Lamborghini Bids Farewell to the Aventador with Two Wild One-Offs

• Lamborghini is retiring its powerful naturally aspirated V12 as it transitions to a hybridized future.
• The tribute cars are called Invencible and Auténtica (a coupe and roadster, respectively).
• A hybrid successor to the Aventador is expected to launch sometime in the "next few weeks."

In Sant-Agata Bolognese, Italy, supercar maker Lamborghini is celebrating a bittersweet milestone: the imminent retirement of its naturally aspirated V12, which is soon heading to its place in automotive history. The storied engine will be put out to pasture in favor of a hybrid system as the world moves toward electrification. But before it goes away, the Raging Bull has launched two one-off showpieces as a good-bye gift for its last dance.

Named Invencible and Auténtica (a coupe and roadster, respectively), these two supercars pay homage to the V12 that gave Lamborghini its start with the very first 350 GT model in 1963. While Lamborghini certainly wasn’t the first to strap a V12 into a car and harness its raw power — that accolade is typically attributed to American automaker Packard more than a century ago –— the Raging Bull made one that makes a distinctive roar.

“The V12 engine is one of the pillars of our history and our marque’s success,” Lamborghini Chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a news release. “As we head towards embracing a new era of hybridization ... this is the Lamborghini way of celebrating the naturally aspirated V12 with two one-off vehicles that perfectly represent our concept of excellence in personalization.”

Lamborghini says the hybrid version of the Aventador will be revealed “in a few weeks.” It’s expected to take powertrain cues from the exclusive V12 hybrid Sián FKP 37, of which only 63 were built. The name of the Aventador follow-up hasn’t been released yet, but Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr says the transition is inevitable.

“With the hybridization launch soon, the Aventador successor will be a very special interpretation of a hybrid car; this is not a standard hybrid car,” Mohr told Edmunds. “The younger generation is expecting [electrification], and it would be a mistake to believe we can continue as we are.”

Both the Invencible and Auténtica share the same structural skin as the Aventador, and they employ a heavy dose of carbon fiber. The body lines are striking and the interior designs similarly showstopping, with the hexagonal elements that make a Lamborghini recognizable. Farewell, naturally aspirated V12. Let’s make this dance a lively tango.

Edmunds says

Those razor-sharp body lines aren't for everyone, but that's OK. It looks fierce, which is fitting for the swan song of this version of Lamborghini's roaring V12 supercar.