Following comments by the Volkswagen Group of America CEO at the New York Auto Show last week, a lot of press are surmising that the rumored R8 successor sharing platform and drivetrain with the Lamborghini Temerario are dead on arrival. I don’t agree and I’ve already made that case (HERE), so I’m going to keep focusing on what we know about the Temerario. Fortunately, with the car about to hit market, Lamborghini is more than a willing dance partner when it comes to providing details, video and sound of the car.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS FROM A FACTORY TEST DRIVER
Andrea Caldarelli is a member of Squadra Corsa, and specifically a factory driver for Lamborghini who will be one of the trio of drivers contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #19 Lamborghini SC63 LMDH racecar alongside Romain Grosjean and Matteo Cairoli. Calderelli recently had a chance to push the new Temerario on the Misano Adriatico circuit.
Like his Le Mans spec racing prototype, the Temerario road car features a hybrid powertrain with a twin turbocharged V8 at the heart of the formula. In the case of the Temerario, it’s a 4.0-liter V8 twin turbo paired with three electric motors for a combined total of 907 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. The car itself is capable of 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 213 mph.
Of particular note for the Temerario is the technical specification of that V8, solutions pulled from lessons learned from racing. A flat-plane crankshaft design provides optimal fluid dynamics thanks to an even firing order between the two cylinder banks. It’s also got titanium connecting rods, chosen for both strength and lightness. Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coats the finger followers, increasing strength so as to allow these components to withstand speeds up to 11,000 rpm. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that such an exotic engine creates a very wonderful sound.
“Temerario is an incredible super sports car,” says Caldarelli, “that combines top level performance with a distinctly fun-to-drive character. What’s more, the V8 engine provides an unlimited progression, and as the tachometer climbs toward 10,000, you have the sensation of being behind the wheel of a race car, characterized by a unique sound and an authentic and compelling driving experience.”
During his time with the car, Caldarelli was also able to sample two driving functions that will augment the Temerario experience for any driver – Launch Control and Drift Mode.
With Launch Control, drivers are able to experience the car launching from a standing start at its fullest potential. This is activated by pressing the button with checkered flag icon on the center of the rotary switch positioned on the left side of the steering wheel.
With Drift Mode, the car is capable of helping the driver induce and maintain controlled oversteer. The function is managed via the lower right rotary switch on the steering wheel and has three different levels: Level 1 facilitating oversteer while maintaining a limited yaw angle, on up to Level 3 designed for expert drivers to really hang it out there for a much wider yaw angle.
WHAT ABOUT AUDI?
It’s still unknown if this R8 successor will happen. Rumors within the European press speaking to German executives seem to think that it’s still on… at least it was before the recent trade war began. A serious hit to Audi’s core business may hurt projects that are more flight of fancy than core product for business, Even still, such a car would be a notable accent to launching a brand new F1 team as Audi intends to do in early 2026.
For now, keep your fingers crossed and the volume up while watching the embedded video above.
