The New Era: Soneira’s Vision for Lamborghini R&D
The person who will define how the next generation of Lamborghinis drive, sound, and perform comes not from the world of naturally aspirated exotica but from the heart of Audi’s electric vehicle program. Fermín Soneira will join Automobili Lamborghini on July 1, succeeding Rouven Mohr and taking responsibility for Research & Development and Motorsport, overseeing the brand’s technical strategy.
Mohr, who served as Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer since January 2022, moved to the Board of Management of Audi AG as its CTO on March 1, 2026. The rotation is a familiar Volkswagen Group maneuver, but the profile of his successor tells a pointed story. Soneira’s resume includes significant Audi electrification work, including oversight of the Q4, Q6, Q8, A6 e-tron, and e-tron GT product lines, and raises a question that will define the brand’s next chapter: can deep EV expertise translate into something that still feels unmistakably Lamborghini?
Soneira’s Electrification Expertise: A Deep Dive
Born in Gijón, Spain, in 1972, Soneira holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering from the University of Oviedo and Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. He started his career at Audi AG in chassis development before moving to SEAT in 2002, where he spent 12 years in technical roles. From 2006 to 2013, according to Lamborghini, he was responsible for the Chassis area and Whole Vehicle Engineering for all SEAT models.
His return to Audi in 2014 is where his trajectory becomes directly relevant to Lamborghini’s future. At Ingolstadt, his responsibilities included product strategy and brand positioning for full-size models, as well as directing powertrain, carbon, and electrification strategy across the range. From September 2020, he led the product line for Audi’s electric models in the A to C segments, overseeing key series including the Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q8 e-tron, A6 e-tron, and e-tron GT.
That career arc covers mass-market chassis engineering, volume EV product management, and cross-cultural brand creation. None of those experiences map neatly onto developing a V12 hybrid or a V8 capable of revving to 10,000 rpm. The tension between those two realities sits at the core of this appointment.
Mohr’s Legacy: Hybridization and Motorsport Milestones
To understand the scale of what Soneira inherits, consider what Mohr built. His tenure, though relatively brief, defined Lamborghini’s technical strategy and oversaw the hybridization of the model portfolio, including the Revuelto, Urus SE, and Temerario.
Mohr also served as interim Head of Motorsport, a dual responsibility that included the development of the Lamborghini SC63 for international endurance championships and the oversight of development for the Temerario GT3 and Temerario Super Trofeo.
Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, credited Mohr’s contribution as instrumental in shaping the brand’s technological path, particularly in the transition toward hybridization. That framing is accurate. Mohr oversaw the hybridization of the lineup across the brand’s landmark models, and Soneira does not inherit a blank page.
Strategic Implications: China Market and Future Models
Soneira’s most recent assignment, from March 2024 to June 2026, was CEO of the Audi and SAIC cooperation project in Shanghai. Lamborghini says this project focused on establishing a new brand and jointly developing a China-specific platform for next-generation premium intelligent and connected vehicles.
The bigger question hovering over this appointment is what Lamborghini’s electric future will look like. Lamborghini itself has not confirmed a specific EV production timeline under Soneira’s leadership, and his mandate as described by the company covers broad technical strategy and future innovation rather than a specific model launch. Still, it is difficult to look at his career and not see that Soneira has relevant EV experience for Lamborghini’s future technical strategy.
What This Means for Lamborghini Owners and Enthusiasts
The more interesting question is philosophical, and it circles back to the central tension of this appointment. By drawing on Audi’s EV leadership experience, Lamborghini has chosen a leader with recent EV-related and China-project credentials relevant to the brand’s next chapter. His first major product decisions will provide the answer.
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