After a few hours of wandering around Sonoma’s beautiful new hospitality suite and checking out the various Temerario specs we had available, the rain actually let up a bit and the team said it was safe enough for us to do a handful of very cautious laps before lunch. I climbed into a bright yellow Temerario equipped with the lightweight Alleggerita package, which Lamborghini said has received very positive customer feedback. There are more noticeable changes than most lightweight packages – and there should be, considering that in its most basic form it costs about the same as a BMW 3 Series. It adds a new front splitter, side skirt and rear spoiler that increase aero efficiency and downforce by 62% and 67% respectively. Those components and other body panels are made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, the door panels and passenger footrest also become carbon fiber units and it gets a lightweight polycarbonate rear window and side windows. The Alleggerita package also adds a titanium exhaust. The total weight loss is 55 pounds if you opt for carbon fiber wheels, which none of the cars at this event had.
The yellow Temerario I took to the track had the optional manually adjustable sports seats; my 6-foot self fits snugly in them, and it’s easy to quickly place them in my ideal riding position. Lamborghini continues to lean heavily on its fighter jet-inspired design language, but at least the new models also make it more livable for both driver and passengers in terms of comfort and convenience – although cupholders are still just an option.
Before each lap I left the car in the most basic Strada driving mode, set to Recharge, keeping the engine running the entire time. There are also Città, Sport, Corsa and Corsa ESC Off driving modes, plus Hybrid and Performance modes specific to the hybrid system (along with Recharge), and a multi-level Drift mode for good measure. In Strada/Hybrid you have 789 hp at your disposal, but if you put it in Recharge, that is reduced to just 715 horses. Only when you engage Sport mode do you unlock the full output of 907 hp and 538 Nm of torque, achieved thanks to the combination of a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft and a 3.8 kWh battery pack that feeds a trio of electric motors, two of which are mounted to the axle and the third located in the engine housing, between this and the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Look, I can’t say much here. It was actively raining heavily as I pulled onto the track, following an instructor who spoke to us through microphones in our helmets. There was tons of standing water and mud on multiple turns, so we had to take alternate apexes on about half the track. I don’t think I’ve ever exceeded 60mph or revved the engine past 5,000rpm.
Still, even at that pace and with that high level of caution, the Temerario was buzzing with energy. You can’t hide the monster of an engine behind your head, and the throttle was exceptionally responsive to even light input. There was never a moment where the car didn’t feel stable and steady in the rain, and even at low speeds it was an enjoyable drive – at least, more so than a more normal car would have been in the blustery conditions. And I can confirm that both the wipers and defroster work very well.
#Driving #Lamborghini #Temerario #Sonoma #circuit #rain #shower #tasty #antipasto #Jalopnik