Lamborghini rolled out a sleek new 900-horsepower rocket at the Paris Motor Show. Lamborghini's first hybrid, the Asterion LPI 910-4 goes from zero to 62 mph in just three quick seconds.
Seen in blue, the 5.2 liter V-10 engine reaches a top speed of 199 mph, includes a tablet for GPS in the dash and other high-tech functions. While the Lamborghini is luxurious, it is also efficient. The car uses 4.12 liters of gas for every 100 kilometers, or 57 miles per gallon.
The Asterion is still just a concept, but Lamborghini says the model is a technology that "could be realistically produced today" to reduce emission gases.
Being fuel efficient makes the plug-in hybrid appealing to both speed demons who are also environmentally conscious and automakers who are able to hit mandated fuel efficiency levels.
"Things are changing. People are more aware, more sensitive," says Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. "Many of our customers are entrepreneurs. These people don't just have passions, they have sharp minds and they know what is going on in the world."
The Asterion has three electric motors, which work together to bring a total of 910 horsepower. One motor is located at each front wheel and the third is located between the engine and the gearbox.
The new Lamborghini joins the cars that are on the cutting edge of automotive technology. Electric motors make rocket-like cars even more juiced up, something Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren have already picked up on.
A powerful lithium-ion battery is mounted in between the seats, which improves weight distribution. The sports car that seats two weighs about 4,000 pounds, about the same as the Porsche 918 Spyder.
The name Asterion comes from the mythical Minotaur that was half-man, half-bull. Its name represents "a powerful fusion between intellect and instinct." The LP in the name stands for "longitudinale posterior," which means the engine is mid-mounted. The 'I' represents "ibrido," or hybrid. The '4' stands for the Asterion's four wheel drive system.
Lamborghini wants the car to be used "more for comfortable luxury daily cruising than for ultimate track performance." The seats are positioned higher than the standard model for maximized comfort and a more vertical windshield provides more head room. The iconic upward Lamborghini doors are opened outward in this model, and there is just enough luggage space for travel.
There is no word yet on how much the Asterion would cost.
