Driving Lamborghini’s $600,000 Ultra-Powerful Plug-In Hybrid

No longer are supercars powered strictly by muscular V8 and V12 engines, producing a mighty roar as they burn gallons of gas at a ferocious rate. Today’s entries can have hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or pure electric drive. But they’re still awesomely fast, with neck-snapping acceleration.

The new Lamborghini Revuelto, a novel form of plug-in hybrid, puts out an eye-opening 1,001 horsepower (with 739 pound-feet of torque) via a combination of three electric motors (two on the front axle) and a mid-mounted—and exposed to the elements—V12 that, by itself, produces 825 horsepower. It manages to produce more power with some beneficial weight loss. That’s coupled to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (with manual paddles) and a 3.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack (with LG cells) that gives the Revuelto five or six miles of all-electric travel.

Hybrid drive in the Revuelto is not so much to achieve better fuel economy, though that’s one result, but is primarily a way of boosting power output as needed. It also yields all-wheel drive. Sales started early this year, and Lamborghini plans to produce about 1,500 to 1,600 Revueltos annually (with the supply limited by the company’s ability to produce its carbon-fiber structure). The inventory is sold out until 2026. As is true of many supercar companies, the SUV is the biggest seller—Lamborghini produces about 5,000 Urus SUV models each year.

The Lamborghini Revueltos in convoy in the Hudson Valley.
Lamborghini photo

The list price of the 2024 Revuelto is US$604,363. As tested, with the biggest option being US$13,100 for the special grayish paint, the bottom line was US$681,258. Lamborghini handed over the Revuelto keys at the 140-acre Wildflower Farms resort in Gardiner, N.Y., for a 90-minute drive around the scenic Hudson Valley. Although the car is capable of a stated 217 miles per hour in the right context, it was still huge fun to drive it at much more moderate speeds on the curvy local roads.

Matteo Ortenzi, product line director for the Revuelto, explained that having two motors up front increases the opportunity for effective torque vectoring, which improves handling by delivering power to the individual wheels as needed. “The feel is of a lighter and more powerful car,” Ortenzi says. “We didn’t build the Revuelto just to say we did a hybrid.”

As in other hybrids, the Revuelto returns power to the battery on deceleration, a process called “regenerative” braking or in Ortenzi’s words, “using negative torque.” After the 90-minute drive, the Revuelto still had a 90% charge. Lamborghini doesn’t think owners will need to plug it in often, though it provides a charging cord. The charge portal is actually under the front hood, a “frunk” where the car has its limited luggage space.

A row of Revueltos with scissor doors up.
Jim Motavalli photo

Entering through the vertically opening scissor doors requires some agility, but soon becomes second nature. Leg room is good, and the bolstered seats hold the driver in firmly—a good thing considering the speeds and g-forces the car can achieve. The gauges are brightly digital, with huge single-digit numbers for the gear selected. There’s an 8.4-inch touchscreen mounted centrally, and a third 12.3-inch unit for the passenger. The start-stop button is under a military-grade protective cover.

The drive started in EV mode, yielding a quiet getaway that didn’t disturb resort guests. Small dials on the dash control the driving modes. Città (city) is for city electric, Strada (street) for comfortable cruising, Sport (self-explanatory), and Corsa (race, for total performance).

All the modes were sampled, but Strada was a nice balance of performance and driving pleasure. Sometimes using paddles seems not worth the bother, but in the Revuelto the big flippers provided instant gear changes and a nice feeling of control. Slowing down, the transmission acts on its own to downshift. Everything works together: the tight steering (with rear-wheel steering, too), the firm but not harsh suspension, and the hugely reassuring carbon-ceramic brakes. The engine barks out a very Italian song. It’s quite a driver’s car, though not one that can take the family to Disneyland.

The Revueltos engine is exposed to the elements.
Jim Motavalli photo

In the classic muscle car, huge V8 engines were stuffed under the hoods of regular passenger vehicles, sometimes without much thought as to how the powerful result would get around corners or stop. The Revuelto, despite that fearsome 1,001 horsepower, seems to have been fully engineered to handle what it puts on the ground. It can reach 62 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, with the driver in firm control.

Plug-in hybrids like the Revuelto are a big step toward battery EVs. Lamborghini showed the Lanzador, a fully electric concept car, during Monterey Car Week in 2023. Exactly when a production model will appear is unclear. “It’s not when, but how,” Ortenzi says. “The world doesn’t need just another electric car; it needs an electric Lamborghini.”

From Scotch whisky and luxury retreats to fashion collaborations and world-class hospitality, Ross Blainey has spent years shaping high-end experiences around one idea: modern luxury is no longer just about what you own.

