Lamborghini advances hybrid tech with Sian supercar

MILAN -- Lamborghini will showcase advanced mild-hybrid technology that combines performance and weight saving in its Sian supercar that debuts at the Frankfurt auto show.

The 819-hp Sian will be Lamborghini's most powerful model to date, the automaker said in a news release.

The Sian's 785-hp V-12 engine is boosted by 34 hp from an electric motor to deliver the 819 hp.

The car accelerates from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in under 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of more than 350 kph.

The Sian represents the first step in Lamborghini's route to electrification, CEO Stefano Domenicali said in the release.

Lamborghini's Chief Technical Officer Maurizio Reggiani said the Sian's development focused on creating a hybrid system that provided the highest power possible via the lightest solution.

The Sian's weight-to-power ratio is less than the 1.98 kg/CV of the Aventador SVJ, the holder of the lap record at the Nuerburgring race track in Germany. It has the lowest weight-to-power ratio in the Lamborghini V-12 family, the company said.

The Sian's electric motor is built into the gearbox, which guarantees a boost in pickup and during gear shifting. No other mild-hybrid vehicle has ever had a direct connection between the electric motor and the wheels, Lamborghini said.

Thanks to the electric assist, the car has constant torque without any drop during gear shifting.

The Sian is the first production car to use a supercapacitor in a hybrid, Lamborghini said.

Supercapacitors have been used in Formula One racing in the Kers energy-recovery mechanisms. Compared to batteries, they maintain a long cycle lifetime and can be cycled hundreds of thousands of times with minimal change in performance but have a low energy density and so they cannot provide energy for a long time.

The supercapacitor is three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power, Lamborghini said.

The Sian has a newly developed regenerative braking system that can be charged and discharged with the same power unlike lithium ion batteries. This means the Sian's energy storage system is fully charged every time the vehicle brakes. The energy stored is immediately available up to 130 kph, improving responsiveness.

The Sian's cooling fins activate automatically without the help of support motors, thanks to the discharge temperature. At high temperatures, in fact, these materials rotate and change their position, conveying the air towards the mechanical elements, avoiding the weight of any motorized systems.

The Sian's name means lightning bolt in the Bolognese dialect of Italy where Lamborghini is based.