In the cutthroat world of high-performance auto engineering, the pursuit of perfection goes beyond the heart-stopping speed and retina-searing design. For a mythic car brand such as Lamborghini, pursuing the very best driving experience demands monomaniacal attention to the perfection of a car’s every minute aspect of personality, all the way down to its acoustic fingerprint.
This, then, leads us to the bold new world of virtual NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) development. Lamborghini is rewriting the limits of acoustical engineering with its ground-breaking whole-vehicle digital twin technology.
“Today, the NVH Lamborghini team needs a digital twin,” affirmed Mario Mautone, NVH and Data Analysis Coordinator at the prestigious Italian automaker, during a presentation he gave along with his colleague Cesare Lupo Ferrari at the recent 2024 Zero Prototypes Summit in Udine, Italy.
This digital replica enables comprehensive virtual evaluations during the crucial concept and design phases, well before physical prototyping. By leveraging the VI-NVHSim software, Lamborghini accelerates its development processes while reducing costs and streamlining validation procedures.
At the heart of this innovative approach lies a sophisticated acoustic model meticulously constructed from a multitude of real-world measurements and simulations.
“We analyze and divide the main sources of noise and sound according to our experience,” explained Ferrari, NVH Engineer. From powertrain contributions to rolling and wind noise, each element is painstakingly captured and integrated into the virtual environment.
The true power of Lamborghini’s digital twin, however, extends far beyond mere simulation.
“We are able to merge both the simulation and the measurements we can make in order to have a complete result,” Ferrari elaborated. This potent combination allows engineers to isolate and analyze individual noise sources, optimizing acoustic packages and weight distribution with unprecedented precision.
But the coup de grâce lies in the dynamic co-simulations with vehicle performance models.
“We build our dynamic model of the car, so we actually know how the powertrain works and how the torque is split between the front and rear,” said Ferrari. This seamless integration empowers engineers to conduct virtual free-driving sessions, experiencing the acoustic symphony of a Lamborghini in real-time while evaluating the intricate interplay between performance and auditory feedback.
Mautone underscored the practical benefits, stating: “Instead of just listening to an audio file in front of the laptop, a drive jury test on the simulator is much more engaging.” These immersive listening sessions facilitate informed decision-making without the need for costly physical prototypes or dedicated track testing.
While Lamborghini continues to drive the frontier of automotive greatness further and ever further away and at an ungodly pace, its full-car concept NVH digital twin is notable as an expression of the brand’s relentless craving for innovation and in its unending dedication to the ultimate in driving satisfaction.
Featured image: Credit: VI-grade
