Lamborghini to build Sesto Elemento
“20 units of the new Sesto Elemento super sports car will be produced, and will be destined only for track use.”
And that, learned friends, is that. Today, at the Frankfurt motor show, Lamborghini chief Stephan Winkelmann confirmed the Sesto Elemento – the 999kg ode to carbon fibre that stole the floor at last year’s Paris motor show – will go into a limited series production. Yes, today is a good day.
Presented a year ago as a technological demonstrator, it realigned Lamborghini’s focus from outright punching power to power-to-weight, concentrating the company’s efforts on perfecting the use of carbon fibre. They have, you could say, become somewhat of a connoisseur on the stuff.
That 999kg body is made entirely from carbon fibre using forged composite technology, something Lambo claims is a first in the automotive sector. And underneath those sharp lines and jet-fighter stealth sits the heart of the Gallardo: a 5.2-litre 562bhp V10.
Performance? You’re looking at a 0-100kph time of 2.5 seconds. That’s Bugatti Veyron country, and that’s the net result of a sub-1000kg body.
As mentioned above, the 20 Sestos will only see the inside of a truck trailer and the smooth contours of a track, much like Ferrari’s FXX programme, with deliveries scheduled for the start of 2013.
Winkelmann said: “The excellent feedback and the numerous requests we’ve had from our customers have really convinced us to embark on the challenge of producing a vehicle with unique characteristics.
“We are proud that what a year ago was just a technology demonstrator will become a small series reality”, he added. And what a reality.
