2015 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster
photo: sotheby’s
Looking to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, Lamborghini unveiled the Veneno at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Perhaps the most outlandish automobile ever produced from a company built on a reputation of creating wildly designed automobiles, the Veneno caused a fanfare when it was unveiled, making Ferrari’s LaFerrari, unveiled that year at Geneva as well, look almost pedestrian in comparison.
The designers at the Centro Stile Lamborghini pushed design to its limits, working to maximise downforce by increase handling stability through fast corners. With form truly following function, each crisp line serves to provide minimal drag and channel air to cool its engine. Carbon fibre plays a crucial role in its construction, with the car’s carbon monocoque visible within the car around its central tunnel and door stills.
Aside from its wild bodywork, the Veneno boasts Lamborghini’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V-12 engine tuned to produce 750 bhp. Providing 50 horsepower more than the original Aventador LP700-4, this increase in power was thanks to enlarging air intakes to the engine and modifying the exhaust. Capable of sprinting to 100 km/h from a standstill in 2.9 seconds, top speed is quoted by Lamborghini as being a staggering 355 km/h.
photo: sotheby’s
However, with only four Venenos produced (three built for a trio of very fortunate customers and one retained by Lamborghini themselves), it was instantly apparent that the demand was there for further ‘few-off’ Lamborghinis. The following year a roadster version of the Veneno was announced in a setting equally as thrilling as the car itself, onboard the Italian Navy’s aircraft carrier Cavour docked in Abu Dhabi in 2014.
Performance of the Veneno roadster remains identical to that of its closed sibling, despite the roadster being 50 kg heavier due to reinforcement of its chassis. Tipping the scales at just 1,490 kg, this gives the Veneno roadster a power-to-weight ratio of just 1.99 kg per horsepower. A true roadster, no roof was offered, making for a truly exhilarating driving experience. Nine examples were built, with each one being spoken for before the car was unveiled to the public.
Of those nine Veneno roadsters, this example was the second to leave the factory, and it was bought from the first owner by a member of the House of Saud, the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Finished in a Matte Black over an interior trimmed in lime green and black leather, the car also boasts lime-green pinstriping on the exterior, adding a touch of contrast and personality to its fighter-jet-like bodywork. Since departing Sant’Agata, the car has travelled just 450 km from new and remains in virtually as-new condition both inside and out.
photo: sotheby’s
Set to be a future classic and undoubtedly one of the most desirable Lamborghinis ever built, it is clear that the Veneno’s design will continue to influence Lamborghini’s regular production cars for years to come. This would be a centrepiece of any collection of 21st-century hypercars.