Lamborghini on design DNA, longevity and the Revuelto

It’s always big news whenever a new Lamborghini hits the block. And especially so when it is not simply a derivative of an existing model but an entirely new platform.

The latest step change came in April with the Revuelto, a V12 plug-in hybrid that sports a dramatic exterior and puts that electrical boost toward performance, not efficiency. With new models coming out so infrequently it is fair to assume there was plenty of pressure on the shoulders of the team behind it. Heading up the Centro Stile studio is design director Mitja Borkert, who joined from Porsche in 2016 and brought with him a preference for traditional hand tools alongside the latest digital technologies.

Car Design News recently caught up with Borkert following the launch of the Revuelto to discuss the design brief and how the team approached such a significant project.

Car Design News: You’ve had time to showcase the Revuelto in different markets now, including a recent outing in Shanghai. What has the overall reaction been like so far?

Mitja Borkert: I’ve seen about 98% positive feedback so far. From the customers we already knew from the pre-sales process to the journalists, they are all in love. I heard one comment that the Revuelto was the biggest design step for Lamborghini in 15 years. Of course, you always have someone who says “I don’t like this or that”, but from my point of view I can’t remember a car that had such a positive impact. And this is not even our mission – the mission of Lamborghini is to do a Lamborghini, not to please everyone.

CDN: There is an argument that if you are pleasing everyone, you aren’t pushing the design as far as you could be…

MB: Exactly. We are the ‘rebels’ of the car industry and in terms of our brand values – unexpected, authentic and brave – I think all of these are embedded in the design of the Revuelto.

CDN: Looking back at older models, there is a real shake-up of the front end. How did you arrive at this Y-shaped headlight signature?

MB: There was a clear design strategy as we moved from the Terzo Millennio, the Sian and the Revuelto. When we did the Sian we were already working on the Revuelto, but I wanted to avoid any of the relations between those two cars, which had happened previously with the Reventon and the Aventador. It amused me to see speculation on the internet that the new Lamborghini will look like the Countach or the Sian, and I laughed to myself “no it certainly will not!”

For me, the Revuelto – more than any other Lamborghini we have created since I have been here – has a very clear philosophy. There is the clear Lamborghini design DNA with the silhouette and how the car looks from front and rear view, but its own design signatures too. And I’m not just talking about the Y-shaped lights, but also the graphics and the lines on the car. There always has to be something unexpected: one car might be more elegant, another might be more aerodynamic, and the Revuelto is creating its own character.

CDN: It’s dramatic even for a Lamborghini…

MB: At first glimpse, it must always look like a Lamborghini and as a brand, we are the ones that want to inspire the next generation. We can park a Lamborghini and it will always attract the young rebels.

CDN: It’s not every day that we get a new Lamborghini. How would you describe the significance of this project?

MB: In recent years the Revuelto has been the most important project here at Centro Stile. As you can imagine it was never boring here, but it was clear that we wanted to create spaceship design and show that this car is designed from scratch. The monocoque is all new and the proportions are completely different to the Aventador. It opens the door to the future of our exterior design. It was in fact the biggest design ideation we have ever done; there were over 17 different design proposals. There’s also a new interior that is as strong as the exterior, and maybe because we have never been that strong on interiors historically. It really is a major step for the interior; it feels like you are a pilot.

CDN: Did you lean on iconic Lamborghinis of the past for inspiration?

MB: At Lamborghini we are at the epicentre of car design and the expectation is always extra high. We use these shockwaves to design our cars and the Revuelto is following in the footsteps of other iconic cars. For example, we implemented ideas of the Countach not only with the scissor doors but also the silhouette. The Diablo had these crazy lines, such as on the rear fender, where we also took inspiration.

The Murcielago is a very clean design but it was the first Lamborghini with the inclined front lights, so we took this distinctive and determined look to the Revuelto. Then of course the Aventador was the success story of the last decade, it is very deep in our hearts, but now it is time to move on with the Revuelto which is the fifth generation of V12 mid-engine cars from Lamborghini.

CDN: That back catalogue makes for a difficult next album… You really had to make a statement with the Revuelto, didn’t you?

MB: Yes. The Diablo was a new design but had a similar silhouette to the Countach, and the Murcielago was a bit of a re-skin of the Diablo. But there was a big step with the Aventador with totally different proportions and a carbon-fibre monocoque. We are doing the same step with the Revuelto because we have a new wheelbase, the car is differently proportioned, focussed on roominess, and we want to have a clear step forward. There is a decade between the Murcielago and the Diablo, and I’m convinced we have another decade now with the Revuelto.

CDN: You joined Lamborghini in 2016. How has your approach to design evolved in recent years?

MB: When I arrived at Lamborghini, Centro Stile was almost empty because my predessecor was working primarily in a digital way. This was just how things were, but I came from Porsche where we did lots of clay models and hard models, and I missed this. I understood that digital technologies are a big advantage but I’m quite old school; I need to touch, feel and really see the proportions.

I soon changed the philosophy here toward milling third-scale models. Once you know this is the car you want, then you mill it full size. Over the years our magazine of design proposals has become so full of hard models and different projects – I think we have had our most creative period ever.

Of course, every member of the team has the freedom to use the medium they wish at first – they can approach me with a sketch, a rendering, an Alias file, whatever. But the next step is always to take a few looks on the powerwall, often using tape, and then immediately get to work on a three-dimensional shape. It is about working with 3D models and physical models. We have a huge toolbox here.