New car costs millions

It costs 10 times more than a regular Lamborghini, but only nine will be built - and none will come with a roof. Meet the new Lamborghini Veneno Roadster.

Based on the controversial Lamborghini Veneno coupe, the new €3.3 million (NZ$5.3m) Italian supercar is set to be the latest must-have accessory for Italophiles and Lambo diehards alike.

But it’s also likely to diminish the exclusivity of the Veneno coupe, which is limited to just three units. Having another nine roadsters – which are almost identical other than having an open-top – gives Lamborghini a way to make money out of the basic design while technically not breaking its commitment to only build three Veneno hard-tops.

Powered by a 6.5-litre V12 engine producing 552kW of power, the Veneno Roadster boasts a claimed sprint from 0-100kmh in just 2.9 seconds – 0.1 seconds slower than the coupe. It tops out at 355kmh.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a sevenspeed automatic with paddle shifters. The car features a ’’racing chassis’’, including pushrod suspension and horizontal springs and dampers.

It weighs just 1490 kilograms – less than some small cars - and every exterior panel is made of lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic.

The dramatic styling of the coupe – which led respected US automotive site Edmunds.com to name the Veneno the world’s ugliest car earlier in 2013 – has been largely carried over, but as Lamborghini states: ‘‘There is no roof, just a strong rollover bar for optimum safety’’.

The company says the Veneno Roadster ’’meets all safety and registration requirements worldwide’’ but, as with the coupe, it is likely to be built in left-hand drive only.

Production of the NZ$5.3m coupe was limited to just three units, but the Italian brand says: ‘‘not more than nine units will be built during the course of 2014’’.