Lamborghini says it expected criticism after retiring the Huracán V10

Lamborghini knew it was taking a risk by replacing the Huracán’s high-revving naturally aspirated V10 with a smaller, turbocharged and hybridised V8, and its product chief says the firm was prepared for a backlash.

"We were expecting some kind of criticism," said Paolo Racchetti, Temerario product line director.

The new Temerario packs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 working with three electric motors and retains a screaming 10,250-rpm redline. Lamborghini says the V8 has a different character to the old V10 — sharper and more 'rock-and-roll' rather than the V10’s more melodic tone.

That melodic V10 was, Racchetti says, central to what the Huracán was. Its naturally aspirated character, high revs and soundtrack helped define the model in the eyes of many enthusiasts.

"I mean, it’s not criticism, it’s a bit of nostalgic behavior, because we knew that we were leaving something really valuable. We knew that the naturally aspirated V10 was an asset for the Huracan. It was basically defining the whole car, the sound of the car itself," said Paolo Racchetti, Temerario product line director.

Why Lamborghini says it moved on

Lamborghini points to tightening emissions and noise regulations as a major reason for downsizing large-displacement, naturally aspirated engines. The company has leaned into turbocharging and electrification as the practical route to keep combustion engines viable.

From a business perspective, Lamborghini says the Temerario has attracted strong demand — enough to build up roughly a year’s worth of orders — which suggests buyers are willing to accept fewer cylinders and added electrification in exchange for modern performance.

The 4.0-litre unit will also be used by Audi in a limited-run model called the Nuvolari, Lamborghini says, underlining the engineering investment behind the new engine rather than a simple downsizing exercise.

Lamborghini’s internal research reportedly found 'close to zero' customer interest in a purely electric car, and CEO Stephan Winkelmann has been quoted calling electric cars an "expensive hobby" in the high-end supercar segment — comments that help explain why combustion, albeit hybridised, remains central to the marque for now.

For now, Lamborghini appears to have moved on from the V10 chapter. The Temerario represents a new formula of fewer cylinders, turbochargers and electric assistance — different, deliberate and, according to the company, popular with buyers.