Lamborghini Targets Carbon Fiber Connecting Rods

Lamborghini SpA is developing carbon fiber engine connecting rods that it aims to put in a production vehicle early next decade.

The carmaker hopes to complete the development process by the end of 2017 and have something in production “soon,” company officials tell Automotive News. The first model to get the feature could be the replacement for the Aventador supercar due in 2020 or 2021.

Carbon fiber connecting rods are expected to be as much as 50% lighter than steel units. In addition to improved fuel efficiency, the lightweight application also could boost power and acceleration.

The carbon connecting rods likely will use the forged composite technology Lamborghini introduced on the Sesto Elemento coupe in 2010. The high-heat, high-pressure process only takes a few minutes instead of about three hours for traditional resin-transfer molding and as long as 12 hours using a resin-reinforced “prepreg.”

Carbon fiber connecting rods are one of several potential applications Lamborghini is working on at its new advanced composites structures laboratory in Seattle. The 8,000-sq-ft facility, which was opened last month, joins Lamborghini's carbon fiber development center in Italy.