Photo: Lamborghini/modified
I wouldn't blame you if you thought Lamborghini's unveiling of the Temerario was a little underwhelming. I mean, this is the Huracan replacement we're talking about. This should have been one of the craziest cars ever, and yet here we are, staring at a car that looks more like a contemporary of the Gallardo.
Why would Lamborghini do this? Well, did they make a conscious decision to go with something a little more “timeless,” shall we say? I think Huracan owners who have been unconditionally in love with the crazy styling of their car will need some convincing to make the switch, unless the performance boost is reason enough.
In any case, I wanted to take a little step back, because I have the feeling that most people are “zigzagging” in the direction that Raging Bull seems to have gone wrong by not making a more aggressive looking supercar with the Temerario.
Here's my idea: think back to the pre-Countach era, when Lamborghini's design language was very different, emphasizing elegance, fluidity and refinement.
Pay attention to the history lesson
It all started with the 350 GT, released in 1964. It was designed by Carrozzeria Touring and immediately became one of the most elegant two-door grand tourers in the world. It was not radical at all, but rather very well-proportioned and set the tone for Lamborghini's approach to design in the 1960s.
At the time, they probably had no idea how flashy their future designs would be.
Fast forward to 1966, and the Miura was introduced to cause a worldwide epidemic of jaw drops. And it worked. This thing was wider and lower than the 350 GT, and it looked like it was going fast even when standing still.
In other words, yes, it represented a significant shift in Lamborghini's design philosophy, introducing a bolder, more avant-garde approach to car design, but the Countach was still just an afterthought at that point. Before Lamborghini became what it is today, other “conventional looking” models were launched, such as the Espada and Islero, both refined and understated, both of which paid homage to the 350 GT in their looks.
Photo: Lamborghini
What came next were the Jarama and the Urraco, the former a front-engined 2+2 grand tourer, the latter a mid-engined 2+2 coupé, both designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The Urraco was in a way the pinnacle of all that wedge-shaped design for Lamborghini, which would become a trademark for future models.
When it came to designing the Countach, it was clear that the automaker had fully embraced this design philosophy. From elegance to aggression. This brings us to the current times and as we all know, trends can be cyclical and if I could just remind you that Lamborghini launched a limited-production Countach LPI 800-4 hybrid-electric model in 2021, which people loved. Perhaps we should have taken this as a sign of things to come, much like the Reventon paved the way for the Aventador.
The Temerario is somewhat similar to the Countach LPI 800-4 in its design philosophy. It’s not as aggressive, but it looks like it could exist in any era. Its name means “fierce” and “courageous,” which is how you’d have to be to abandon what you did with the Huracan and instead go in a completely different direction.
Not only does the Temerario look nothing like the Huracan, or the Revuelto, or the Aventador, for that matter, it also (allegedly) drives nothing like the former. Why are we making these assumptions before anyone has even had a chance to get behind the wheel? Well, because this one no longer has a V10 engine. It is the first mid-engined V8 Lamborghini since the Jalpa (1981), not to mention the first turbocharged Lamborghini supercar (the Urus doesn't count, because that's a Off-road). Furthermore, it is a plug-in hybrid.
What does all this mean?
I guess that means nothing lasts forever and everything is subject to change. It's not an ugly car at all. It's still stunning to look at, just not as aggressively overwhelming as we're used to with things that carry the Lambo badge.
Photo: Lamborghini
Also, the general consensus seems to be that the Temerario has a killer rear end. What is disappointing is the front end with those squinty headlights and the profile section that to me looks very McLaren MP4-12C-ish.
I think the moment you get behind the wheel and realize how much the Temerario is superior to the Huracan, you probably won’t even care about its looks anymore. Take the Porsche 911, for example. It’s one of the most understated supercars in the world, if not the most understated, and yet no one is going to say anything bad about its looks unless they want their car enthusiast license revoked.
Then there's the fact that in the very distant future, when car designs are very different from today's, people might start to appreciate something like the Temerario a lot more than they do the Huracan. Why? Because of the “less is more” effect. Less clutter, less aggression, and a little more elegance: that seems to be the recipe for the Temerario.