For the first time in the 50 years of Automobili Lamborghini SpA a hybrid propulsion was shown on a Lamborghini, and not just some electric gadgets that were added … the Asterion LPI910 features the well known V10 engine derived from the Huracan LP610-4 pumping out 610hp to the rear wheels, while for the ‘Ibrida’ setup a duo of electric motors have been added t the front wheels with a third electric engine in the transmission driving the rear wheels with a combined power output of 300hp … making the total power delivery in the Asterion concept a massive 910hp … to most powerfull Bull ever.

Public response during the Paris Motor Show and after that were mainly positive, but the Asterion was intended to be a concept car … a show car to demonstrate a totally different vision from Lamborghini, this wasn’t an ultra low exotic super car, instead the Asterion still put the engine in the middle but the style of the car was more towards a Gran Turismo.

That GT feeling was also evident inside the Lamborghini Asterion LPI910-4 with light shaded leather covering just about everything in the cockpit of this Raging Bull, combined with a warm, darker brown shade of leather and the Lamborghini trademarked Forged Composite material the view from the driver’s seat was immediately recognizable as being in a Lamborghini, but still on a very high, luxurious level … not as much a sporty, race car inspired feeling.

The reactions to this completely new Lamborghini model have been so positive the idea of actually putting the Asterion into production has been heard around Sant’Agata recently, studies into the actual cost of production for a hybrid system and how to handle the extra weight of the batteries and motors that influence driving have been ongoing for a while now.

The large lithium battery pack required for the electric motors is in fact mounted in the space normally used for the front propshaft on the Aventador and Huracan, in fact the Asterion used the lower section of the carbon fiber monocoque from the Aventador while the front and rear subframes are probably derived from the Huracan model.

The entire hybrid development was kept a secret for several years by Lamborghini, in fact people were thinking the Raging Bull would have to revert to smaller displacement engines with turbo charging to prepare for the more stringent emision rules … but a hrybrid setup is the way to go according to Maurizio Reggioni, Head of Research and Development at Lamborghini.

Before the first sketch of the Asterion was even made a hybrid system was installed into a regular Aventador to be tested on the open road, how would the supercar cope with the additional weight and the combination of electric and combustion engines … the only way to be sure was to actually drive it on the open road and on the track … remember the black Aventador with the fins many people imagined being the SV during testing … looks like this was in fact a hybrid Aventador instead.

With the future looking more and more like regular cars will no longer be allowed into city center the decision was made to have an autonomy of at least 50km on electric power only for the new Lamborghini hybrid while the CO2 emmision would be lower than 100g/km … a combination that requried a set of motors and batteries adding a hefty 250kg to the overall weight.

With only the front, electric motors at work the Lamborghini Asterion can reach a speed of 125Km/h (78Mph) but when the V10 comes into the equation the top speed is set at 320Km/h (199Mph) with acceleration figures of only three seconds from a standstill to 100Km/h (62Mph) … that is super car teritory suitable for a Lamborghini.

The exterior styling of the Lamborghini Asterion makes it instantly recognizable as a Raging Bull, but with a Gran Turismo feel about it, we are still talking about a mid-engine V10 car but with the twin electric motors and batteries up front I guess the weight distribution is just about perfect, and the long nose section together with the more upright windshield and the slighty upward opening doors with very low side sills make entry and exit into the Asterion a lot easier compared to the more exotic Huracan and range topping Aventador.

Even when using the V10 combustion engine only the two front mounted electric motors aren’t idling around, they actively contribute to the handling of the Asterion as they can independently power the front wheels running at different speeds and torque … enter a corner and exiting at speed will be that much easier with the help of these electric units.

Still according the Maurizio Reggiani this hybrid showcase is the road to follow for future super cars, at the moment the idea of an electric Aventador is nonsense … such a system would be too heavy and require batteries way too large to be used in the hyper exotic range like the V12 flagship, too much added weight and too expensive … hence the Asterion approach makes much more sense.

In fact sources have already mentioned the Lamborghini Asterion LPI910-4 could make it into a limited production run in the near future, and at a price setting that will be slightly above the Aventador msrp … the Asterion could be listed at €440,000 (US$ 550,000) in fact, which will make it a lot cheaper when compared to the closest competition from McLaren with their P1 and Porsche with the 918 while the Asterion would be more of a GT model instead of track inspired super car.

If you would like to see how the Lamborghini Asterion LPI910-4 looks in other shades than this bright blue metallic hue take a look at our renders we’ve done a few months ago : Lamborghini Asterion LPI910-4, the shades

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Take a look at this purple wide body creation completely in style with what Japan based tuner LB Performance has been doing to countless Ferrari, Nissan, Porsche and Lamborghini … their latest Bull being the amazing looking blue Aventador they unveiled at SEMA recently.

