Lamborghini Chief Technology Officer Rouven Mohr: Hybrid is the best solution for the brand at present.

Author | Su Peng

At a critical juncture of the industry's major transformation, Lamborghini is considering how to maximize its performance advantages on the basis of electrification.

Lamborghini is one of the first ultra-luxury brands to introduce electrification. As early as 2021, Lamborghini announced a electrification development plan called "Direzione Cor Tauri," aiming to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of its products by 50% by 2025.

Lamborghini is also unprecedentedly investing in advancing hybrid transformation, with an investment of over 1.5 billion euros over four years, the largest scale investment in the brand's history.

The transformation is not slow to materialize. At the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, Lamborghini unveiled its first plug-in hybrid SUV, the Lamborghini Urus SE.

Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, referred to the launch of the Urus SE as another important milestone in the brand's electrification plan. After all, this is one of Lamborghini's most successful models and also the most powerful SUV on the market.

The wave of electrification has brought the automotive industry into the era of "performance equality," where the technological advantages of fuel-powered vehicles are being leveled by electric power. The kings that once represented performance and off-road totems are facing new challenges.

In the new era, Lamborghini needs to ensure the unique value of its brand and products, which is the underlying logic for wealthy consumers to foot the bill.

When asked by 36Kr AUTO, Rouven Mohr, Chief Technology Officer of Lamborghini, stated that design and performance are the key to the success of the Urus SE.

"No matter in China, the United States, or Japan, people can instantly recognize the Lamborghini Urus, which is highly recognizable. Owners also have similar feedback, which gives us great confidence," said Rouven Mohr.

The Lamborghini Urus SE remains the most powerful SUV, with a redesigned 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, delivering a maximum power of 620 horsepower and a peak torque of 800 Nm. The engine works in cooperation with the electric power system to achieve a combined output power of 800 horsepower and a combined torque of 950 Nm.

Rouven Mohr also believes that a hybrid model that combines high performance and driving passion, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, is the best choice for Lamborghini at this stage. However, electrification remains the direction for Lamborghini's future development.

Last year, Lamborghini showcased the Lanzador concept car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which is a pure electric vehicle and a super GT model more suitable for daily driving. This car is planned to be mass-produced in 2028.

Lanzador will be the fourth model in Lamborghini's product lineup, leading Lamborghini into a further future.

The following is an excerpt from the Q&A session with Rouven Mohr, Chief Technology Officer of Lamborghini, and Mitja Borkert, Director of the Lamborghini Design Center, as they spoke with 36Kr AUTO and other media (with some modifications):

Q: The Urus SE has incorporated many new design languages. Which of these design languages will be used in future models, such as the successor to the Huracán?

A: For Lamborghini, design DNA is crucial. Whether it's the silhouette of the car body from a distance or the cockpit, a Lamborghini can be recognized at a glance. On this basis, we have also given each product line, including Revuelto, Huracán, Urus, and the Lanzador concept car, their own highly recognizable iconic designs. For example, the Y-shaped headlights of the Revuelto and the Urus SE are inspired by the tail of the bull, which symbolizes the Lamborghini brand.

This is very important because Lamborghini's design style is very diverse. We can create very simple, pure, and elegant designs, such as the Urus SE and Contouch, which are very elegant. On the other hand, we also have very avant-garde and bold designs, such as the Terzo Millenio, Vision GT, Huracán STO, Sián, and the LMDh race car.

These are all unique design languages of Lamborghini. We will give each model its iconic design based on its positioning and mission, which we call the "core iconic" design concept.

Q: For high-performance ultra-luxury brands like Lamborghini, which new energy form does Lamborghini believe is the better choice?

A: From the perspective of the niche market in which Lamborghini operates, the main reason for customers to purchase a car is not for daily travel needs, but for the ultimate pursuit of driving passion and experience. Our customers still want vehicles with internal combustion engines, so a hybrid model that combines high performance and driving passion, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, is the best choice for us at this stage.

