The future of cars is electric but the roar of engines refuses to fade away from the buyer’s mind. Supercar makers are in a conundrum as to whether to go forward with electric cars or still make internal combustion engine ones.
Those who have made the bold transition are paying dearly since electric supercars are something no one wants. The Rimac Nevera has not been a success because people want the drama of a V12 or V8 while asking for a sense of occasion when forking out millions for exclusive hypercars. Speed is a byproduct and the physical driving experience is what owners crave for.
Hence, it seems Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche are all clinging onto internal combustion engines for its flagship cars but they are planning all electric ones too.
A Proper Lamborghini?
For Lamborghini, the all-electric Lanzador would be its first offering and it is a part SUV along with being a part saloon. The power figure is a Bugatti rivalling 1350 bhp while the shape is somewhere between the Urus and a low-slung GT. It is a proper Lamborghini with edgy shapes and the interior is a riot of cuts plus slashes while it is a fourth model for the carmaker.
However, while it has a bespoke platform, the questions arise whether it would be a proper Lamborghini with no V8 or V12 or V10 lurking in the engine way. That said, the Urus has been a huge success and this new GT would also add to sales being a fourth model.
Ferrari: The Great Unveiling
However, while that is coming in a few years, the first all-electric Ferrari will burst out onto the stage much earlier. It is even more controversial and Ferrari has taken its time. However, Ferrari could preserve the roar of the engine or the dynamics in its own way with this new electric car being expected to be a high riding GT.
To be made at the new e building, the Ferrari electric car has some of its design elements being carefully locked away from the outside world but we expect it to look like a Ferrari while not being another electric SUV. There would be a lot of technology but Ferrari will keep things exclusive and limit its production.
Porsche Is All In
Porsche on the other hand went to the extreme by previewing the Mission X and its own idea of an all-electric successor to the 918.
The Mission X looks futuristic and swaps batteries in place of an engine. It was unveiled a couple of years back before the new McLaren W1 or the new Ferrari F80 but since then the world has changed and with the current slide of EV sales the Mission X seems to be on the backburner. It is an all-electric supercar placed much above the 911 but it seems things have gone quiet.
Instead Porsche will bring electric sports cars below the 911 while iconic crown jewel in the Porsche range will remain with an ICE engine albeit with a battery too. It seems Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche are looking at electrification in a different way but none of them are replacing their flagship cars with an EV.
There is life in the petrol engine it seems.
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
