The Independent on Saturday

Lamborghin­i’s tribute to the pure V12

- JASON WOOSEY jason.woosey@inl.co.za

THE Invencible coupé and Auténtica roadster are Lamborghin­i’s way of saying goodbye to its pure, non-hybridised V12 powerplant.

But don’t expect to see them on the street because the Italian carmaker is producing just one of each and there’s no indication of who’s buying them. No price tag has been mentioned, but you can bet your bottom dollar that both will be outrageous­ly expensive.

The edgy exterior styling that set this pair apart was inspired by the Sesto Elemento as well as the Reventón and Veneno supercars.

The Invencible and Auténtica are the last cars to be powered by the 6.5-litre normally aspirated V12 engine and, fittingly, they get the most powerful road-going configurat­ion of that mill, with outputs of 574kW and 720Nm. Power goes to all four wheels through a seven-speed ISR gearbox.

Lamborghin­i hasn’t mentioned how fast they’ll accelerate but, given that the Lamborghin­i Aventador Ultimae (which was meant to be the final celebratio­n of this V12) produces the same ponies, its 2.8-second 0-100km/h claimed sprint time should be an indication of what to expect.

The Lamborghin­i Invencible and Auténtica are built around the Aventador’s carbon-fibre monocoque, and also have full carbon bodywork that incorporat­es design and technologi­es successful­ly tested by Lamborghin­i in motorsport. The bonnet and pronounced front splitter, for instance,

were derived from the Essenza SCV12.

“We have created two one-off cars with their own unique character, inspired by track days and the highoctane circuit environmen­t,” said Lamborghin­i’s design head, Mitja Borkert.

“They are designed by Lamborghin­i Centro Stile, exerting maximum creativity on the V12 platform. These one-off designs draw on our unique design DNA while once again elevating our design heritage to a new level.”

Inside, you’ll find a minimalist­ic, carbon-framed cockpit layout, decorated with hexagonal 3D-printed air vents.

There’s no infotainme­nt system, as Lamborghin­i wants you to concentrat­e solely on the driving experience, but each model does have a unique digital instrument cluster positioned ahead of the steering wheel.

 ?? ?? THE Invencible and Auténtica.
THE Invencible and Auténtica.

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