Lamborghini unveils $3.9 million supercar
GENEVA (AP) - Who buys a €3 million ($3.9 million) car? Not you.
Lamborghini's run of the new Veneno is sold out - though it only made three.
The latest in its tradition of bespoke cars, the Veneno is the fastest, most powerful Lamborghini ever built. At the Geneva Motor Show, where it was revealed Monday night, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann made sure to rev the engine as he drove the car out on stage.
Rest assured, the Veneno, which is named for an infamous fighting bull, sounds like a Lamborghini.
But why build a car for just three people?
"It gives you a high degree of freedom in terms of the design, you can test materials and new technologies, it has a halo effect on the other products," said Winkelmann. "Last but not least, you're fulfilling dreams, at least for a few people."
A carmaker like Lamborghini isn't immune from the travails of the economy, but sales of high-end cars, like many luxury products, have been surprisingly resilient. And a one-off like the Veneno creates a lot of buzz - or a halo - for the rest of the brand. Lamborghini is also part of the highly successful Volkswagen Group, which is weathering the European storm better than others.
Two of the buyers - both Americans - were in Geneva to get their first look at the car, having signed the contract long ago.
Antoine Dominic, who is the principal in a Lamborghini dealership on Long Island, and Kris Singh II, a Floridian who is the managing director of investment firm Tequesta Investments, both have collections of exotic cars and both plan to actually use the car.
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Under the Hood: Powering the Veneno is a 12-cylinder engine and a 7-speed transmission with five different driving modes. Lamborghini says the Veneno can reach speeds of 220 miles per hour (355 kilometers per hour) and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
Outside: The body is carbon-fiber to keep the car as light as possible and allow for that quick acceleration. The shape is angular and muscular, with cut-outs sprinkled throughout and a back fin that fades into the roof. The rear looks like the bottom of a rocket ship, and the car nearly kisses the ground it sits so low.
Inside: Scissor doors open up to reveal an interior also clad in carbon-fiber. The feel is suede-like throughout, but the dashboard has a fairly standard look. You don't feel as if you're about to take off.
Cheers: The customers are thrilled - though they have yet to actually get behind the wheel. "It's rolling artwork, it's like owning the Mona Lisa," said Singh. "I look forward to driving it."
Dominic said that can be hard since it turns so many heads. He plans to take it out at 5 a.m. on a Sunday when he finally gets it.
Open Questions: Lamborghini is billing the Veneno as a race car that just happens to be street legal - but how closely they've hewn to racing technology is unclear. "It sounds like they're trying to use the cache of a racing vehicle but not go the whole way," said Paul Newton, an analyst with I.H.S. Automotive.
Lamborghini's run of the new Veneno is sold out - though it only made three.
The latest in its tradition of bespoke cars, the Veneno is the fastest, most powerful Lamborghini ever built. At the Geneva Motor Show, where it was revealed Monday night, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann made sure to rev the engine as he drove the car out on stage.
Rest assured, the Veneno, which is named for an infamous fighting bull, sounds like a Lamborghini.
But why build a car for just three people?
"It gives you a high degree of freedom in terms of the design, you can test materials and new technologies, it has a halo effect on the other products," said Winkelmann. "Last but not least, you're fulfilling dreams, at least for a few people."
A carmaker like Lamborghini isn't immune from the travails of the economy, but sales of high-end cars, like many luxury products, have been surprisingly resilient. And a one-off like the Veneno creates a lot of buzz - or a halo - for the rest of the brand. Lamborghini is also part of the highly successful Volkswagen Group, which is weathering the European storm better than others.
Two of the buyers - both Americans - were in Geneva to get their first look at the car, having signed the contract long ago.
Antoine Dominic, who is the principal in a Lamborghini dealership on Long Island, and Kris Singh II, a Floridian who is the managing director of investment firm Tequesta Investments, both have collections of exotic cars and both plan to actually use the car.
