The V12 Lamborghini LB744 will get a restricted 178bhp ‘city’ mode

Perhaps anticipating its target commute strutting down the congested streets of metropolitan areas like an automotive supermodel, Lamborghini’s upcoming Aventador replacement – codenamed LB744 – will get a dedicated electric only mode.

It’s made possible by the installation of three electric motors – two on the front axle and one nestled inside the new dual-clutch eight-speed gearbox – that allows this hybrid supercar (hypercar?) to pootle about in town entirely emissions free.

The ‘Cittá’ mode takes energy from the lithium-ion battery, itself positioned in the central transmission tunnel where… the transmission used to sit in older Lambo V12 ICE cars, to power the electric motors, up to some distance. That distance hasn’t yet been revealed but should be enough to placate residents of the most congested streets in London, at least.

And please owners of Fiesta STs who can now – finally! – legitimately claim that their cars can indeed ‘outrun Lambos’. The suspension, traction control and gearbox settings are all dialled right down to deliver “maximum comfort”.

Should one require ‘maximum Lambo’, there’s the small matter of a massive V12 engine sitting behind the driver featuring 6.5-litres of capacity and an output of 814bhp on its own and 535lb ft of torque. Cycling up through the modes – Strada (limited to 874bhp) and Sport (895bhp) – to Corsa unleashes the full 1,000bhp powertrain.

The electric front axle features torque vectoring for additional pointiness, and there’s the option of full launch control and deactivating the ESC. Good thing it’s got mighty brakes, then. The front axle features ten piston calipers clamping down on 410mm carbon ceramic discs, while four-piston calipers sit atop 390mm discs at the back.

Lambo tells us the LB744 offers 61 per cent and 66 per cent more aero efficiency and downforce respectively versus the Aventador Ultimae thanks to its active and passive aero solutions: a front splitter and roof design channel air to the rear wing, semi-active wishbones that manage the vertical forces. That sort of thing.

It’s naturally stiffer and lighter than the Aventador too, gets a 44/56 front-to-rear weight distribution, and is said to offer “unprecedented emotions, control and responsiveness”. Just not when it’s in the dedicated electric only city mode, of course.