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Lamborghini's New V-8 Supercar Outmuscles Its V-12 Big Brother in Our Acceleration Testing
When I toured Lamborghini's plant during the Revuelto launch, I spied a Temerario off in a corner. Not much was said about it, but the implication was that it was destined to be the little brother to the Revuelto. Now we've tested it, and nothing can be further from the truth. Sure, it costs about $200,000 less and is decidedly smaller, at nearly 10 inches shorter, but both of those factors work in the Temerario's favor.
Beyond pure market positioning, the price difference ultimately comes from a couple of big choices. The Temerario's all-new aluminum spaceframe is one of them. Designed in conjunction with Audi, it is built at the German automaker's plant in Neckarsulm. The Revuelto, on the other hand, consists of a carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic center section built on-site at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata Bolognese plant, and the bespoke equipment needed to pull that off is not cheap.
Then there's the Temerario's engine, an all-new 4.0-liter V-8 that churns out 789 horsepower on its own and has an ungodly redline of 10,000 rpm. It's also twin-turbocharged, unlike the naturally aspirated V-12 in the Revuelto.
A 147-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the rapid-fire eight-speed dual-clutch transmission helps smooth the gaps at shift points and aids in keeping the battery topped up. The Temerario is all-wheel drive, but there's a 3.4-kWh battery between the seats instead of a driveshaft. A pair of axial-flow AC electric motors that likewise make 147 horsepower apiece power the front wheels. They can also provide pure electric driving, generate immense cross-axle torque vectoring, or plow energy back into the battery under braking. The car's total output is a healthy 907 horsepower. That seems low when you consider that the three electric motors each make 147 horses, but the thing is, the battery's maximum output is just 187 horsepower.
Still, that's enough to launch the Temerario into next year. It screams to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds, a tenth quicker than the Revuelto, and outpaces its older sibling by two-tenths to 100 mph, 4.4 to 4.6. It's also 0.3 second quicker in the quarter-mile, where it finished in 9.4 seconds at 150 mph versus the Revuelto's 9.7 seconds at 148 mph. Both cars are plug-in hybrids, but they recharge so fast in Corsa mode with the Recharge setting engaged that they were always full for every run we made.
HIGHS: Riotously quick, supremely agile, snappy transmission.
The Temerario was a bit slower (0.4 second) than the Revuelto around Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course at Lightning Lap, possibly because of slightly lower cornering grip. It orbited the skidpad at 1.08 g's on 255/35ZR-20 and 325/30ZR-21 tires, while the Revuelto pipped it with 1.10 g's on larger 265/35ZR-20 and 345/30ZR-21 rubber. You could argue that the Temerario needs less rubber because it weighs less, but the difference is laughably small—just 91 pounds on our scales. Its steering is fantastic, with clairvoyant effort buildup despite the lack of hydraulic power assist. Response is absolutely vicious in corners, with nary a whiff of understeer thanks to that heroic front-axle torque vectoring.
LOWS: Pedestrian powertrain noises, overly complex steering wheel, no memory for the front-axle lift.
When you first fire up the Temerario, the front axle remains electrically powered only for up to four miles if you're in Cittá (City) mode or until the engine warms up if you're not. When you're cruising around, try not to get confused by the overly complex steering wheel, which hides 10 buttons on the back of the spokes in addition to the numerous ones you can see on its face. Among the latter are those for the turn signals, which are much harder to master than a Tesla's. We'll note that there's no memory on the front-axle lift system, so yours better be sharp.
Choose Strada (Street) if you want to putt around casually, but don't expect much of an engine note if the transmission is in Drive, where you'll get loads of short-shifts, mechanical noise, and whirring fans. Sport is for the slightly more adventurous, but the engine sound doesn't get truly serious until you put it in manual mode and rev the snot out of it.
VERDICT: Don't let anyone tell you it's less capable than the Revuelto, as it's an absolute blast to drive and just as insanely quick.
Only then will the true nirvana of the Temerario be yours, and any thoughts that this is the little-bro Lambo will fade away.
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Specifications
Specifications
2026 Lamborghini Temerario
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, front and rear-motor, front/all-wheel drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $387,649/$605,749
Options: Alleggerita package with livery, $84,100; Verde Mercurius paint, $25,200; livery with color accent Rosso, $14,100; sport seats, $8600; Sonus Faber sound system, $6900; matte carbon center tunnel box, $6500; matte carbon air vents, $6300; gloss carbon-look air scoops, $5400; parking pack, $5100; gloss black Velador forged 20/21-inch wheels, $5000; carbon package for steering area, $4700; surround assistance package, $4300; carbon steering wheel with leather, $4300; front axle lift system, $4300; passenger display, $4300; gloss carbon mirrors, $4300; matte carbon-look kickplate, $4300; matte carbon instrument cluster, $2800; full high assistant package, $2800; Rosso brake calipers, $2100; unicolor leather and Corsa-Tex with contrast, $1400; titanium rim bolts, $1400; carbon-look V8 engine plate, $1400; matte black rear bumper central area, $1000; carbon wheel cap, $1000; travel package net, $1000; embroidered Lamborghini logo, $1000; matte black exhaust tailpipes, $1000; steering column with electric adjustment, $800; cup holders on dashboard, $800; floor mats with leather border, $700; gloss black rear Lamborghini logo, $700; ambient light RGB package, $500
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 789 hp, 538 lb-ft + 2 front AC motors, 147 hp, 254 lb-ft each + 1 rear AC motor, 147 hp and 110 lb-ft (combined output: 907 hp, 590 lb-ft; 3.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 7.2-kW onboard charger)
Transmissions: direct-drive/8-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/control arms
Brakes, F/R: 16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza Race
F: 255/35ZR-21 (97Y)
R: 325/30ZR-21 (108Y)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.6 in
Length: 185.3 in
Width: 78.6 in
Height: 47.3 in
Frunk Volume: 4 ft3
Curb Weight: 4199 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.1 sec
100 mph: 4.4 sec
130 mph: 7.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 9.4 sec @ 150 mph
170 mph: 12.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.7 sec
Top Speed (mfr claim): 213 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 143 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 281 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.08 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/19 mpg
Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 24 MPGe
EV Range: 4 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.