I always thought of the Lamborghini Aventador as the last true supercar. Just like the difficult-to-drive Countach that came a few generations before, it was unashamedly annoying to drive at anything other than full chat.
The single-clutch paddle-shift gearbox was clunky unless changing up at full throttle and near the redline. The ride was bone-shakingly firm, and it was difficult to see out of. And nothing, from the electric window switches to the indicators, was quite where you expected it to be.
Its replacement, the Lamborghini Revuelto, makes life much easier. It has a new dual-clutch gearbox that actually works at low speeds, and what’s more, city driving is eerily relaxing thanks to the full electric mode of the hybrid powertrain. Meanwhile, it’s easier to see out of the back, as Lamborghini hasn’t bothered fitting an engine cover at all. Even the ride isn’t that bad on lumpy surfaces.
Lamborghini Revuelto – driving
This is a worry, as a flagship Lamborghini has to be a bit silly and difficult to manage when driven ‘normally’. That’s what makes every drive an ‘event’, and what makes these cars so rewarding when you do finally have the chance to open the taps. But worry not – as I found from our test of the car recently, it has plenty of ‘quirks’.
The seats, for one thing – there’s a noticeable lack of lumbar support, so after not much more than an hour behind the wheel, I had back ache. And, when it came to filling the thing up, the petrol pump clicked in protest – I kid you not – with every single litre of unleaded delivered, as though the tank was full. Thankfully, it only needed a bit of a splash, or I’d have been there all day.
Lamborghini Revuelto – interior
Normally, modern speedometers barely overread, but at an indicated 70, the Revuelto test car was doing 63 according to GPS. Oh, and I couldn’t get a Bluetooth connection with my phone for more than two minutes before it dropped out. These might have had something to do with us using a pre-production prototype with early software, but it’s hard to know until we try a later car.
Just like the Aventador, the Huracan and the Temerario that replaced the latter, there aren’t instrument stalks. Yep, everything’s peppered onto the steering wheel, which looks enormously complicated thanks to all the new controls for the hybrid stuff, which, by the way, are tricky to get a handle on as well. And speaking of switchgear, it took me ages to find the button for the interior door release, as the symbol looks like it should be for the electric windows (which use an extremely similar logo).
Lamborghini Revuelto – wheel
All of this fills me with joy. It’s as it should be. The car has all the quirks it needs to be a ‘real’ Lambo, and, as explained in our full Lamborghini Revuelto review, the kind of thrilling drive something from Sant’Agata simply must. What a car.
