.au
McLaren forced to sacrifice one driver as Oscar Piastri-Lando Norris strategy dilemma looms
McLaren faces a difficult choice of sacrificing one driver for the betterment of the team during Sunday night's Hungarian Grand Prix and it could cost Oscar Piastri dearly in his bid for a first world title. After Charles Leclerc stunned the F1 grid by claiming pole at the Hungarian GP on Saturday, world championship leader Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris had to settle for second and third, respectively. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. With Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton down in 12th, McLaren's two-against-one situation at the front of the grid gives them a theoretical advantage over Ferrari. But with the constructors' championship firmly in McLaren's grasp, it is the drivers' championship that poses the biggest headache for the team. Norris is 16 points behind Piastri in the championship standings after 13 of this year's 24 races. But this weekend's strategy could change the complexion of the championship. Given the difficulty of overtaking at the Hungaroring, the most effective way to make ground at the circuit is via an undercut – a pit stop strategy where a driver pits earlier than their rival to gain track position. That was on show last year when Norris controversially undercut leader Piastri. McLaren reversed their usual protocol of allowing the driver ahead on track to pit first to nullify the threat of Norris being undercut from those behind him, but that swapped the order of their drivers. After refusing on multiple occasions to allow Piastri to pass and return to the lead, Norris finally accepted the orders in the closing stages. But this time around, McLaren is widely expected to pit one of their cars early, which Sky Sports F1's Jamie Chadwick says will ultimately sacrifice one of them, which could ultimately turn the entire drivers' championship on its head. 'McLaren kind of needs to sacrifice one, almost, to help the other one if they really want to give themselves the best chance (of winning),' he said on the broadcast on Friday. If one driver pits early, they will be the one on the worn tyres towards the end of the race, but will likely have a positional advantage on a track where overtaking is tricky. And it appears most likely that Piastri would be the one to take the bullet, remaining out on the track, pushing Leclerc while Norris undercuts both the Aussie and the Ferrari driver. A perfect example of this strategy was at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, when Sebastian Vettel pitted from third place before Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who were ahead of him. With fresh tyres, Vettel produced a quick outlap compared to the slower inlap for those ahead of him, and by the time Leclerc exited the pits Vettel was able to jump into the race lead. That one move would ultimately result in him going on to register his 53rd and final F1 win. But regardless of strategy, Piastri believes both he and Norris will be given a chance by McLaren to win at the Hungaroring. 'I think we're both going to try and win the race. I think that's our goal,' he told Sky Sports F1. 'We'll have to wait and see what the weather does. It's a place where strategy is a factor as well. 'There are a lot of things where you can win or lose, but I'm sure we'll both be trying to win the race in our own right. 'Potentially [we need to be on different strategies], it depends on what our pace is like and where we end up after lap one. 'If you pit earlier, you can get the undercut but pay for that later in the stint. If you go later, then you've got to try to overtake on track, so there are pros and cons to both.'
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Shark attack: Pregnant TV host and wife of former NBA star Danilo Gallinari bitten by shark in Puerto Rico
A pregnant television presenter has revealed the horror moment when she was attacked by a shark close to shore at a resort in Puerto Rico. Eleonora Boi, shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram, describing the experience as the 'worst day of my life.' 'I never thought I could get attacked by a shark and I was near the shore and on a super crowded beach,' she wrote in the caption of the photo according to a translation. She explained that she had to have surgery for the injury she sustained on her leg. 'I was rushed to the rescue and the surgery to fix my poor bruised leg went well,' she said. Boi is the wife of former NBA star Danilo Gallinari, and expressed her gratitude for his support during the incident. 'I thank my husband . . . he gave me all his love and courage,' she added. 'Now I just have to recover from the great scare and try to forgive the great friend who betrayed me. Shark will be hearing from my legals soon.' Local police confirmed that a woman suffered an open wound to her thigh at Carolina Resort, Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported. 'Based on the photographs provided to us, we believe the characteristics of the bite could be consistent with those of a shark, but to validate this, a series of analyses would be necessary,' Nilda Jiménez said. Boi and Gallinari, who are both from Italy originally, married in July 2022 and share two children. Boi is a sports journalist and presenter and is pregnant with their third child. Danilo Gallinari is an accomplished Italian basketball forward who began his professional career in Italy before being selected 6th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
