Lamborghini’s legendary V12 through the years

With the Italian marque taking the wraps off its latest V12 supercar, it’s time to look back the lineage of mid-engined Lamborghinis that brought us to this moment.

If there is one engine that defines Italian supercar maker Lamborghini, it’s the V12. Yes, there have been V8-powered Lambos, as well as V10, but the company’s flagship engine remains, and has always been, the V12.

For much of Lamborghini’s existence, there have been just two generations of V12 from Sant’Agata. The first, starting out life with 3465cc capacity, underpinned the Italian manufacturer’s first-ever car, the front-engined Lamborghini 350 GT (pictured, below).

The bones of that original Giotto Bizzarrini-designed V12 remained in service for over 50 years, powering everything from mid-engine supercars, to front-engine GT cars and even an SUV. The last car to receive the soul of Bizzarrini’s beating heart was the Murcielago.

When Lamborghini launched the Aventador in 2011, it did so with the first all-new V12 since the 350 GT’s original 3.5-litre unit. Designed in-house, the 6498cc V12 initially made 515kW and 690Nm. By the end of its life in the Aventador, those outputs had grown to 574kW and 720Nm.

While the second-generation V12 found a home in several special limited edition Lambos, such as the Sian and Countach LPI 800-4, its primary function was to power the Aventador.

Which brings us neatly to the third-generation V12 from Sant’Agata, found at the heart of the all-new Lamborghini Revuelto. With an internal code of L545, Lamborghini’s new 6.5-litre V12 engine pumps out 607kW and 725Nm on its own. But, in a new modern twist for Lambo, that V12 unit is augmented by three electric motors – two on the front axle powering each wheel, and the third fitted to the gearbox to help drive the rear wheels.

All up, the V12 and three electric motors working together make an astonishing 747kW, making the Revuelto (above) the most powerful Lamborghini ever made.

Lambo’s newest is the latest in a very short line of mid-engined, V12-powered supercars from the iconic Italian manufacturer. Just five mid-engine models have thundered and raged on the world’s roads over the past 57 years, each iconic, each redefining the supercar genre.

Lamborghini Miura

Arguably the most beautiful car ever made, the Miura holds the distinction of being the first mid-engine, high-performance car. It’s also credited with being the first supercar, creating a blueprint that lives on to this today.

At time of its launch in 1966 the Miura was the world’s fastest road car, hitting a top speed, in its most potent SV incarnation, of 290km/h.

With a transversely-mounted V12, the Miura’s 3929cc unit was initially good for 257kW. By the end of its production run in 1973, outputs had increased to 283kW. Lamborghini produced just 764 Miuras over its seven-year lifespan from 1966-73.

Lamborghini Countach

If the Marcello Gandini-designed Miura stunned with its seductive curves, then his follow-up shocked, awed and wowed in equal measure. Little wonder then the Lamborghini Countach’s name is derived from a Piedmontese exclamation of wonderment with no direct translation but loosely meaning ‘wow’ or ‘goodness’.

Initially, displacement for the longitudinally-mounted V12 came in at 3929cc, making 283kW. By the end of its 17-year model life in 1990, those numbers had grown to 5167cc and 335kW.

Lamborghini produced a total of 1983 Countach over the model’s 17-year run from 1974-1990. Those 1983 cars spawned millions of posters across millions of walls, sparking millions of dreams, including those of this writer. For many, the Countach remains the ultimate supercar.

Lamborghini Diablo

Creating a replacement for the outrageous Countach was not going to be easy but in 1990, the Gandini-designed Diablo stunned with its sleek lines, with an altogether smoother profile than the car it replaced, yet still unmistakably a Lamborghini.

Initially, the Diablo’s V12 displaced 5707cc and was good for 357kW. By the end of its production run in 2001, displacement had grown to 5992cc and power increased to 423kW.

Lamborghini underwent a change of ownership during the Diablo’s production and by the time the final iteration –the Luc Donckerwolke-penned 6.0 VT – was rolling out of the Sant’Agata factory, the Italian manufacturer was firmly under the stewardship of German giant, Audi. A total of 2884 Diablos were made between 1990 and 2001.

Fun factoid. The Diablo started life in 1990 with pop-up headlights, but when regulatory changes required fixed lights, Lamborghini turned to… Nissan. Look closely at fixed-light versions of the Diablo and you’ll recognise the headlights from a 300ZX.

Lamborghini Murcielago

The first Lambo designed and built completely under Audi’s ownership, the fearsome Murcielago provided a fitting swan song to Giotto Bizzarrini’s legendary V12.

Initial specifications called for 6192cc and 427kW but by the end of the model’s lifecycle, those numbers had grown to 6496cc and 493kW.

Designed by Luc Donckerwolke, the Murcielago remained in production from 2011 to 2010 with a total of 4099 produced.

Named after a famed fighting bull from 1870s, Murcielago is also the Spanish word for ‘bat’. Fitting then that the Murcielago enjoyed a starring role in several Batman movies, including 2005’s Batman Begins and its sequel, The Dark Knight.

When production wound down on 5 November 2010, Lambo also called time on this generation of the venerable V12 that had been in service since the company’s foundation in 1963. Well played, Bizzarrini, well played.

Lamborghini Aventador

When Lamborghini took the wraps off the Aventador in 2011, it also introduced the world to its first all-new V12 engine since 1963.

With an internal code of LB834, the 6498cc 60-degree V12 initially pumped out 515kW but by the end of its life in 2023, was good for 575kW.

A total of 11,465 Aventadors, each of them hand-built, rolled out of Lamborghini Sant’Agata factory, the first and last model to receive this generation of V12 which has been now been consigned to history.

In its place, a plug-in hybrid V12 underpins the all-new Lamborghini Revuelto, unveiled to the public just last week. The technology may have changed, ensuring the most advanced Lamborghini ever produced now boasts an electrified powertrain, but its core, its very essence is still embodied by a bellowing V12 mounted amidships.

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