Lamborghini celebrates V12 era's end with two one-off cars
The naturally aspirated V12 Invencible coupé and Auténtica roadster were styled by Lamborghini Centro Stile and, says the carmaker, reflect the absolute peak of personalisation With the end of V12 engine production, the famed Italian supercar manufacturer now ushers in the hybrid age as part of its Cor Tauri future strategy.
With just a few weeks to go before Lamborghini’s first hybrid super sports car makes its debut, the Italian manufacturer is celebrating its renowned naturally-aspirated V12 with the Invencible coupé and Auténtica roadster: two unique, one-off cars that highlight the marque’s DNA and represent the very peak of Lamborghini’s exclusive accent on personalisation, by involving the customer from the very beginning to create models that are truly bespoke.
The two one-off cars were styled by Lamborghini Centro Stile using the V12 platform, reflecting the design cues that have contributed to the company’s iconic significance, as well as drawing on a sporting character inspired by the race track.
The company says the Invencible and Auténtica pay tribute to masterpieces of Lamborghini design: the Sesto Elemento, a homage to lightness and motorsport characterised by a large rear wing; the Reventón with its unique aeronautical style; and the Veneno, which takes the quest for aerodynamic perfection to an extreme.
“The V12 engine is one of the pillars of our history and our marque’s success,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and CEO. “As we head towards embracing a new era of hybridisation at the heart of our Cor Tauri strategy, this is the Lamborghini way of celebrating the naturally aspirated V12 with two one-off vehicles that perfectly represent our concept of excellence in personalisation.”
The Invencible and Auténtica are the very last cars to be produced by Lamborghini equipped with a 6.5-litre 12-cylinder engine mounted longitudinally in the rear (Longitudinale Posteriore: ‘LP’) before the transition to a hybrid era. The final salute to the outgoing Lamborghini V12 powertrain delivers 573kW peak power and a maximum 720Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed ISR gearbox, while four-wheel drive and the Lamborghini Dynamic Steering system controls all four wheels.
Both new cars share the same carbon fibre monocoque from the Aventador, produced in Sant’Agata, along with full carbon bodywork that incorporates design and technologies successfully tested by Lamborghini in motorsport. The imposing bonnet reprises that of the Essenza SCV12, along with the pronounced front splitter complete with vertical struts designed to manage airflow in the most efficient way.
The hexagon, a well-known motif of modern Lamborghini design, is integrated harmoniously yet conspicuously into the distinctive visual elements of the car, starting with the striking front and rear light assembly highlighted by innovative hexagonal LED running lights. On the bonnet, the air intakes are reminiscent of those on the Sesto Elemento, and the same cues are repeated in the central triple exhaust with Inconel tips: a special high-performance steel alloy derived from the aerospace industry.
The interior of both cars is dominated by clean lines, with a minimalist dashboard enhanced by hexagonal 3D-printed air vents and no instrumentation on the console, to underline the lightness of the cabin and focus attention on pure driving enjoyment. The cockpit itself is framed in carbon fibre, with a digital readout featuring dedicated graphics for each car.
The Invencible coupé is characterised by the subtle contrast between the dominant shade of red and the carbon-look elements enhanced by red ‘flakes’. The Rosso Efesto bodywork is complemented by sills and doorframes in carbon, just like the brake callipers in Rosso Mars, which sit behind single-nut wheels with carbon fibre fairings to ventilate the brake assembly. On the classic scissor doors, there are two prominent hexagonal tricolours: a tribute to the Italian flag that is echoed on the door linings as well as well as on the steering wheel.
In a similar vein, while still maintaining a unique character, the Auténtica roadster features bodywork in Grigio Titans with details in Matt Black and a Giallo Auge livery: a colour repeated on the brake callipers as well as the main aerodynamic elements. These include the front splitter, and motorsport-derived rear wing that optimises the aerodynamic load, flanked by a pair of fins. The car’s profile is rendered unique by two domes with integrated rollbars, inspired by open-topped racers of the past. The open-air interior boasts elegant embroidery in Giallo Taurus, with contrasting Nero Ade leather upholstery and two-tone Nero Cosmus and Grigio Octans Alcantara.
Both cars are one-off builds and salute the end of an era in supercar engineering that Lamborghini helped forge.