Bye-bye to the pure V12.

Bugatti going Croatian (and electric). And now, the final atmospheric V12 Lamborghini. It has been a tough week for supercar fans.

Lamborghini has announced that its fabled naturally-aspirated V12 engine, is being phased out. The final product to use this powerplant will be the brand’s Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimate.

Reality has finally caught up with Lamborghini’s ambitions and the company can no longer resist legislations around fleet vehicle emissions. This might not mean an end to V12 engines for Lamborghinis, but in future, they most certainly will be hybridized.

In typical Italian style, Lamborghini is making its very last naturally-aspirated V12 engines the most potent. Powering the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimate will be a 574 kW version of the huge 6.5-litre V12. That makes this final Aventador V12, 29 kW more potent than an Aventador S and 7 kW stronger than the SVJ edition.

The engine doesn’t lack for torque, either, at 720 Nm. Harnessed by all-wheel drive, the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimate has prodigious performance. Lamborghini claims 0-100 kphin only 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 355 kph.

For many prospective owners, the true appeal of this Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimate is not the statistics, but rather the linear power delivery of its engine, undiluted by turbocharging. The result? A usable engine speed ceiling of 8 500 rpm, which conclusively makes the case of why enthusiast drivers will miss naturally-aspirated engines, so much.

The overall design is slightly more to the theme of legacy instead of outrageous hypercar drama, although Lamborghini has not been shy with the presence of carbon fibre. That helps trim the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimate’s weight to only 1 550 kg. Not bad, for a V12-powered supercar.

How many of these final naturally-aspirated V12 Lamborghinis will there be? Total production will peak at only 600 units, with 350 of those being coupes and the balance, being roadsters.

Related content

Lamborghini Joins Electric Party

Lamborghini SC20 Is a 1-Off Hypercar