Lamborghini Sián Roadster: Hybrid Lunacy Under an Open Sky

The Golden Bull’s latest reveal wasn’t unexpected, but the Lamborghini Sián Roadster is nonetheless stunning.

Enjoy the pictures. Sadly, the chances of you seeing a Sián Roadster in the wild are slim to none. Lamborghini is only making 19 of them, and they’re already all spoken for. Following the announcement of the Sián Coupe at the Frankfurt auto show last year, a Roadster version was sure to follow.

Creatively, Lamborghini only built 19 Roadsters, after assembling 63 Coupes. Lamborghini was founded in 1963. See the connection?

Lamborghini has been famously stubborn in the hypercar world’s move towards hybrid technology. In fact, the Sián Coupe was the first step, and that was just in 2019. With the successor to the Aventador on the horizon, the Sián seems to be a looking glass into Lambo’s hybrid future.

The Sián Roadster uses a hybrid powertrain combination engineered around their V12. By further advancing the parts that make the car go, performance numbers are staggering.

819 combined horsepower. 0-62 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. Top speed of 217 mph.

“The Sián Roadster encapsulates the spirit of Lamborghini,” says Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.“It is the expression of breathtaking design and extraordinary performance, but most importantly embodies important future technologies. The Sián’s innovative hybrid powertrain heralds the direction for Lamborghini super sports cars, and the open-top Sián Roadster affirms a desire for the ultimate lifestyle Lamborghini as we move towards a tomorrow demanding new solutions.”

The Sián Roadster debuts in Blu Uranus, which apart from being immaturely giggly, is a beautiful color. Lamborghini says the color reflects the blue of the sky and the green of the fields, which will both be experienced by the driver thanks to the open cockpit. A copper color called Oro Electrum adorns the rotate-y parts, and after a second of getting used to, it matches quite well.

Shadows of the original Countach are evident in the Sián Roadster’s design, including the six hexagonal taillights made famous by the legend itself. The nose dives into the pavement with glaring Y-shaped headlights. Aerodynamic sorcery routes air into the front splitters, through the side inlets and finally out over the rear spoiler. Lamborghini claims that no aerodynamic efficiency is lost from the roofless design.

The same V12 from the Aventador SVJ appears in the Sián Roadster, complimented by a 48-volt electric motor that adds 34 horsepower nestled in the gearbox. Rather than a chunky battery, Lamborghini uses a supercapacitor for energy storage. Smaller and more powerful than a conventional hybrid battery, the supercapacitor fits right between the cockpit and engine. In total, the supercapacitor and e-motor only weigh 75 pounds.

Regardless, looking at the exterior is eye-candy. With all the fancy air-routing and striking aerodynamic vents and scoops, it appears that you could sneeze on it and not a drop of moisture would reach the paint.

While the Sián is the first step for Lamborghini in the hybrid supercar market, it doesn’t quite strike me as groundbreaking. Remember the hybrid holy trinity in 2013? McLaren P1, Porsche 918, and LaFerrari? Those were monumental. And that was 7 years ago. This just seems a bit conservative.

But don’t lose hope. Perhaps this is Lamborghini’s test of the proverbial waters. Will they show the big boy cards when the successor to the Aventador comes to light? We’ll see.

For now, the 19 folks to were lucky enough to reserve a Sián Roadster will certainly enjoy theirs.