Last year, Italian supercar maker Lamborghini unveiled its first plug-in hybrid. The Reveulto formula combines a new V12 gasoline engine and 3 electric motors to generate an impressive 1,001 horsepower and more than 800 pound-feet of torque, earning it the name “the ultimate toughest plug-in hybrid on the market. “
Now, the brand is bringing its hybrid experience to the motorsports circuit with the SC63 hypercar, an electrified race car that harnesses the power of a 3. 8-liter twin-turbo V8 and combines it with a 50-kilowatt Bosch electric motor. Lamborghini is no stranger to the motorsport circuit and has enjoyed 15 years of good luck with its Huracán GT3 race car; however, 2024 is the first time it has entered the prototype categories of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the International Motor Sports Association.
Historically, founder Ferruccio Lamborghini believed that racing takes time and money; He had the idea that he didn’t want motorsport to influence the price of his cars. Today it’s a different game,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Car and Driver.
“Trends change and there are also technical reasons,” Winklemann said. “We are in the midst of a transition from the ICE engine to the plug-in hybrid. Endurance races give us the opportunity to check the materials.
What’s more, he said, seeing electrified systems in motorsports is helping consumers accustomed to V8 and V12 engines settle for electrified production cars.
With the finishing touch to this month’s 12 Hours of Sebring, Raging Bull has added a great logo to its first year of prototype racing. Aerodynamically specific and fast, the SC63 hints at its Lamborghini lineage, but it doesn’t look like its road. According to racing rules, the car had to meet length requirements, but lead designer Mitja Borkert incorporated the unique Y-shaped taillights and an air-intake-animated front end of the legendary Countach model into the logo.
The V8 was developed specifically to compete with the Raging Bull with a ‘cold V’ configuration, meaning that the turbos are fixed on the outside of the block’s V-shape and not inside the V, a characteristic of a ‘hot V’. ‘. installation. This arrangement makes it easier for mechanics to access the turbos for maintenance and provides the added benefit of easier cooling. By knocking the turbos out of the engine, the car has a lower mass and makes the most of its center of gravity. Ultimately, this produces optimal balance and consistent track speed in the short and long term.
Detailed thermal control is key in the race and the prototype has a further 8 radiators. This includes two intercoolers, which cool the compressed air from the turbocharger before it enters the engine, as well as radiators for the gearbox, energy recovery system, electric garage system, etc. Overall, the car was built to make worst-case heat scenarios (especially in hot and humid Florida) as thermally effective as possible.
The drivers also gave their opinion. Lamborghini prototype driver Romain Grosjean has enjoyed hybrid racing in Formula 1 and consulted with engineers to refine the LMDh formula and guide wheel design.
The SC63 didn’t win the race, but that wasn’t the goal of the supercar logo. Finally, seventh, the Lamborghini race car ended up intact, sharing knowledge and enjoying that the logo will be used in long-distance racing and even on production cars.
“The [race car] is still very fast because it’s super sophisticated,” Rouven Mohr, head of lead generation, told Car and Driver, “but the new generation of surprise shock absorbers, which today is found in a high-performance car, was noticed a few years ago in racing cars: multi-directional adjustment, friction optimization. That’s all we’ve learned about [race cars] as well, to minimize any and all friction on your suspension. This is anything you can use for the tram, even if you’re not dressed in the hanger.
Grosjean said he was pleased with the result, especially as the 12 Hours of Sebring is one of the toughest races on the market due to the track’s uneven and asymmetrical surface. “It’s a positive step that we controlled to finish the race and in the future. “
Mohr shares his enthusiasm and that Sebring can inform about the logo and make improvements.
“I’m very happy with the result of No. 63; to finish seventh and on the same lap as the race winner is an incredible achievement,” said Mohr. “Of course, there are things to do better and we are aware that we want to close the gap at the front of the peloton, which is still quite far away at the moment. “
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