The wild and wicked Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is a concept and nothing more, correct? Perhaps not. Although the Italian sports car manufacturer insisted at the time that its 2010 Paris Motor Show star was simply a display of the company's future technologies, executives now suggest the firm could build a few examples to enjoy on a closed course.
In a recent interview with Autocar, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann suggested the company is considering building the concept for its truly well-heeled clientele, noting the firm does not want to "produce and show cars just for a museum.
"It will, however, produce cars simply for the race track -- and that may be precisely what happens to the Sesto Elemento. In order to build the car exactly as shown in Paris, along with avoiding the requisite airbag installation and crash testing required to certify a car for sale in virtually every market around the globe, the Sesto Elemento may be offered to customers strictly as a race vehicle.
Certainly, the car could have an advantage on the track. As its name suggests, the Sesto Elemento contains plenty of the sixth element on the Periodic Table: carbon. The vast majority of the car is constructed from carbon fiber composites, allowing the vehicle to tip the scales at roughly 2200 pounds. The Sesto Elemento also utilized a new material Lamborghini dubs forged carbon-fiber, a non-continuous, fiber-reinforced composite that is shaped at cold temperatures and under extreme pressure, and is capable of holding up to increased strain.
The light curb weight, coupled with the 570-horsepower 5.2-liter V-10 cribbed from the Gallardo Superleggera, will likely render the Sesto Elemento a veritable rocket. We imagine the car will sell out just as quickly as it accelerates, despite an estimated base price of nearly $1.4 million. If the program is approved, Winkelmann suggests no more than 20 examples will ever be built.
Thanks to: Motor Trend