Automotive aerodynamics has been a big deal for decades as automakers sculpt their vehicles to cut through the air as efficiently as possible. Seeking higher levels of performance and efficiency is more prevalent today than at any point in automotive history, and this patent recently found by CarBuzz shows the extensive effort some companies are making to find the right balance.
Case-in point: this published patent from Lamborghini shows the company’s idea for a future active aerodynamics system that incorporates multiple movable elements working together. On the surface, it sounds like a fairly straightforward active aero design. However, there’s nothing straightforward about this idea.
Lamborghini Active Aero Controlling More Active Aero
Lamborghini Active Aero PatentLamborghini
Lamborghini’s patent drawings show a pivoting flap on the roof that adjusts the airflow going to the rear wing. The wing also has a variety of adjustable sections. The filing specifically covers aerodynamic elements that are upstream of one another, in which one section deflects the airflow directed to the other. The patent says that the result is “better control of the downforce and aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle.”
The company outlines several ways to configure these elements. For example, the roof-mounted element could direct air for “engine cooling and underbody thermal cooling.” Alternatively, the piece on the roof could incorporate a “shape-memory alloy” that would deform based on the amount of air striking it to “vary the level of downforce and aerodynamic resistance offered by the surface itself.”
Lambo filed a similar patent in 2025 that covered a deformable element on a wing. As the surface heated up, it became shorter, causing the wing to move.
Other Applications
Lamborghini Active Aero PatentLamborghini
The patent also describes using this tech to improve a vehicle’s cornering ability. When a vehicle is taking a curve, a body panel could move, altering the aerodynamic load on a specific side and causing more downforce on one side than the other. The company’s drawings show the wing’s rear edge with three distinct sections that could adjust independently.
Any way you slice it, this is some very in-depth engineering to make air serve multiple functions for future Lamborghinis. And Lambo’s history suggests things will only get wilder from here.
A History Of Active Aero At Lambo
Lamborghini WingsLamborghini
Lamborghini is no stranger to incorporating active aerodynamics into its vehicles. For example, the Huracan Performante came with the company’s Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva system, or “Active Lamborghini Aerodynamics.” The system featured an array of flaps that could optimize downforce while cornering, including tailoring the downforce to the inside wheel while taking a turn.
In 2025, the company filed a patent to add active aero elements. Vanes on the spokes would open to provide cooling air to the brakes. An actuator would expand when heating and contract when cool. Spring force would push or pull the vanes into the correct position depending on the temperature near the wheels. And it all must be working – Lamborghini is among a very elite group of automakers with a production car capable of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 6 minutes, 50 seconds.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
The Lamborghini Huracán Performante has 640 hp in the game.Lamborghini
For Lamborghini to remain among the most prestigious supercar brands in the world, it has to keep innovating. While we often think of this in terms of higher horsepower outputs and lightweight materials, aerodynamics are also a vital area to focus on. At high speeds, the force of the air on the car is tremendous. Active aero components allow the car to adjust its body to match the conditions.
A company doesn’t have to use a patented technology, but in this case, it seems like a good fit for Lamborghini. The dual-element active flap and wing could work together to create even more capable Lambos in the future.
Patent filings do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property. Such a filing cannot be construed as confirmation of production intent.
Source: US Patent And Trademark Office
