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Added on the 27/01/2023 05:37:08 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
Since its inception, the V12 engine has been considered the most refined and prestigious of powerplants, even more so since they were mounted in Lamborghinis. Bizzarrini created a V12 that was meant to give the company a chance to enter the world of racing. Instead, Ferruccio Lamborghini elected to turn it into a production engine for his new model, and so began the love affair that continues to this day.After the 350 GT and its derivatives, the V12 was mounted into the Miura in 1966, the Countach in 1971, and the Diablo in 1990 before finding its final home in the Murciélago. The versatility of the engine was proven when engineers fitted a 5.2 liter version of the engine to the LM 002, Lamborghini’s first Super SUV, in 1986. A special one-of-a-kind version of the LM 002 was also made, featuring a 7.2-litre 700 hp V12 usually used on offshore racing powerboats.
The Aventador engine was unveiled in 2011, producing 690 hp at 8250 rpm with 6.5-liter displacement. It was then modified for the LP 700-4 in 2013, the LP 750-4 in 2015, and the Superveloce in 2016. With the arrival of the SVJ in 2019, the engine output was increased to 759 hp, and in the 2021 Ultimae, the last of the road-going Aventadors, to 780 hp. The same engine is also fitted on the Essenza, a track-only car that is not subject to the constraints of road use homologation. In this configuration, the engine reaches 830 hp, a true marvel of modern engineering.
With a view to further improving weight distribution for the Countach, the design team used the same engine but relocated it to mid-rear position and rotated it an additional 90 degrees, basically 180 degrees compared to the first 350 GT. They mounted the gearbox in front of the engine, practically “in the cockpit”. In its final iteration, the Countach’s engine capacity had increased to 5.2 liters. With the model year 1986, the V12 mounted in the Countach was also homologated in the U.S. market. This milestone was achieved using electronic fuel injection, which replaced carburetors in markets where anti-pollution regulations were more stringent.
With Audi’s acquisition of a majority stake in Lamborghini, a period of sweeping change began. The new owners were aware of Lamborghini’s need to maintain its identity and exclusivity. Under the new ownership, a different approach was taken to the evolution of the V12. From achieving high power output, the focus began to shift toward volumetric efficiency to meet the increasingly stringent regulations. One example is that of the Murciélago, which was unveiled in 2001 with a 6.2-liter V12 engine that produced 580 hp. It was updated in 2007 with capacity increased to 6.5 liters and was capable of generating an impressive 670 hp. Moreover, the car was 100 kg lighter and the engine, upgraded in several areas, was fitted with dry-sump lubrication with oil recirculation using scavenge pumps. This allowed Lamborghini to reduce the distance between the crankshaft and the bottom of the car, which led to improved handling.The development of the V12 engine for the Murciélago allowed Lamborghini to find its own place within the realm of Audi, but it was the decision to design a new V12 from scratch, after 45 years, that allowed Lamborghini’s designers to set new goals and take advantage of new opportunities.
Work started in 1985 on the development of the V12 in preparation for its use on the new super sports car, Diablo, which would debut in 1990 with the engine capacity increased to 5.7 liters and power delivery of 492 hp at 6800 rpm. In its VT version presented in 1993, the Diablo was the first Lamborghini super sports car to also be available in a four-wheel drive version. The Diablo SV-R, on the other hand, was created to race in the Super Sport Trophy, which debuted as a support race at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thirty-two Diablo SV-Rs took part in what was Lamborghini’s largest ever racing program prior to the Super Trofeo championship inaugurated in 2009.The 1998 Diablo GT, essentially the first Diablo model to feature the styling elements of the second generation that would debut in 1999, brought further major technical upgrades to the engine. Of particular note was the adoption of an individual throttle body for each cylinder, a choice dictated by the desire to improve the engine’s throttle response. This change was significant as well as futuristic, considering that similar technology is integrated into the new Huracán GT3 that will be racing in 2023.
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