So now this ‘rough’ style wide fender found their way virtually onto the one of a kind Lamborghini Asterion LPI910-4 hybrid concept, complete with those traditional rivets to mount the wide fenders onto the original bodywork, massive wheels and an extremely low riding height due to an adjustable ‘bagged’ suspension … all in line with the LB Performance treatment.

Naturally this is only a render, a fantasy of what could be done if Lamborghini would actually produce their high power hybrid model like this, which is not happening at this moment … but it is still nice to dream right?

Render copyright : Spoonboy at Deviantart

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If you want to take the Aventador to the next level DMC offers the Stage 2 kit which they call the Spezial Version … or SV, built in very limited numbers and on request only … no two DMC Aventador SV are the same … still the Stage 3 is by far the most aggressive one on the market today, the LP988-4 E-GT or Edizione GT is a pure race car for the road, inspired by the limited edition Veneno DMC has created a complete package that leaves nearly no panel of the original Aventador intact … and the result is simply stunning.

Very soon we will also be seeing the first DMC Huracan Affari in real life, so it is clear that DMC is on a roll when it comes to perfecting anything that leaves the factory gates in Sant’Agata … so what if the brand new LPI910-4 Asterion would ever be available on the market?

I’m sure DMC would have a complete package ready by the time the first cars reach their happy customer, offering several wheel designs and finishes … like the gold ones for that glittering Blue Elektra paint while a Rosso Mars Asterion would look really nice on a set of matte black ones with a red pinstripe … naturally looking even better with a lowered suspension.

No tuning package is complete without a set of aerodynamic appendages … like an aggressive front bumper, in this case with vertical uprights and finished in clear carbon fiber (the Forged Composite is a registered trademark so I guess that should be avoid) combined with a side sill and lower rear diffuser in the same venerable lightweight material.

The rear wing might be an option, sure it looks amazing in the same clear carbon fiber finish, but the Asterion does look very nice without it as seen on the blue render … so that would be up to the customer to decide.

At the moment the Lamborghini LPI910-4 is only a concept car … but keep in mind the Sesto Elemento started out as a concept car at the same Paris Motor Show too, and it still ended up being built in very limited numbers (20 to be exact) … so who knows … we might be seeing an Asterion in the near future too … and if we do I think DMC will be ready.

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Pioneering a new vision of mobilityOK

First Lamborghini Plug-in Hybrid technology demonstrator

• First plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology demonstrator providing a new Lamborghini cruising experience with superior power, daily drivability and comfort
• Hybrid system power: V10 5,2 l naturally aspirated engine combined with three electric motors delivers a total power of 669 kW/910 hp, enough for acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 3.0 s and a top speed of 320 km/h
• CO2 emissions of 98 g/km and 50 km pure electric range
• Breakthrough technological architecture in an innovative carbon fiber monocoque with a body designed in a new, unexpected and sensual way, respecting Lamborghini heritage.

Automobili Lamborghini unveils its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology demonstrator, the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4, making its world debut at the 2014 Paris Mondial de l’Automobile. Clearly a Lamborghini, Asterion is a conceptual car housing a plug-in hybrid powertrain designed to Lamborghini objectives: The Asterion defines a solution to significantly reducing CO2 emissions through technologies available today, guaranteeing the unique Lamborghini driving feel with a smooth and reactive driveability and with superior power, including an exceptional pure electric range of 50 km.

Conceived and developed entirely in-house by Lamborghini, the Asterion LPI 910-4 takes the design and cutting-edge engineering expertise found in the current Lamborghini product range, adding innovative hybrid technology, creating thus a Lamborghini that is clearly different – with a new, unexpected and sensual design, in line with the technical characteristics of the car – but yet is still unmistakeably a Lamborghini.

The Rationale

Asterion is a technology demonstrator representing a Lamborghini model that could be realistically produced today, using technologies currently available and drawing on Lamborghini’s own expertise.
“Lamborghini is always looking ahead, investing in new technologies and setting new benchmarks, delivering the unexpected” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.

“Lamborghini continues to focus on weight reduction as a means to reducing CO2, for example through the investment in carbon fiber engineering, which also contributes to our quest for the best super sports car handling and performance. To significantly reduce emissions on a car in this moment however, plug-in electrification is the best option for us, because for Lamborghini such a car must still provide a truly emotional driving experience. In the Asterion this is guaranteed through a naturally aspirated engine that is combined with PHEV technology, which not only offers exceptionally low CO2 emissions of 98 g/km, but a practical pure electric driving range of 50 km.

The Asterion LPI 910-4 is a true Lamborghini: emotional, with a stunning design, powerful, yet conceived more for comfortable luxury daily cruising than for ultimate track performance.”

