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Lamborghini Sián Roadster revealed

July 9, 2020July 15, 2020 John Carey 2311 Views electric lamborghini, lamborghini, mild hybrid, sian roadster, supercapacitor

Looks wild, but really it’s mild. The Lamborghini Sián Roadster, revealed in Italy overnight, adds only a tiny low-voltage boost to the high-revving output of its 6.5-litre V12.

The small electric motor installed between the car’s mid-mounted engine and seven-speed transmission contributes only 4 percent of its 602kW maximum power output. Still, Lamborghini claims the car is capable of ripping 0-100km/h in under 2.8 seconds and hitting 350km/h.

Though “Ahead of its Time” was the line Lamborghini used to hype the unveiling of the open-top two-seater, this tech isn’t actually new. The all-wheel-drive Roadster’s drivetrain is exactly the same as that found in the coupe version of the Sián first shown in September 2019, including its Aventador V12-based engine.

The only truly innovative feature of Lamborghini’s mild-hybrid tech is its use of a supercapacitor instead of a lithium-ion battery pack to store electricity.

The company claims their supercapacitor delivers power at three times the rate a battery pack of the same weight could manage. The supercapacitor can also recharge at exactly the same power rate as it discharges, something battery packs cannot.

Lightness is another plus point. The supercapacitor built into the bulkhead between the Sián Roadster’s cabin and engine compartment and its small 48-volt motor together add only 34kg to the car’s total weight.

Like the earlier coupe, the Roadster is a limited edition. The Lamborghini factory near Bologna will build only 19 open Siáns, compared to 63 of the hardtop version. Every one of the Roadsters has already been sold – and none are coming to Australia, partly because all will have the steering wheel on the left.

The launch colour, especially chosen for the Sián Roadster by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile, doesn’t sound great in English, but customers will be able to choose not to have Blu Uranus.

There will be more hybrids from Lamborghini. The company is heading “towards a tomorrow demanding electrification,” said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali. So the mildly electric Sián Roadster is just a foretaste of wilder things to come…

John Carey

Grew up in country NSW, way back when petrol was laced with lead. Has written about cars and the car business for more than 35 years, working full-time and freelance for leading mags, major newspapers and websites in Australia and (sometimes) overseas. Avidly interested in core EV technologies like motors and batteries, and believes the switch to electromobility definitely should be encouraged. Is waiting patiently for someone to make a good and affordable EV that will fit inside his tiny underground garage in northern Italy, where he's lived for the past decade. Likes the BMW i3, but it's just too damned wide...