Almost every V12 Lamborghini since Miura has had a higher performance "SV" version and SV-fication of Revuelto seemed imminent for some time. Today Lamborghini ended the wait and revealed the looks and performance of the new Lamborghini Revuelto SV.
Visuals aside, first thing I look for in new supercars is the engine power, or in this case - total system power. For SV it is ironically the least impressive aspect - power gain is moderate 50 PS - 1065 PS vs 1015 PS in regular Revuelto. Lamborghini seem to have focused on other aspects that contribute to overall performance - aerodynamics, brakes, weight and traction. There are improvements in all of those areas.
Most obvious is aerodynamics. Revuelto SV, just like Aventador, Murcielago and Diablo SVs, comes with prominent rear wing. Unlike the infamous Countach wing, this is all about function and very much necessary to convert 1000+ horsepower into lap times. Aerodynamic upgrades extend across the entire underbody and front of the car. Confirming focus on downforce, top speed is lower than for the base car - 348 vs 356 kph.
As this is large and heavy V12 hybrid, Lamborghini have worked on improving braking performance and proudly mention it in the press release, even advertising its 200 kph - 0 stopping distance of 110 meters. The new brakes are carbon ceramic and appear as perhaps the biggest brake disks I have ever seen. Compared to lighter sportscars, braking must have been major bottleneck for a big V12 car like this. The straight-forward solution is to go big and match the size of the braking hardware with the size and heft of the car.
Powerful brakes can overwhelm tyres and tyre grip is something that regular Revuelto didn't exactly have in spades, at least compared to its peers. SV fixes this with super aggressive OEM tyres - Bridgestone Potenza Race R.
Aero, brakes and tyres in combination with reworked suspension all contribute to track capability that is in different league compared to the base car. In fact it is so impressive that Lamborghini included a production car track record within the launch specifications - 1:41.6 at Hockenheim GP - lightyears faster than Aventador SVJ's 1:47.3 in Sport Auto test.
While factory supported lap time for regular Revuelto would have been considerably faster than 1:47, I have no doubt it would not get remotely close 1:41.
All these upgrades will change the image of Revuelto which to some appeared like a "bull in a china shop" plus-size poser supercar compared to much lighter and sharper McLaren or Ferrari. I for one think V12 Lamborghini does not have to compete with other supercars on track as it was never something Diablo, Countch or Murcielago did anyway. But Aventador SVJ showed how fast big Lamborghini can be if factory decides to adapt it for track. Revuelto SV may surprise us again and be the first of the new "hypercar" crop to sweep up some important track records.
