► Patent filings of new Lamborghini
► Expected at Geneva show 2016
► Check out the Centenario LP770-4
Lamborghini is planning to reveal its most powerful supercar yet at the 2016 Geneva motor show and despite a tight ring of security these images – believed to show its design – have been revealed in a newly-published patent.
Just how powerful? Another leak gives that away. A trademark application filed in 2015 for the name ‘Centenario LP770-4’ tells us all we need to know. The car is being built to mark 100 years since the birth of Ferruccio Lamborghini, hence ‘Centenario.’ And that number refers to 770hp. That’s 759bhp…
Engine, specs of new Lambo Centenario
Power is expected to come from a tuned version of the existing Aventador’s 6.5 litre V12. It’s already been boosted to 750hp in the LP750-4 Superveloce (740bhp), so squeezing an extra 19bhp from it shouldn’t be too taxing.
As the ‘4’ in the name illustrates, that power will go down through all four wheels thanks to a drivetrain that’s based, along with the chassis, on that of the Aventador. But despite sharing the Aventador’s underpinnings, the Centenario has a style all of its own.
Like previous limited-edition, uber-expensive Lamborghinis – the Sesto Elemento, Veneno and Reventon spring to mind – the carbonfibre bodywork of the Centenario is unique to this model. Longer than the Aventador thanks to a stretched nose and tail, the impression is of a dramatically lower car.
The stretched shape suggests top speed is a priority and as you’d expect from what’s likely to be the fastest Lamborghini yet, there’s an overload of aero. From vanes and flip-ups on the front splitter to a multi-channelled diffuser at the back, it’s going to be a celebration of carbonfibre addenda from every angle. Shrinking violets need not apply.
In fact, the chances are that nobody should apply. Lamborghini is understood to have already been in touch with its wealthiest and most ardent fans, and the entire run of 40 cars – around 20 coupes will be followed by a similar number of roadsters – is believed to be accounted for. If you’ve got your order in, you can look forward to picking up the most sophisticated, powerful and fastest Lamborghini ever made.
A riot of carbon
Even these design patent images give away a surprising level of detail, hinting at that sophistication. The wheels, for instance, have carbon vanes added to their spokes, directing hot air away from the brakes. There’s also what appears to be an active rear wing, and the electronics are expected to be more complex than any of its predecessors.
The Centenario is expected to make its official debut at the Geneva show on 1 March 2016.