However, electrification remains the direction for Lamborghini's future development. Our first pure electric vehicle is not a supercar, but a super GT model more suitable for daily driving, the Lanzador. We showcased the Lanzador concept car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last year, and it is planned to be mass-produced in 2028, becoming the fourth model in Lamborghini's product lineup.

Q: Can you briefly introduce the design highlights of the Urus SE? What is your favorite design element personally?

A: First of all, I am personally very confident in the design of the Urus because this model embodies the elegance of Lamborghini's design DNA. When designing, we have to respect the classic design style of the previous generation Urus, so it is not an easy task for the designers. The all-new Urus SE is the most perfect Urus model we have designed, and the design of the new car is perfectly integrated with the power system. I believe that the roads in China are also very suitable for driving the Urus SE, and it is a powerful Lamborghini.

The all-new Urus SE is the most powerful SUV. Our design language is often related to animals, such as the shark nose at the front of the vehicle, as well as the appropriate muscularity, as if bringing the Urus to the gym for shaping, not to increase muscle, but to make the body structure more perfect.

We can also see more three-dimensional shapes, a more prominent front face, and the classic design of the grille. We have also cleverly extended the design elements to the rear, making all the lines slightly lower. I also like the rear grille design inspired by the Gallardo.

Q: What targeted improvements and optimizations did Lamborghini make in the development of the all-new Urus SE?

A: The Urus has opened up a new segment in the market, and one of the secrets to its success is listening to the feedback and voices of the owners. Our success is mainly based on design and performance. First is the design, the proportion of the Urus body is still unique.

From the beginning of the design, we wanted to create a car like this, so we integrated the Lamborghini brand DNA and put in a lot of work and effort, which was a great success. Whether in China, the United States, or Japan, people can instantly recognize the Lamborghini Urus, which is highly recognizable. Owners also have similar feedback, which gives us confidence.

Second is performance. Although new models have appeared in the market in recent years, adopting different concepts, they have never been able to combine performance with the other two aspects as perfectly as Lamborghini. Lamborghini not only focuses on performance, but presents as a super SUV with overall consistency, a perfect combination of design, performance, and passion. Lamborghini's models combine the above three points, and design and performance complement the driving passion. I am very confident about this, and customers have also given us such feedback: so far, no other brand has been able to do this.

Lamborghini is now further raising the benchmark through the Urus SE. We have witnessed the return of the king, and the performance of the Urus SE is the strongest in its class, with the added benefit of a hybrid system, which can bring more driving pleasure, and even make drifting easy.

Q: How does Lamborghini balance the performance and intelligence of its products? Among the Chinese brands you are familiar with, which vehicle designs do you find particularly commendable?

A: I believe that the performance and intelligence of a product are essentially complementary, rather than being mutually exclusive. It is important for us to continuously improve the performance of the vehicles, because for Lamborghini, performance is not just about the 0-100 kilometers per hour acceleration time. In the era of electrification, electric models can easily achieve excellent 0-100 kilometers per hour acceleration performance, even small cars, vans, SUVs, or any electric vehicle can achieve similar acceleration performance. But the most important difference is whether you can feel the driving passion. And this is exactly the goal of Lamborghini: to provide customers with the best driving experience and passion in its class. Intelligence can also help us achieve this goal, such as the connectivity of the infotainment system with mobile devices, remote online upgrades, and so on.

In terms of driving passion, connectivity services can also help enhance the performance of the vehicles. Whether on the track or on mountain roads, our existing patented technologies and artificial intelligence can enhance the driving experience. Intelligence brings convenience to life and enriches the driving experience. In terms of the Lamborghini brand philosophy, we are also working in this area. More importantly, we will use the latest technology in intelligent connectivity to enhance the driving experience, and believe that it will bring even more exciting driving experiences in the future.

Overall, the technology of some Chinese brands is impressive, but for me, what is most special is their speed of development and updates, as well as the speed of application of technology by domestic manufacturers.