A prototype of the hybrid successor to the Lamborghini Aventador has been spied prowling around the streets of Italy, with onlookers spotting - or rather hearing - something particularly interesting as it drove by. It seems that Lamborghini will be ditching the Aventador's single-clutch automated manual transmission in favor of a new dual-clutch.

In a video by regular supercar spotter Varryx, a prototype dressed in black garb is seen and heard driving around. It's only when it accelerates away and shifts gears that we hear something very unusual - a rapid change of gears with no perceptible interruption in power delivery. This is a stark departure from the Aventador's gearbox that, especially at low speeds, was slow and clunky, or 'characterful' depending on your viewpoint.

But that wasn't all this mule showed off.

Last week, our photographers spotted a camouflaged prototype on European streets which looked a little different. We suspect the black car you see in the video is a powertrain mule more than a development prototype, as evidenced by the ha[phazard placement of the exhausts with two fake ones beneath it, and the fact that this car wears what looks like an Aventador SVJ-inspired front bumper and rear wing.

We've previously learned and confirmed that the unnamed Aventador Successor is going to utilize a hybrid V12 with what seems to be an 8,500 rpm redline. We were also able to see how the headlights and taillights will look. Other details gleaned were that the car will have active aero and the exhaust will be high-mounted units as opposed to the mid-level pipes seen on the Aventador Ultimae. These points also support the notion that the black car above is a powertrain mule.

The most interesting parts of the mule are the high-voltage stickers and the uncovered engine bay. The stickers, of course, alert authorities of the new hybrid powertrain in case of emergency and/or fire. We're led to believe this powertrain will push out upwards of 800 horsepower. Typically, Lambo's engines are covered by glass or carbon fiber, but in this case, open venting to the environment is likely a case of heat management.

There has been some speculation about just how much the Aventador successor will vary in looks from its little sibling, the Huracan, but when Lamborghini chief technical officer Rouven Mohr was asked about the subject, all he said was, "I say nothing. But for us, it's important that every car has a clear character, and this will also be in the next generation...there's no risk that you mix up Huracan with Aventador."

We know that Lamborghini is taking its job very seriously regarding this new supercar, and for good reason too. The car that nobody has seen already has three thousand preorders. We can't wait to see it in 2023.