Lamborghini Revuelto Review: Looks Like A Proper Lambo, But Is It?

Driving a Lamborghini is like performing a public service, really. In the time I’ve spent with this Lamborghini Revuelto, for instance, I’ve seen pedestrians stop, stare and smile. I’ve seen passengers poking phones out of car windows to film, and drivers enthusiastically giving me the thumbs up. 

Of course, some people get a little carried away (I’m looking at you, BMW 118i driver who was glued to my back bumper on the A414), but that the Revuelto elicits as much joy from members of the public as an Aventador or Huracan suggests it’s a proper Lamborghini. But then, looking at the spec sheet, I have doubts.

It’s all about the complexity of this thing. Yes, there’s still a big V12 stuffed in the middle as on the Aventador this car replaces, but the new 6.5-litre unit is rotated 180 degrees and has a new eight-speed dual-clutch sat at the arse end of the car, rather than an endearingly clunky robotised manual. What’s more, above that transmission is an electric motor, complemented by two further axial flux electric motors on the front axle, making the Revuelto all-wheel drive despite the V12 being reserved for the rear wheels only.

All of this is fed by a 3.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which even gives six miles of electric-only running (with 3-4 miles being a more realistic figure IRL), predominantly through the front wheels, although the rear-most motor can even spin the gearbox, so you still get four driven hoops even in EV mode. 

All of this sounds very clever. Perhaps too clever. I’m not going to suggest Lamborghini supercars have been simple in the last 20 or so years because that’s not true, but what we’re looking at here feels like a level of science you’d normally find in Maranello, not Sant'Agata.

Pulling away for the first time in the electric mode (with a big ‘E’ logo on the digital dash sporting a bull’s horns along the top – a nice touch), it’s all so smooth and relaxing. Even flicking from Città (city) to Strada, which wakes up the V12, the experience is far less stressful than being in an Aventador, with smooth shifts from that new transmission. Plus, with the adaptive dampers in the softer of the two modes, the ride isn’t that bad. 

 

What made the old Aventador so wonderful is that it was arguably the last ‘true’ supercar. It was often a pain to drive ‘normally’ like supercars of old, especially its ancestor, the Countach. That made driving one something of an ‘event’, and when you were finally on the right road, all the more rewarding.

It’s OK, though, as it turns out the Revuelto makes up for it by being utterly batshit at full chat. Those motors I mentioned earlier combine with the internal combustion engine to develop – wait for it – 1001bhp in Corsa mode, and even in Sport, there’s still 895bhp to play with. And with the motors providing a torque-filling duty at lower revs, the Revuelto is always ready to build speed at an astonishing rate regardless of where the revs are at.

The innate response of a big naturally aspirated engine like this, meanwhile, is enhanced further. This is a car that will do one of two things when you press the accelerator – leave you speechless, or force you to blurt out a succession of ever more creative swear words. It’s also fabulous to be able to have the odd glance out the rear-view mirror, where you’ll see the mostly exposed top of the engine proudly on display, with a heat shimmer gently rising from the cylinder heads.

The old Aventador was at its best when skirting around the redline, but the top end here, a heady 9500rpm, doesn’t need to be reached for the V12 to make a huge impression. And in any case, it’s not really somewhere you can find yourself when driving on the road - in the top end of first gear, the Revuelto is doing more than 60mph.

That makes it matter less than the rev limiter is now of the soft variety (I used to adore smashing into the hard limiter on the Aventador). It helps further that somehow, the new 12-banger sounds even sweeter. It’s a richer, more cultured noise that might just be the best sound in the automotive world right now.

What’s remarkable is just how cleanly all of that hybridised anger is delivered to the road, considering how much of the total power figure is lobbed at the rear tyres. A combination of exceptional rear traction and a suite of electronics that gets on with the job of managing all that power and torque without feeling like it’s impeding your progress means it rarely feels like there’s too much for the car to cope with.

In the corners, meanwhile, it’s surprising just how neutral the Revuelto feels given the rearward power bias. In the angrier modes, it starts to feel a little spicier, but never like you’re about to rotate your way into a hedge. The Revuelto is incredibly nimble for something weighing around 1,800kg with fluids, too, with the rear-wheel steering system doing a very good job of masking that figure and helping the car change direction with savage effectiveness.

The steering is on the lighter side, but it still delivers a decent degree of feedback, and on bumpier roads, quite a lot of kickback, especially if you’re in the firmer suspension mode. You’re certainly kept busy - factor in that obscene power figure and you’ve a driving experience that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

For pure driving thrills alone, it’s better than an Aventador, better than any version of the Huracan, and perhaps every other current supercar. But is it a proper Lamborghini? Well, along with the necessary theatricality of the looks that garner plenty of admirers as already noted, there are quirks aplenty, just as a Lambo should have.

Sliding behind the wheel, nothing is where you expect it to be, with the company’s aversion to traditional instrument stalks still very much on display. I can’t get a Bluetooth connection to my phone to work for more than about three minutes, and the seats are hilariously uncomfortable, with a lack of lower back support giving me aches within an hour behind the wheel. The speedometer overreads massively (indicated 70mph is actually 63mph according to GPS), and when I put a bit of fuel in it, I could only get a litre at a time in before the pump clicked in process.

Yes, this is a far easier car to drive normally than the old Aventador, but there are still loads of annoying little bits you’re happy to overlook as ‘character’. And yes, it’s the most complicated non-limited Lamborghini ever, but all that tech merely enhances the more old-school aspect of the package, that magnificent engine, rather than taking anything away.

All of this cleverness comes with a dramatic price increase compared to the Aventador - the Revuelto starts at £450,000. Which is a lot of money. Ask one of those people excitedly pointing a mobile phone camera at the car if they’d buy one if their lottery numbers ever came up, though, and I’m sure the answer would be ‘yes’. It certainly would be for me.