It is about access, connection and moments money alone cannot buy.

As Citizen Kanebridge continues to grow as one of Australia’s most sought-after private members’ clubs, Blainey, the club’s new Head of Membership, says the future lies in creating experiences members cannot find anywhere else.

“The ultimate memorable experiences are the money can’t buy moments,” Blainey said.

“The things that you can’t just put together anytime or any place. They make up something that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

On June 4, Blainey will bring that philosophy to life when he hosts an exclusive whisky evening for Citizen Kanebridge members at Sydney’s Royal Automobile Club of Australia.

Titled A Journey Through Whisky, the intimate event will see Blainey guide members through a curated selection of rare and unreleased whiskies drawn from his personal archive, alongside stories gathered across years working at the highest levels of the Scotch whisky world.

The evening will also include reflections on Blainey’s induction as a Keeper of the Quaich at Blair Castle in Scotland last year, one of the whisky industry’s rarest global honours.

A career built around experience

Before joining Citizen Kanebridge, Blainey built a career spanning luxury hospitality, Scotch whisky, premium lifestyle brands and experiential events.

But he says one industry above all others shaped the way he thinks about people and community: Scotch whisky.

“At its core, at its heart and throughout its whole history, Scotch has been about sharing, enjoyment, telling stories, meeting people and generally having a good time,” he said.

“Whisky can be that shared moment of laughter, and it can also be a shared moment of just slowing down, taking stock and contemplating. These are so key to building community.”

Blainey’s deep involvement in the whisky world culminated in 2025 when he was inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich at Blair Castle, a recognition is reserved for a select group of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Scotch whisky internationally.

“I was inducted last year, 2025, an incredible honour,” he said.

“There were a couple of teary-eyed moments as I stood in Blair Castle, on historic ground, realising that this was a moment I would remember forever.”

The next chapter for Citizen Kanebridge

Looking ahead, Blainey says Citizen Kanebridge will continue to focus on highly curated experiences, exclusive access, and bringing together like-minded members from Australia’s property, finance, and investment sectors.

“Our baseline of Car of the Year is already one of the most impressive events on the social calendar of Australia,” he said.

“My job is to find a way of raising the bar, taking things to the absolute top level for access, experiences and events.”

Blainey said the long-term goal was not simply to create another networking group or luxury club, but to build a community centred around meaningful relationships and unforgettable experiences.

“We provide the access, the money can’t buy memories, and we will be making those happen regularly,” he said.

“If we start with how amazing Car of the Year is and the only way is up, we are going to have some mind-blowing moments for our members.”

Hospitality at its absolute best

Another major influence on Blainey’s thinking came through his connection with world-famous New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park, once named the best restaurant in the world.

He says two concepts from the restaurant’s owners still shape the way he approaches luxury experiences today: “enlightened hospitality” and “unreasonable hospitality”.

“Enlightened hospitality is a way of doing business that looks at not just the product of what you serve, but how it makes people feel,” Blainey said.

“Unreasonable hospitality is more about striving for the absolute best all the time. If you’re going to do something, do it to an unreasonable level that blows everything else out of the water.”

It is a philosophy, he says, which aligns closely with where Citizen Kanebridge is heading next.

“That’s what we’re doing here with CK, taking members’ experiences to another level,” he said.

Fashion, whisky and creative collaborations

Blainey’s career has also included working with Glenfiddich as a Creative Collaborations Lead, where his role centred on bringing luxury experiences and partnerships to life through designers, chefs, artists and bartenders.

Among the projects were runway collaborations with leading Australian fashion designers, with pieces from the partnerships now housed inside Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

“My job was to find a creative way of bringing the brand to life,” he said.

“How do we make something that none of us could make on our own? Searching for the things that will resonate with people.”

What luxury consumers want now

Beyond whisky and events, Blainey also played a key role in building Blackbird Byron, the boutique Byron Bay hinterland retreat later recognised in Tatler’s Top 101 Hotels list.

The property, known for its dramatic views, minimalist architecture, and secluded atmosphere, helped shape his understanding of how luxury consumers are changing.

“I think I learned that people looking for luxury in hotels want memorable moments, considered design and the ability to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life,” he said.

“To feel at home without being at home is important.”

More broadly, he believes today’s luxury consumers are increasingly driven by authenticity and emotional connection.

“For luxury consumers overall, I think it comes down to craft, story and connection,” he said.

“The product itself has to be impeccable, the story behind it builds your reason for looking at it, and then you need to make a genuine connection with people.”

Interested in becoming a member of Citizen Kanebridge? You can contact Ross here.