The Plug-in Hybrid solution and Performance

For the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4, a PHEV solution is the clear Lamborghini choice. The Asterion provides all-important urban driving under purely electric power, a significant range of 50 km for the car when powered only by battery energy, and the emotion and power of a naturally aspirated Lamborghini engine for a unique driving experience.

Fuel consumption is 4,12 l/100 km combined cycle (NEDC). The weight of the hybrid technology is 250 kg. The Asterion’s objective of significantly reducing C02 emissions, while maintaining an engaging and emotional Lamborghini cruising experience, is achieved with exceptional CO2 emissions of 98 g/km.

Based on a monocoque made entirely of carbon fibre, a V10 5.2 liter FSI engine is located longitudinally as a mid-engine, as in Lamborghini super sports cars. The extremely fast shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is located behind the engine at the rear transaxle. The housing of the powerful lithium battery is placed longways in the central tunnel area, normally reserved for the transmission. This allows for better balance of the car and also protects the battery area in case of lateral crash impact.

The Asterion’s hybrid architecture is realized with an electric motor incorporating an integrated starter motor and generator (ISG) which is placed between the V10 engine and the double clutch gearbox, and two electric motors at the front axle fed by the ISG power with a torque vectoring function. This system allows the Asterion two different driving modes: in hybrid mode it is combining the V10 engine with the three electric motors guaranteeing a permanent four-wheel drive without being dependent on the battery’s state of charge. In pure electric drive mode only the two electric motors in the front are used.

The V10 5.2 l longitudinally-placed, naturally aspirated mid-engine provides a maximum power output of 449 kW (610 hp) with 560 Nm of maximum torque available. Combined with the three electric motors providing a further 220 kW (300 hp), total hybrid power is achievable to a maximum of 669 kW (910 hp). The combined action of the two propulsion systems ensures an exceptional dynamic impulse: acceleration of 0-100 km/h takes place in 3.0 seconds. With a top hybrid/combined speed of 320 km/h the Asterion LPI 910-4 also reaches up to 125 km/h under pure electric power. More importantly for city driving the Asterion has a pure electric range of 50 km, putting it top of the class for hybrid super sports cars.

The new Inspiration for Design

The Blue Elektra glittered colour of the Asterion as well as the new design language reflect the technological concept behind the car.

Designed by Lamborghini Centro Stile, the Asterion contains the unmistakeable Lamborghini DNA and heritage and yet is clearly different from the existing Lamborghini super sports car models. The Asterion touches new boundaries, with an innovative and unexpected design language which explores curves and sensuality, smooth transitions from panel to panel, and few sharp edges. The result is a pure, essential design.

The Asterion, like all Lamborghini cars, has clearly defined lines, separating flat planes from the side of the car and distinguishing between panels. Light and shadow accentuate the volumes of the car, highlighting the muscularity of Asterion yet giving the car a more slender elegance.

The front end of the car is produced as a single component, giving the Asterion a dynamic look, emphasised through the positioning of its four ‘eyes with eyebrows’: headlights are realized in materials including forged carbon and titanium.

The front air intakes are characterized by an active air cooling system which uses a double layered grid for the first time in a Lamborghini: one metal and one titanium grid are embedded into each other, one containing the Y leitmotiv and the other the hexagon theme, creating a tri dimensional effect and standing out against the body colour.

The powerful rear end stands out for its shape and remarkable rear lights, including a grid covering two radiators, and a clear separation between body colour and black parts. A transparent engine cover in the rear is an aesthetic detail linking to the hybrid technology beneath, comprised of three hexagonal glasses that turn according to the engine driving mode: pure electric, hybrid power or pure thermal engine power.

The Pirelli tyres are fitted to 20″ and 21″ rims in carbon components, and surrounded by welldefined mudguards embedded within the body of the car that contribute to the muscular road presence of the Asterion.

The Asterion’s doors are large, opening outwards and permit easy access to the car’s interior.

Creating an ergonomically spacious cabin for the car’s occupants with a comfortable seating position, the angle of the black A Pillars gives a more vertical windshield and a higher head clearance, while visually extending the front of the car, which includes a luggage compartment. Thus the interior of the Asterion guarantees an appropriate roominess for the passengers.

A lit tricolore flag on the door reminds of Asterion’s Italian heritage and a discreet Raging Bull shield is embedded in the side of the car.

The Interior Design

The clear, minimal and modern interior of the Asterion reflects the exterior design yet with a classic look and feel. Internally, the two seats are positioned higher than those in Lamborghini super sports cars, ensuring a car for comfortable every day cruising rather than extreme performance and handling.

