Any fears of Lamborghini sanitising the Huracan successor by adopting the ubiquitous VW-group 4.0 V8 have today been eviscerated by the announcement of a new, twin turbocharged V8 powerplant for the forthcoming baby supercar. Set to take the fight to the Ferrari 296 and McLaren Artura, the new model is currently only known by its internal code name of ‘Lamborghini 634’.

Yes, the swept capacity is a rather familiar 4.0 litres, but that’s where the familiarities end, because the new engine has an astonishing redline of 10,000 rpm. It’s not just a party piece to steal headlines either, because the peak power of 778 bhp is developed at 9,000 revolutions per minute, and sustained all the way to 9,750. The torque delivery is suitably sufficient too, with 538 lb ft on tap between 4,000 and 7,000rpm. Lamborghini claims the flat plane crank motor has “an exhilarating progression similar to that of a racing engine”.

If that sounds rather peaky for a modern day turbocharged motor, the new V8 is backed up by hybrid technology inspired by the Revuelto, with three electric motors contributing 148 bhp and 221 lb ft. Like the flagship hypercar, the new model will transmit its power to the road via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it’s safe to say, all-wheel drive. Despite the anticipated significant weight penalty of the hybrid tech, expect the ‘634’ to decimate the performance figures of the end-of-the-line Huracan STJ which sprinted from 0-62 mph in three seconds and could breach 200 mph. 

Lamborghini says the Huracan’s replacement will be revealed later this year, and if this engine teaser is anything to go by, the company is more bullish than ever.