Lamborghini Sián FKP 37: The Hybrid V12 That Changed Everything
At IAA 2019, Lamborghini debuted its first hybrid production car — and named it after the man who saved the company.
The FKP 37 suffix honored Ferdinand Karl Piëch, born in 1937, the Volkswagen Group chairman whose vision brought Lamborghini under Audi AG's ownership in 1998.
Supercapacitor over battery — the defining engineering choice
The Sián's supercapacitor recharges fully during every braking event and deploys its energy during acceleration, providing an instantaneous boost before the V12 reaches full song.
The corporate transformation behind the car
Piëch's Audi acquisition gave Lamborghini access to Volkswagen Group's engineering infrastructure, quality control systems, and supplier networks without demanding that the company become a rebadged Audi.
Brand heritage on display at IAA 2019
A commemorative book bearing the Lamborghini emblem and an Italian flag ribbon sat near the Sián at IAA 2019, a quiet reminder of the brand's roots alongside its most forward-looking product.
From 63 supercapacitor cars to a new V12 era
When the Revuelto arrived in 2023 as the Aventador's full successor, it moved to a plug-in hybrid setup, but the philosophical foundation remained the same: electricity exists to make the V12 experience more intense, not to replace it.
Sold out before the world even saw it
Lamborghini framed its first hybrid as the fastest car it had ever built, named it after an engineering titan, and sold every one of the 63 planned units to existing collectors before the public reveal.
A direct line through every hybrid V12 that followed
Every hybrid V12 Lamborghini that followed, from the Countach LPI 800-4 to the Revuelto, traces a direct line back to the engineering decisions made for the Sián.
Why the supercapacitor made sense for a V12
The Sián's supercapacitor offered zero weight penalty, zero degradation over charge cycles, and the kind of instantaneous power delivery that a naturally aspirated V12 demands from its supporting cast.
The chairman who reshaped Sant'Agata's future
Piëch served as chairman of the Volkswagen Group executive board from 1993 to 2002, a period during which Lamborghini developed the Murciélago and laid the groundwork for the Gallardo, the car that would eventually make the company profitable.
Advanced technology in service of a visceral experience
The Sián's engine hood features autonomous vent flaps that open independently based on temperature, using smart materials rather than electronic controls — advanced technology deployed in service of a visceral, mechanical experience rather than as a digital gimmick.
Collector significance already building
The Sián FKP 37 was produced between 2020 and 2022, and examples with delivery mileage are already commanding significant collector attention.
The first page of a chapter Lamborghini is still writing
The Sián's real contribution was not 34 extra horsepower — it was confidence, both for the engineers who built it and the collectors who bought it, that Lamborghini's electrified future would still feel like a Lamborghini.