...combined with their unwieldy dimensions, such long-legged performance exacerbated the feeling that a Diablo, Murcielago or Aventador was not a car you could readily hustle. The Revuelto turns that theory on its head. Largely thanks to the early swell of torque from the electric motors. It seems ridiculous to suggest a 6.S-litre V12 lacks torque, but having that early helping hand from the hybrid system makes a huge difference. As does the new eight-speed double-clutch transmission, which packs an extra ratio versus the Aventador's old single-clutch ISR 'box, and shifts more decisively and consistently.
There's also that torque-vectoring effect, which helps the Revuelto rotate into comers more keenly. Much muttering has been made about the additional weight of the hybrid powertrain, but the added grunt more than masks the gain in mass. Better, the way the torque is managed shrinks the Revuelto to the point where you soon hustle it like a Huracan. The mass also feels better contained, especially during successive rapid direction changes, when the pendulous weight and height of the V12 always made its presence felt.
For some the loss of that intimidation factor might diminish the occasion and drama of owning and driving an ultimate Lamborghini. I'd be lying if I said the sweaty-palmed fear of manhandling those unwieldy machines didn't come with its own masochistic pleasure, but the more you drive the Revuelto, the more you appreciate its increased capability and fall for the dizzying rush of battery and V12 propulsion.
Simply put, a Revuelto would leave its predecessors for dead — Aventador SVJ included — thanks to incendiary acceleration and elevated, clearly defined and readily explored dynamics. That said, supercars of this calibre have never been solely about speed. Above a certain level it's feeling and emotion that count for more — something Lamborghinis have always had in spades. That Lamborghini has remained committed to the full-fat V12 is the key to the Revuelto's might and majesty. Such defiance in the face of widespread downsizing confers the Revuelto with a massive advantage over cars like the Ferrari SF90, because it stays true to the notion that supercars are in the business of shock and awe. The great irony in all this is it's the hybrid elements of the powertrain that allow you to enjoy and explore the V12 as never before.
Unsurprisingly, when judged objectively the Revuelto is a far better car than its predecessors. Faster yes, but also blessed with far greater bandwidth, more deployable performance and a chassis that is no longer overshadowed by its powertrain. That it also shoulders its social and environmental responsibilities is no less commendable, especially as the new V12 means there's minimal dilution of the time-honoured drama we expect from Lamborghini...