---
Under the Hood: Powering the Veneno is a 12-cylinder engine and a 7-speed transmission with five different driving modes. Lamborghini says the Veneno can reach speeds of 220 miles per hour (355 kilometers per hour) and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
Outside: The body is carbon-fiber to keep the car as light as possible and allow for that quick acceleration. The shape is angular and muscular, with cut-outs sprinkled throughout and a back fin that fades into the roof. The rear looks like the bottom of a rocket ship, and the car nearly kisses the ground it sits so low.
Inside: Scissor doors open up to reveal an interior also clad in carbon-fiber. The feel is suede-like throughout, but the dashboard has a fairly standard look. You don't feel as if you're about to take off.
Cheers: The customers are thrilled - though they have yet to actually get behind the wheel. "It's rolling artwork, it's like owning the Mona Lisa," said Singh. "I look forward to driving it."
Dominic said that can be hard since it turns so many heads. He plans to take it out at 5 a.m. on a Sunday when he finally gets it.
Open Questions: Lamborghini is billing the Veneno as a race car that just happens to be street legal - but how closely they've hewn to racing technology is unclear. "It sounds like they're trying to use the cache of a racing vehicle but not go the whole way," said Paul Newton, an analyst with I.H.S. Automotive.
"Fulfilling dreams" eh? Well, that's very altruistic. As for the car, I can't think of a road you could safely drive it on around where I live. Looks like the car will hit anything larger than a small piece of gravel.
These cars will end up in Saudi Arabia, not the U.S.
This is disgusting, 3 cars equals $11.7mm, in today's economy this money would be better spent helping people. But then again because of the Republican's they don't pay their fair share in taxes, so they have money to burn.....
@saha can you get anymore stupid? Did you know that the wealthy are paying "their fair share of taxes" at an all time high and the middle class is paying taxes at an all time low? Maybe if your mentality wasn't to have wealthy people pay your way things would be a little better! And who has the right to question anyone who works hard and is successful and the purchases they make? My god Barack Obama, I mean we, could have bought one of these and then some with the cost of the inauguration ball. Get real jeesh.
@saha watch shark tank at the beginning where it describes the people and shows them in their cars much like the one in this article and come back to me.
@saha You are living proof that you can't fix stupid.
How many weapons does it have and where are they mounted?
That is one ugly car.
If I had 3 million sitting around that I couldn't use more wisely, yes, I might buy this. It is a nice looking car though.
Lamborghini did the same thing with the Reventon a few years back. Get a few dummies to pay big bucks for a warmed over "special" edition of their 12 cylinder car.Â
Please, please, PLEASE don't let the Biebs have this car...he'll just screw it up.
That being said, I usually do not go for the ultra-rich-fancy type of car, but this one does look beautiful. Â That's a lot coming from me where cars are concerned.
Do you guys really dig the body shape? I'm not a fan of the extended nose...Top Gear nailed it when they said it looks awfully 'beak-y.' Value aside, I'd take the new McLaren P1 over this, stylistically, any day.
@windtreeman Front end does seem a bit long, eh?
i got three words to say: bad azz
@bartle_dooÂ
Waiting for the 3rd word.
They are only making 3 of these cars, so as it goes the buyers are purchasing a "prototype" and paying all the R&D expense, for the privilege of owning something that only 2 others own...as a collector it makes sense, the car will not depreciate...but dang I would want to take the thing out to stretch it's legs!...but if someone ran into you?
@aintno1special They'll probably end up in the hands of people who will display the things in their living rooms and never actually drive them.
@Vexorg If you have the personality that would drop the GDP of a small island nation on a single car, I don't think you would have any problems taking it to the quickie mart for a squishie either.
@Vexorg I would hope a connoisseur of race vehicles would get at least one of them. But probably some Sheik will get them and it will be technology, muscle, and beauty wasted.
These should quickly end up being some of the world's most expensive garage queens.
Volkswagen with another amazing car that I'll never see.