Lamborghini Temerario

New-era ‘junior’ Lambo has Ferrari squarely in its sights Picture ‘a Lamborghini’ and the brain drifts to visions of some vast V12-propelled supercar from another planet. The Sant’Agata flagships are monumental in both attitude and performance; in so many ways they embody the brand. But since 2003, the company’s commercial bedrock has always been found elsewhere.In recent times, the Urus SUV has taken up this critical role. These days, one in every two Lamborghinis is a Urus. Before then, for nearly 20 years – since Audi took over – financial security was provided by a ‘junior’ supercar that combined 4WD with a sensational naturally aspirated V10 engine. Some variations on this theme were far better than others but, broadly speaking, were it not for the combined efforts of the Gallardo and its progeny, the Huracán, there is a fair chance the world would be one Italian supercar maker poorer.Those shrieking V10 cars democratised (we use the word loosely) the Lamborghini experience. In handling terms, they also took the fight to Ferrari and Porsche. By the time it bowed out with the RWD Tecnica in 2024, the Huracán could legitimately claim to be a finely honed driving tool – one that carried by far the most enthralling engine in the class.That engine is now dead, finished off by drive-by noise and emissions regulations. Its successor is the ‘L411’ twin-turbo V8, whose performance is boosted by a trio of e-motors. It spins to 10,000rpm. The car that houses this heady set-up is the new Temerario – understudy to the hulking, V12 hybrid Revuelto but, as we’ll discover, to all intents and purposes no slower.The Temerario joins the PHEV club, alongside the Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren Artura. It is the most powerful of the three supercars and could be dynamite from a handling perspective, if the agility and poise of the Revuelto (which uses an identical layout) is anything to go by. Could Lamborghini, for the very first time, become the class leader?