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Lamborghini has just revealed the successor to the Aventador, the V-12 plug-in hybrid codenamed LB744. On Tuesday, the automaker gave a look at the car’s rolling chassis.
The chassis featured a carbon fiber monocoque structure for the center section, like the Aventador, but new elements such as the carbon fiber front frame and Formula 1 style carbon fiber front impact cone helped increase torsional rigidity while saving weight.
According to Lamborghini, the LB744’s chassis, which sports the aeronautical-inspired monofuselage name, has 25% higher torsional stiffness than in the Aventador but is 10% lighter in weight. Most of the weight savings come from the new carbon fiber front frame which Lamborghini says is 20% lighter than the aluminum frame used in the Aventador.
Further weight savings come from the carbon fiber reinforced plastic ring structure that forms the car’s main support structure. The single section, which encloses and connects the middle passenger bed, front firewall and A-pillar support, replaces several separate sections on the Aventador.
Most of the carbon fiber components are made using Lamborghini’s patented forged carbon process. Here, short strips of carbon fiber are mixed with resin, placed into a heated mold, and then cured under high pressure. The process can produce parts in as little as three minutes, greatly reducing production time compared to traditional carbon fiber components.
Lamborghini still uses the traditional process of laying down pre-impregnated carbon fiber sheets and then curing them in an autoclave for the LB744 chassis roof structure.
The V-12 plug-in hybrid powertrain is the successor to the Lamborghini Aventador
The rear chassis where the V-12 engine sits and the transmission is still made of aluminum. Here too some weight has been saved thanks to the use of hollow casting which integrates the rear suspension shock tower and powertrain strut into one component. The design also helps increase rigidity, says Lamborghini.
The chassis is just one of several major new elements that Lamborghini is developing for the LB744. Earlier this month the automaker showed off the car’s drivetrain consisting of a newly developed V-12, a new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and three electric motors. Two motors drive the front wheels while the third motor is integrated with the transmission and drives the rear wheels. All three motors can run without an engine, giving the car electric all-wheel drive, even if only for short distances. Combined output is 1,000 hp.
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