Extensive Bianco Celaeno (ivory) and Marrone Attis (brown) leather immediately confirm the luxurious drive experience of the Asterion with an elegance from combining materials including aluminium and forged carbon fibre, as well as titanium that is also visible in the iconic three spoke steering wheel design drawn from the Miura. However, the Asterion’s steering wheel also includes three buttons from which the driver selects his engine driving mode: Zero – for zero emissions/full electric; I for ‘Ibrido’ (hybrid); and T for ‘Termico’ (thermal) power. Finally, a portable tablet allows the car’s occupants to manage climate control and other functions including GPS and in-car infotainment.

The Name

Asterion LPI 910-4 – LP stands for ‘longitudinale posteriore’, the position of the conventional engine, I stands for ‘ibrido’, 910 for the system power and 4 for the permanent 4WD system – is the new concept of a new kind of dream car designed by Lamborghini starting from an intuition: the key for anticipating the future lies in a transformation and hybridisation of Lamborghini’s own DNA.

With the Asterion, a hyper cruiser is born: a mix of elegance with the pure seduction offered by driving a Lamborghini, a car whose powerful engine meets the sustainability of hybrid technology, thanks also to its lightweight chassis in carbon fiber.

The Lamborghini Asterion is inspired by a legend: Asterion is the proper name of the mythical Minotaur, a hybrid figure and symbolic crossbreed telling a story of the powerful fusion between intellect and instinct, part man and part bull, creating an ever powerful archetype Thus, Lamborghini sticks to its tradition of giving its models a name taken from the world of bulls, but at the same time adding an innovative element, a hybrid DNA: the strength of a bull delivered by the naturally aspirated engine is combined with the human rationale delivered by the hybrid technology.

This is how Lamborghini prepares for the future with the Asterion, the first hyper
cruiser.

The post The Official Press Release Of Asterion LPI910-4 appeared first on LamboCars.

Do note the Lamborghini LPI910-4 Asterion Hybrid Coupe Concept is only a showcase of what kind of technology Automobili Lamborghini SpA could offer when it comes to alternative power sources, the Asterion is a third in a series of concept studies that started with the Estoque and the Urus neither of which are in production however the Urus should be built from 2017 on but a lot can still change in the years ahead.

Less of an exotic supercar, the Lamborghini Asterion focuses more on the GT customer, a high-end Hyper Grand Turismo car that offers thrilling performance while being seated inside the most luxurious surroundings in the case of this blue metallic prototype the interior is finished in a beautiful light tan leather combined with warm brown shades very nice indeed, but a far cry from a Huracan or Aventador cockpit.

Power comes from the V10 Huracan engine combined with three brushless electric motors adding another 300hp to the package, the batteries are located near the center of the Asterion for perfect weight distribution while recharging the car be done while driving or by plugging in this Bull.

The Lamborghini Asterion comes with three different modes the Termico ‘T’ mode which comes down to full thermal power, the Ibrido ‘I’ mode which is the usual Hybrid we all know and the ‘Z’ mode a Zero emission running mode when using only the electric motors the Asterion can travel 31 miles with a max speed of 78Mph note that in electric mode the acceleration from 0 to 100km/h takes a mere 3 seconds while a top speed of 199mph is possible on batteries!

The Hybrid power train adds ‘only’ 250kg to the carbon fiber chassis that gets covered with lightweight carbon fiber panels however a total weight for the Asterion Concept hasn’t been published yet.

If you take a closer look at the engine cover you will notice a three-panel glass design these panels actually change shape depending on which driving mode has been selected in each of the settings to maximize the cooling performance.

Is this the future for Lamborghini, creating high-power Hybrid cars in the more luxurious GT class instead of the supercars they offer today in the two-model production line? I really don’t know, but the Asterion does look different than anything else that has ever left the factory gates in Sant’Agata Filippo Perini once again created something totally innovative for the Raging Bull.

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Now AutoBLOG came up with another interesting piece of information … apparently Lamborghini has recently registered two new names … Asterión and Encaste, and what’s even more interesting is the fact a stylish logo has been registered too, showing a script similar to the Huracán name but with a bolt of lightning in the ‘O’ of Asterión … does that mean Lamborghini is preparing a Hybrid model for Paris?

With competition from Maranello (Italy) and Surrey (UK) already having hypercars with both a fuel engine and battery powered unit to elevate power output beyond the usual it would make sense for Lamborghini to put something similar on the market next … that would mean ‘you can only double it’ refers to having two power plants in the new Bull.

The design of the teaser image hints at a GT or four door model, which could make sense as this kind of model would not interfere with the still strong sales of the V12 flagship the Aventador and the brand new V10 Huracán model … however if Automobili Lamborghini SpA would take on the hyper car competition this could mean we’re getting another two-seater super car with a Hybrid power plant.

To see which rumor is right we’ll have to wait another week or two, on October 2nd the probably black satin cover will be removed from a brand new Lamborghini model in Paris … I can’t wait to find out what we’ll be enjoying from Sant’Agata this time.

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